Most of the cost and risk in an HMO is decided at the design stage. In Bournbrook 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 Bournbrook into a small HMO needs planning permission. We prepare the planning application before any conversion work starts. 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.
HMO conversions for Bournbrook landlords
Our HMO conversion work in Bournbrook starts with a measured survey and a check of the planning and licensing rules that apply to the street. We design the room layout, shared facilities and escape route around those rules, then price the agreed specification in an itemised written quote.
Two houses in Bournbrook that look alike from outside can give different room counts once the kitchen, stairs and bathrooms are measured. We give you a realistic number early, then build across the West Midlands with our own team and vetted subcontractors under a single contract.
- Certificates, floor plans and photos handed over for licensing
- Planning use class and Article 4 check for the address
- Fire protection and escape route specified to the risk
- Bedroom layout designed to national and council size standards
- Measured survey of every room and shared space
Letting to students and sharers in Bournbrook
Bournbrook is close to a university or college campus, so students and young professionals are part of the local rental market. If that is your market, layouts with en-suites, a generous kitchen and secure bike storage are worth planning in from the start.
HMO conversions near Bournbrook
- Selly Oak under a mile
- Harborne 1.5 miles
- Edgbaston 1.8 miles
- Stirchley 1.8 miles
- Bournville 1.8 miles
- Northfield 1.9 miles