Birmingham sits within Birmingham City Council, which sets its own HMO standards for room sizes, kitchens and bathrooms. We check a house against those standards before we let rooms or rely on any figures.
We'll tell you plainly if a house in Birmingham isn't suited to the arrangement 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. 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.
Our HMO room letting service in Birmingham
We let HMO rooms in Birmingham for owners who manage their own houses, from a single room to every room as it falls vacant. Each advert shows the asking rent, and each applicant is referenced and checked in the same way before any paperwork is signed.
Room lets in Birmingham follow the same national rules as anywhere in England: assured periodic tenancies, no bidding, no blanket bans and limits on rent in advance. Where the house needs an HMO licence, we check the licence conditions on occupancy before letting each room.
- Photo inventory and alarm check on move-in day
- Option to move to full management later
- Written tenancy terms and deposit protection
- Room adverts with photos and the asking rent shown
- Enquiries handled and viewings carried out
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.