If the property is in Aldridge, the council that matters is Walsall Council. We look up its current schemes for the address, note any conditions it usually attaches, and plan the work to suit.
We can keep a photographic record of each stage, which is useful evidence when the council inspects or a buyer's surveyor asks questions later.
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 Aldridge 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 Aldridge, so the mandatory licence for five or more people is the main one to plan for there.
Our HMO loft conversion service in Aldridge
Plenty of houses have roof space that could hold extra bedrooms, but in Aldridge we always measure the headroom first, because floor under a 1.5 m ceiling does not count towards room size. That tells you how many rooms the loft can really add.
A loft room usually creates a third storey, so we plan the protected escape route and alarm upgrades for the whole Aldridge house, not just the new floor. We also check the occupant count, because seven or more residents needs planning permission anywhere in the West Midlands.
- Headroom survey and countable floor area calculation
- New staircase and protected escape route
- Structural design and building control application
- Alarm extended and doors upgraded on lower floors
- Planning and permitted development position checked first
Loft conversions for HMOs near Aldridge
- Brownhills 2 miles
- Walsall 3.1 miles
- Bloxwich 3.8 miles
- Sutton Coldfield 3.9 miles
- Great Barr 4.2 miles
- Kingstanding 4.3 miles