HMO refurbishment in Northfield

Planning HMO refurbishment work in Northfield? We check the licensing and planning position with Birmingham City Council, design the layout and give you a fixed written quote.

Our base in Great Barr is about 10 miles from Northfield, so surveys and site visits are straightforward to arrange.

One team for build, compliance and lettings

Designed around Birmingham City Council's HMO standards

Work by S&K and vetted subcontractors

Free survey in Northfield

Tell us about the property. We reply within one working day.

Landlords in Northfield 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.

Our team is based in Great Barr, Birmingham, about 10 miles from Northfield. That keeps survey visits, site meetings and follow-up inspections easy to arrange.

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 Northfield 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.

Our HMO refurbishment service in Northfield

We refurbish existing HMOs in Northfield 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 Northfield 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.

Phasing plan that keeps occupied rooms usable
Before and after photos and updated certificates
Kitchens, bathrooms, electrics and decoration renewed as agreed
Works list split into safety, licence and optional items
Room-by-room condition and compliance survey

HMO refurbishment near Northfield

Longbridge 1.3 miles
Kings Norton 1.8 miles
Selly Oak 1.9 miles
Bournbrook 1.9 miles
Stirchley 2.1 miles
Bournville 2.1 miles

Questions about HMO refurbishment in Northfield

Does a converted HMO in Northfield need a licence?

Yes if five or more people from two or more households will live there, because mandatory licensing applies in every council in England. Birmingham City Council may also license smaller HMOs, which we check for the address.

Do you handle building regulations for conversions in Northfield?

Yes. An HMO conversion often involves building regulations work such as fire protection, new partitions and drainage, and we arrange approval and inspections with local authority building control or a registered building control approver.

Can you work on a house I haven't bought yet in Northfield?

Yes. We can survey before you buy and tell you the likely room count, the planning and licensing position and a guide cost, so you can decide with the facts in front of you.

What size must bedrooms be in an HMO in Northfield?

For licensed HMOs in England a room for one adult must be at least 6.51 square metres and a room for two adults at least 10.22 square metres. Birmingham City Council may set additional standards, which we design to.