We plan each HMO kitchen and bathroom job in Worcestershire around the local council's amenity standards, which set out kitchen, bathroom and room-size requirements for shared houses.
Licensing and planning for HMOs in Worcestershire 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 Worcestershire's councils
| Council | Additional licensing | Selective licensing | Article 4 (small HMOs) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bromsgrove District Council | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Malvern Hills District Council | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Redditch Borough Council | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Worcester City Council | In force Whole city, 1 September 2025 to 31 August 2030 | Not confirmed | In force Whole city, since 1 July 2014 |
| Wychavon District Council | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Wyre Forest District Council | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Due to start Kidderminster only, due to start 20 February 2027 |
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 Worcestershire where we found an Article 4 direction for small HMOs in force, in all or part of their area: Worcester City Council. Article 4 directions are due to start or proposed in: Wyre Forest District Council. Additional licensing applies in all or part of: Worcester City Council.
How we handle HMO kitchen and bathroom work in Worcestershire
We design and fit communal kitchens and shared bathrooms for HMOs in Worcestershire, 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 Worcestershire before drawing anything.
Fittings for houses in Worcestershire are chosen for heavy daily use: sealed worktops, wipe-clean wall panels, separate food storage and isolation valves on every fitting. Across Worcestershire, each kitchen gets the heat detection and fire blanket the fire risk assessment calls for.
- 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
- Extract ventilation and certified electrical work