Most of the cost and risk in an HMO is decided at the design stage. In Harborne we start by measuring every room and checking Birmingham City Council's position on licensing and planning, then build the specification around it.
We cover B17 and the neighbouring postcodes, with the same standards in Harborne as anywhere else in the West Midlands.
HMO rules in Birmingham City Council
| Rule | Birmingham City Council |
|---|---|
| Mandatory HMO licence (5+ people) | In force everywhere in England |
| Additional HMO licensing | In force Whole city, 5 June 2023 to 4 June 2028 |
| Selective licensing | In part of the area 25 of the city's 69 wards, 5 June 2023 to 4 June 2028 |
| Article 4 direction for small HMOs | In force Whole city, in force since 8 June 2020 |
Checked October 2026 against Birmingham City Council's HMO licensing page. Schemes change, so we confirm the position for your address before any work starts.
Birmingham City Council has an Article 4 direction across its whole area, so turning a family house in Harborne into a small HMO needs planning permission. We check the planning history of the address as part of any licence work. Seven or more occupants always needs planning permission. Birmingham City Council also runs additional licensing across its whole area (until 4 June 2028), so smaller HMOs with three or four people from two or more households need a licence too.
HMO licence applications for Harborne landlords
Licensing rules for shared houses in Harborne 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 Harborne and across 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.
- Check of mandatory, additional and selective licensing at the address
- Measured floor plan in the council's usual format
- Help with draft conditions, renewals and variations
- Gas, electrical, alarm and lighting certificates collated
- Licence holder, manager and fit and proper details prepared
HMO licence applications near Harborne
- Selly Oak 1.5 miles
- Bournbrook 1.5 miles
- Edgbaston 1.5 miles
- Smethwick 2.7 miles
- Northfield 2.9 miles
- Moseley 3 miles