In the West Midlands, as everywhere in England, a house with five or more people forming two or more households needs a mandatory HMO licence. Some councils go further with additional licensing or Article 4 directions, as the table shows.
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.
HMO licence applications for the West Midlands landlords
Licensing rules for shared houses in the West Midlands depend on the exact address. Mandatory licensing applies to every HMO with 5 or more occupiers, but additional or selective schemes can bring smaller houses into licensing too. We check which applies before preparing anything, so the application matches the scheme.
For landlords in the West Midlands, we prepare the floor plan, collect the certificates and complete the council's form. We follow the application through to a decision, help with any draft conditions and keep a note of the renewal date.
- Licence holder, manager and fit and proper details prepared
- Council application form completed and checked
- Check of mandatory, additional and selective licensing at the address
- Help with draft conditions, renewals and variations
- Gas, electrical, alarm and lighting certificates collated
Towns we cover in the West Midlands
- Birmingham
- Selly Oak
- Bournbrook
- Edgbaston
- Harborne
- Moseley
- Kings Heath
- Stirchley
- Bournville
- Kings Norton
- Northfield
- Longbridge
- Erdington
- Handsworth
- Aston
- Perry Barr
- Great Barr
- Kingstanding
- Hall Green
- Acocks Green
- Yardley
- Sheldon
- Saltley
- Sutton Coldfield
- Coventry
- Earlsdon
- Tile Hill
- Foleshill
- Allesley
- Binley
- Wolverhampton
- Bilston
- Wednesfield
- Tettenhall
- Penn
- Dudley
- Stourbridge
- Brierley Hill
- Halesowen
- Kingswinford
- Sedgley
- West Bromwich
- Smethwick
- Oldbury
- Tipton
- Wednesbury
- Rowley Regis
- Walsall
- Bloxwich
- Willenhall
- Darlaston
- Aldridge
- Brownhills
- Solihull
- Shirley
- Chelmsley Wood
- Knowle
- Castle Bromwich