If the property is in Great Barr, the council that matters is Birmingham City Council. We look up its current schemes for the address, note any conditions it usually attaches, and plan the work to suit.
We'll tell you plainly if a house in Great Barr isn't suited to the number of rooms you have in mind, and what it would take to make it work.
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 Great Barr 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 in Great Barr: what we do
Our HMO conversion work in Great Barr 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 Great Barr 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.
- Planning use class and Article 4 check for the address
- Measured survey of every room and shared space
- Fire protection and escape route specified to the risk
- Certificates, floor plans and photos handed over for licensing
- Building control application and sign-off where required
HMO conversions near Great Barr
- Kingstanding 2 miles
- Perry Barr 2.5 miles
- Handsworth 2.7 miles
- West Bromwich 3.2 miles
- Walsall 3.5 miles
- Aston 3.5 miles