West Midlands
We currently show scheme records, official links, and supporting research for this council.
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This page includes the scheme records we currently hold, but council policies and boundaries can change. Treat it as a researched starting point and verify the latest position on the official council pages before acting.
Based on publicly available information, we show the licensing status we currently hold for Birmingham City Council, highlight mandatory HMO rules, and link you to official council sources for verification where we currently have them.
Confirm the current scheme boundary, licence fee, exemptions, application route, and any recent policy changes on the council website before making decisions.
Our current data is based on publicly available information. Always verify the latest licensing position, scheme boundaries, fees, and exemptions with Birmingham City Council.
We research council licensing information from public sources and present it as general guidance. We do not replace the council's own licensing pages or legal advice.
Council updates
We will email you if Birmingham City Council introduces, renews, or changes a licensing scheme. Free, occasional updates only. Always verify final requirements on the council website.
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This page may already answer a lot of the question. Use the paid products only if you want a quicker written summary, a more risk-focused view, or ongoing monitoring.
Property Licensing Check
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A concise written review for one property, postcode, or council situation based on current public council-source information.
Best for: Best for landlords, agents, and buyers who want written clarity quickly on one case.
Delivery: Concise report by email, usually within 2 working days
Licensing Due Diligence Report
Coming soon
A more tailored, more decision-oriented, and more risk-focused review for higher-stakes property decisions.
Best for: Best for buyers, investors, agents, landlords refinancing, and conveyancers handling material decisions.
Delivery: Analyst-reviewed report with stronger risk framing
Alerts and monitoring
Coming soon
A lighter monitoring tier for selected councils or areas, aimed at landlords and smaller investors who want ongoing updates.
Best for: Best for landlords and smaller investors who want ongoing updates without building their own tracking process.
Delivery: Monthly monitoring and change alerts
These options are designed to save research time, improve clarity, and support decision-making. Final reliance should still be tied back to the relevant council and, where necessary, professional advice.
Enter a postcode to see whether it appears to fall within a licensing scheme area, then verify the result with the council.
Citywide - all 69 wards of Birmingham. Covers approximately 12,000 HMO properties with 3 or 4 occupants. Enforcement commenced 4 September 2023.
Cabinet approval granted 17 January 2023 following a 10-week public consultation (4 July - 13 September 2022). No government approval was required as the scheme covers fewer than 20% of the city's total housing stock in each individual ward (citywide coverage achieved by aggregation). Scheme introduced to address nearly half of HMOs predicted to have serious safety hazards, a substantial number failing energy efficiency standards, and disproportionately high levels of antisocial behaviour and waste complaints linked to HMOs. According to the council, 69,000 rental properties combined (additional and selective) required licensing from 5 June 2023. Property types covered: Any HMO occupied by 3 or 4 people forming 2 or more households who share facilities such as a kitchen or bathroom. Also includes Section 257 HMOs: buildings converted into self-contained flats where the conversion did not comply with Building Regulations 1991 and two-thirds or more of the flats are rented out. Section 257 licences cover the building as a whole; individual flats within the building may also require separate licences.. Exemptions or exclusions: Properties already requiring mandatory HMO licensing (5+ occupants). Properties managed directly by an educational establishment. Properties let by a registered social landlord. Standard Housing Act 2004 exemptions (Schedule 14)..
Our current data shows this scheme based on public information. Always verify the latest fees, dates, and boundary wording on the official council page.
Citywide - all HMOs in Birmingham occupied by five or more people forming more than one household. In operation since 2006 under the Housing Act 2004.
National mandatory scheme under Housing Act 2004. Birmingham no longer accepts paper applications for HMO licences. Licences are non-transferable - if a licensed HMO is sold, the new owner must apply for a new licence. Applications should be submitted at least two months before an existing licence expires. A pre-licence inspection process was introduced from 2022/23. Property types covered: Houses in Multiple Occupation occupied by 5 or more people who form more than one household, sharing facilities such as a bathroom or kitchen. Includes shared houses and flats occupied by students and young professionals, properties converted into bedsits with some shared facilities, and properties converted into a mix of self-contained and non-self-contained accommodation.. Exemptions or exclusions: Properties listed in Schedule 14 of the Housing Act 2004. Properties subject to a temporary exemption notice. Properties subject to a Management Order. Buildings managed or controlled by a local housing authority, registered social landlord, or educational establishment..
Our current data shows this scheme based on public information. Always verify the latest fees, dates, and boundary wording on the official council page.
25 of Birmingham's 69 wards where the private rented sector exceeds 20% of properties and there are high levels of deprivation and/or crime. Covers an estimated 40,000-50,000 privately rented properties. Enforcement commenced 4 September 2023. Described as the largest selective licensing scheme in the UK.
