Landlords in Birmingham deal with Birmingham City Council for licensing, planning and housing standards. We keep those three in view together, so a layout that suits the licence also works for planning and building control.
We'll tell you plainly if a house in Birmingham isn't suited to the number of rooms you have in mind, and what it would take to make it work.
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. We prepare the planning application before any conversion work starts. 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 refurbishment in Birmingham: what we do
We refurbish existing HMOs in Birmingham that have fallen behind current standards, whether the prompt is a licence renewal, a council inspection or rooms that have become hard to let. The survey splits the work into safety, licence and optional items so the priorities are clear.
Where rooms in a Birmingham house are still let, we phase the work so tenants keep a working kitchen, bathroom and alarm system throughout. For landlords across the West Midlands, each job ends with updated certificates and photos ready to send to the council.
- Fire doors, alarms and escape routes brought up to standard
- Works list split into safety, licence and optional items
- Before and after photos and updated certificates
- Phasing plan that keeps occupied rooms usable
- Room-by-room condition and compliance survey
Student and sharer lets in Birmingham
Birmingham is close to a university or college campus, so students and young professionals are part of the local rental market. If that is your market, layouts with en-suites, a generous kitchen and secure bike storage are worth planning in from the start.