HMO projects in Brownhills are shaped by the rules of Walsall Council. Before we price anything, we check whether the address falls within an additional licensing scheme or an Article 4 direction, because both change what the house needs and how long it takes.
You get one point of contact for the whole job, a fixed price for the agreed specification and a written programme showing when each stage happens.
HMO rules in Walsall Council
| Rule | Walsall Council |
|---|---|
| Mandatory HMO licence (5+ people) | In force everywhere in England |
| Additional HMO licensing | 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) |
| Selective licensing | None found |
| Article 4 direction for small HMOs | In force Whole borough, since 1 October 2025 |
Checked October 2026 against Walsall Council's HMO licensing page. Schemes change, so we confirm the position for your address before any work starts.
Walsall Council has an Article 4 direction across its whole area, so turning a family house in Brownhills 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. Walsall Council's additional licensing covers nine wards, including Palfrey, Paddock, Pleck, St Matthew's, Blakenall, Birchills Leamore, Darlaston South and Willenhall South, which doesn't include Brownhills, so the mandatory licence for five or more people is the main one to plan for there.
Our HMO fire safety service in Brownhills
We carry out HMO fire safety works in Brownhills 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 Brownhills rarely need the same measures.
Typical jobs in Brownhills 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.
- Emergency lighting where the escape route needs it
- Mains-wired interlinked smoke and heat detection
- Fire stopping around pipes, cables, hatches and cupboards
- Specification taken from the fire risk assessment and council standards
- Fire doors fitted with self-closers, seals and correct gaps