Shared houses in Great Barr need to satisfy Birmingham City Council's licensing team as well as building regulations. We plan for both from the first survey, which avoids rework later.
You get one point of contact for the whole job, a fixed price for the agreed specification and a written programme showing when each stage happens.
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 Great Barr 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.
Large HMO conversions in Great Barr: what we do
For larger houses and buildings in Great Barr, we assess whether an HMO for seven or more people is realistic before any design money is spent. That means checking local planning policy, the structure, the escape routes and how many kitchens and bathrooms the occupancy would need.
If the scheme works, we prepare the planning drawings, agree the fire strategy with building control and build floor by floor. It suits bigger properties in Great Barr and across the West Midlands where a six-bedroom layout would leave usable space empty.
- Feasibility check of the building, layout and planning policy
- Handover file prepared for the mandatory licence
- Floor-by-floor build programme with building control inspections
- Fire strategy agreed with building control at the start
- Kitchens and bathrooms sized to council amenity standards
Large HMO conversions near Great Barr
- Kingstanding 2 miles
- Perry Barr 2.5 miles
- Handsworth 2.7 miles
- West Bromwich 3.2 miles
- Walsall 3.5 miles
- Aston 3.5 miles