Solihull sits within Solihull 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.
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 Solihull Council
| Rule | Solihull Council |
|---|---|
| Mandatory HMO licence (5+ people) | In force everywhere in England |
| Additional HMO licensing | Not confirmed |
| Selective licensing | Not confirmed |
| Article 4 direction for small HMOs | Proposed The council is exploring a direction for smaller HMOs; none in force when checked |
Checked October 2026 against Solihull Council's HMO licensing page. Schemes change, so we confirm the position for your address before any work starts.
Solihull Council has said it is exploring an Article 4 direction for smaller HMOs. None was in force when we checked. Seven or more occupants always needs planning permission. We couldn't confirm whether Solihull Council runs additional licensing, so we check with the council for the address.
Loft conversions for HMOs in Solihull: what we do
Plenty of houses have roof space that could hold extra bedrooms, but in Solihull 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 Solihull 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.
- Planning and permitted development position checked first
- New staircase and protected escape route
- Updated floor plans for the licence file
- Structural design and building control application
- Headroom survey and countable floor area calculation
Loft conversions for HMOs near Solihull
- Shirley 1.6 miles
- Acocks Green 2.7 miles
- Hall Green 2.8 miles
- Sheldon 2.9 miles
- Knowle 2.9 miles
- Yardley 3.8 miles