HMO fire safety works in the West Midlands

We carry out HMO fire safety work throughout the West Midlands, with each job checked against the local council's licensing and planning rules.

the West Midlands has 7 councils with HMO responsibilities, and their schemes are not the same. The table below shows what we found for each.

Designed around the local council's HMO standards

Work by S&K and vetted subcontractors

Quotes itemised so you can compare

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Our work in the West Midlands ranges from single conversions for first-time landlords to multi-house programmes for investors, all priced in writing before work starts.

Licensing and planning for HMOs in the West Midlands is handled by the district, borough, city or unitary councils, not one county-wide body. That's why the same house can need different paperwork depending on which side of a council boundary it sits.

HMO rules across the West Midlands' councils

Council	Additional licensing	Selective licensing	Article 4 (small HMOs)
Birmingham City Council	In force Whole city, 5 June 2023 to 4 June 2028	In part of the area 25 of the city's 69 wards, 5 June 2023 to 4 June 2028	In force Whole city, in force since 8 June 2020
Coventry City Council	In force Whole city, 4 May 2025 to 3 May 2030	None found	In part of the area 11 wards, including Earlsdon, Foleshill, Lower and Upper Stoke, Radford, St Michael's and Westwood, since 30 September 2023
Dudley Council	Not confirmed	Not confirmed	In force Whole borough, since 15 September 2023
Sandwell Council	In force Whole borough, 1 October 2024 to 30 September 2029	None found	Proposed Cabinet approved an immediate borough-wide direction on 14 October 2026; not confirmed as in force when checked
Solihull Council	Not confirmed	Not confirmed	Proposed The council is exploring a direction for smaller HMOs; none in force when checked
Walsall Council	In part of the area Nine wards: Palfrey, Paddock, Pleck and St Matthew's (to 31 August 2027), and Bentley and Darlaston North, Birchills Leamore, Blakenall, Darlaston South and Willenhall South (to 30 June 2028)	None found	In force Whole borough, since 1 October 2025
City of Wolverhampton Council	Proposed The council is preparing a consultation on a scheme for smaller HMOs	Proposed The council is preparing a consultation on a scheme for designated areas	In force Whole city, since 14 September 2017

Checked October 2026. Mandatory licensing for five or more people applies in every council. Schemes change, so we confirm the position for the address before work starts.

Councils in the West Midlands where we found an Article 4 direction for small HMOs in force, in all or part of their area: Birmingham City Council, Coventry City Council, Dudley Council, Walsall Council, City of Wolverhampton Council. Article 4 directions are due to start or proposed in: Sandwell Council, Solihull Council. Additional licensing applies in all or part of: Birmingham City Council, Coventry City Council, Sandwell Council, Walsall Council.

Our HMO fire safety service in the West Midlands

We carry out HMO fire safety works in the West Midlands to a written specification taken from the fire risk assessment and the local council's HMO standards. That keeps the work proportionate, because a small two-storey house and a large three-storey one in the West Midlands rarely need the same measures.

Typical jobs in the West Midlands include fire doors with self-closers, interlinked alarms, emergency lighting and fire stopping of hidden gaps. Every job across the West Midlands ends with commissioning certificates, photos of concealed work and a logbook for routine tests.

Fire doors fitted with self-closers, seals and correct gaps
Commissioning certificates, logbook and photos of concealed work
Mains-wired interlinked smoke and heat detection
Emergency lighting where the escape route needs it
Fire stopping around pipes, cables, hatches and cupboards

Towns we cover in the West Midlands

What landlords in the West Midlands ask us

Can you convert part of a building above a shop in the West Midlands?

Often, yes. Flats above shops need extra attention to fire separation from the commercial unit, and we assess this at survey stage.

How long does an HMO conversion in the West Midlands take?

It depends on the size of the house and the work involved. Your written quote includes a programme for each stage, and any planning or licensing time is shown separately.

Do you supply fire doors and alarms as part of a conversion?

Yes. Fire doors, the alarm system and emergency lighting are specified to the fire risk of the house and included in the price, not added later.

Do you handle building regulations for conversions in the West Midlands?

Yes. An HMO conversion often involves building regulations work such as fire protection, new partitions and drainage, and we arrange approval and inspections with local authority building control or a registered building control approver.