Most of the cost and risk in an HMO is decided at the design stage. In Longbridge we start by measuring every room and checking Birmingham City Council's position on licensing and planning, then build the specification around it.
Quotes list each item of work, so you can see where the money goes and compare like for like.
HMO rules in Birmingham City Council
| Rule | Birmingham City Council |
|---|---|
| Mandatory HMO licence (5+ people) | In force everywhere in England |
| Additional HMO licensing | In force Whole city, 5 June 2023 to 4 June 2028 |
| Selective licensing | In part of the area 25 of the city's 69 wards, 5 June 2023 to 4 June 2028 |
| Article 4 direction for small HMOs | In force Whole city, in force since 8 June 2020 |
Checked October 2026 against Birmingham City Council's HMO licensing page. Schemes change, so we confirm the position for your address before any work starts.
Birmingham City Council has an Article 4 direction across its whole area, so turning a family house in Longbridge into a small HMO needs planning permission. We check the planning history of the address as part of any licence work. Seven or more occupants always needs planning permission. Birmingham City Council also runs additional licensing across its whole area (until 4 June 2028), so smaller HMOs with three or four people from two or more households need a licence too.
How we handle HMO compliance audit work in Longbridge
An audit of an HMO in Longbridge checks the house the way a licensing officer would: room sizes, fire safety, amenities, certificates and paperwork. You get a written, prioritised fix list, so you know what needs doing before an inspection, renewal or purchase.
Councils across the West Midlands set their own HMO standards on top of the national rules. Our audits of houses in Longbridge check against both, and we can quote for any work the report identifies once you have read it.
- Written report with a prioritised, photographed fix list
- Every bedroom measured, including the 1.5 m ceiling rule
- Management Regulations 2006 duties checked on site
- Fire precautions and fire risk assessment reviewed
- Licence conditions checked against the house as it is
HMO compliance audits near Longbridge
- Northfield 1.3 miles
- Kings Norton 2 miles
- Stirchley 3 miles
- Bournville 3 miles
- Selly Oak 3.3 miles
- Bournbrook 3.3 miles