Smethwick sits within Sandwell Council, which sets its own HMO standards for room sizes, kitchens and bathrooms. Our designs start from those standards, so the layout we price is designed to meet the council's licensing requirements.
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 Sandwell Council
| Rule | Sandwell Council |
|---|---|
| Mandatory HMO licence (5+ people) | In force everywhere in England |
| Additional HMO licensing | In force Whole borough, 1 October 2024 to 30 September 2029 |
| Selective licensing | None found |
| Article 4 direction for small HMOs | Proposed Cabinet approved an immediate borough-wide direction on 14 October 2026; not confirmed as in force when checked |
Checked October 2026 against Sandwell Council's HMO licensing page. Schemes change, so we confirm the position for your address before any work starts.
Sandwell Council's cabinet approved an immediate borough-wide Article 4 direction on 14 October 2026. We could not confirm whether it has been made, so we check with the council before any change of use. Seven or more occupants always needs planning permission. Sandwell Council also runs additional licensing across its whole area (until 30 September 2029), so smaller HMOs with three or four people from two or more households need a licence too.
Communal kitchens and bathrooms for Smethwick landlords
We design and fit communal kitchens and shared bathrooms for HMOs in Smethwick, sized to the amenity standards the local council applies to the number of people in the house. Those standards differ between councils, so we check the current version for Smethwick before drawing anything.
Fittings for houses in Smethwick are chosen for heavy daily use: sealed worktops, wipe-clean wall panels, separate food storage and isolation valves on every fitting. Across the West Midlands, each kitchen gets the heat detection and fire blanket the fire risk assessment calls for.
- Extract ventilation and certified electrical work
- Isolation valves on every fitting
- Heavy-duty units, sealed worktops and slip-resistant flooring
- Heat detection and fire blanket where required
- Layout sized to your council's amenity standards
Communal kitchens and bathrooms near Smethwick
- Handsworth 1.5 miles
- West Bromwich 1.8 miles
- Oldbury 1.8 miles
- Harborne 2.7 miles
- Rowley Regis 3.1 miles
- Edgbaston 3.2 miles