Most of the cost and risk in an HMO is decided at the design stage. In Sheldon we start by measuring every room and checking Birmingham City Council's position on licensing and planning, then build the specification around it.
We'll tell you plainly if a house in Sheldon 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 Sheldon 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 large HMO conversion service in Sheldon
For larger houses and buildings in Sheldon, 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 Sheldon and across the West Midlands where a six-bedroom layout would leave usable space empty.
- Floor-by-floor build programme with building control inspections
- Feasibility check of the building, layout and planning policy
- Kitchens and bathrooms sized to council amenity standards
- Handover file prepared for the mandatory licence
- Fire strategy agreed with building control at the start
Large HMO conversions near Sheldon
- Yardley 1.4 miles
- Acocks Green 1.9 miles
- Chelmsley Wood 2.6 miles
- Solihull 2.9 miles
- Castle Bromwich 3.2 miles
- Hall Green 3.3 miles