If the property is in Birmingham, the council that matters is Birmingham City Council. We look up its current schemes for the address and note any conditions it usually attaches to licences.
We cover B1, B2, B3, B4 and nearby and the neighbouring postcodes, with the same approach in Birmingham 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 Birmingham into a small HMO needs planning permission. Before we take a house on, we check it has the planning status it needs. 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.
How we handle HMO management work in Birmingham
Our HMO management in Birmingham covers the whole cycle of a shared house: letting rooms, collecting rent, arranging repairs and keeping the licence conditions and certificates in date. We check the local council's licensing scheme for the address before taking a house on, because conditions vary across the West Midlands.
For owners in Birmingham, we can also help with registration on the PRS Database, which is due to open region by region from 15 December 2026, starting in the West Midlands, subject to Parliament approving the regulations. Repairs are handled by our own maintenance team.
- Room advertising, viewings, referencing and tenancy set-up
- Repairs by our own maintenance team
- Rent collection, arrears follow-up and monthly statements
- Management Regulations 2006 duties carried out day to day
- Regular inspections of rooms and common parts
Letting to students and sharers in Birmingham
Student lets in Birmingham often follow the academic year. Since 1 May 2026, Ground 4A can let a landlord of a student HMO seek possession for the summer, but only if every condition is met, including: each tenant is, or is reasonably expected to become, a full-time student; written notice was given before signing; the tenancy was signed no more than six months before move-in; the timing condition is met; and the landlord intends to re-let to students.