Largest selective licensing scheme in the UK. Government approval from DLUHC was required and granted on 20 September 2022 due to the scheme covering more than 20% of the city's total housing stock. Consultation ran 25 October 2021 to 4 January 2022 (10 weeks); over 800 responses received from landlords, residents, and businesses/organisations, with significant support from residents. Cabinet decision 1 March 2022. Enforcement started 4 September 2023, three months after the scheme came into force. As of August 2025, the council had issued £450,000 in fines to non-compliant landlords and carried out over 12,000 inspections. Scheme targets wards with PRS above 20% of housing stock plus high deprivation/crime. Landlords without a licence cannot serve valid Section 21 notices. Property types covered: All privately rented properties in the 25 designated wards not already requiring a mandatory HMO licence or additional HMO licence. Includes all single-household privately rented properties. Empty properties do not require a licence.. Exemptions or exclusions: Properties already licensed as an HMO (mandatory or additional). Properties managed directly by an educational establishment. Properties let by a registered social landlord (e.g. housing association). Empty properties. Full list of exemptions on UK legislation website (Schedule 14, Housing Act 2004)..
Our current data shows this scheme based on public information. Always verify the latest fees, dates, and boundary wording on the official council page.
These public research signals help show how recently this page was reviewed and what still needs checking before you rely on it.
Last reviewed
27 March 2026
Research confidence
High (80/100)
Sources checked
17
Successfully accessed 16 source URLs including all key council pages for selective licensing, additional HMO licensing, mandatory HMO licensing, and the public register. Consultation dates, designation dates, and scheme dates confirmed from both Birmingham Be Heard (Citizen Space) and official council news articles. Fee splits confirmed from the official 'Further information' page (selective: £375/£325) and cross-referenced against Kamma and third-party sources. Public register MetaStreet URL confirmed by search results. The mandatory HMO fee schedule document (PDF) was not directly readable but fee amounts confirmed from multiple third-party sources citing the 2022 restructure. As of extraction date (March 2026), the council's published mandatory HMO fee PDF only covers 2022-2023; current fees beyond that year are based on Kamma data (August 2024 accuracy stated).
Two registers in operation. The new register is hosted on the MetaStreet platform at birmingham.metastreet.co.uk/public-register. The old register (hosted directly on birmingham.gov.uk) is being migrated to the new platform. The council advises checking both registers if a property is not found on the new version. The new register provides limited information on whether a property is included. Covers mandatory, additional, and selective property licences, temporary exemption notices, and interim management orders. Unlicensed properties can be reported confidentially via the council's reporting website or by emailing pl@birmingham.gov.uk.
Supporting sources
All councils in England must operate mandatory HMO licensing. This applies to properties with 5 or more occupants forming 2 or more separate households, regardless of location. If your property meets these criteria, you must apply for a mandatory HMO licence from Birmingham City Council.
Citywide - all HMOs in Birmingham occupied by five or more people forming more than one household. In operation since 2006 under the Housing Act 2004.
National mandatory scheme under Housing Act 2004. Birmingham no longer accepts paper applications for HMO licences. Licences are non-transferable - if a licensed HMO is sold, the new owner must apply for a new licence. Applications should be submitted at least two months before an existing licence expires. A pre-licence inspection process was introduced from 2022/23. Property types covered: Houses in Multiple Occupation occupied by 5 or more people who form more than one household, sharing facilities such as a bathroom or kitchen. Includes shared houses and flats occupied by students and young professionals, properties converted into bedsits with some shared facilities, and properties converted into a mix of self-contained and non-self-contained accommodation.. Exemptions or exclusions: Properties listed in Schedule 14 of the Housing Act 2004. Properties subject to a temporary exemption notice. Properties subject to a Management Order. Buildings managed or controlled by a local housing authority, registered social landlord, or educational establishment..
In addition to licensing, all private landlords in England must comply with these requirements:
Use these routes to move from the Birmingham City Council summary into the most relevant next action for your property, role, or research task.
Landlord with a standard let→
Start with a postcode if you want a property-specific route before relying on the council summary alone.
Shared occupancy or possible HMO→
Use the HMO checker if occupier numbers, households, or room-sharing could change the answer.
Check if a property has an HMO licence→
Use this if you need to check whether a property holds an HMO licence, or find the council's public HMO register.
Investor, buyer, or conveyancer→
Use the due diligence guide if this council page is part of a purchase, refinance, or pre-letting review.
Letting agent or portfolio manager→
Preview the monitoring route if you need ongoing watchlists and recurring scheme-change visibility.
Understand selective licensing rules→
Read the guide if you want the broader legal background on how selective licensing works alongside this council page.
Understand additional licensing rules→
Read the guide if you want the broader background on how additional HMO licensing works alongside this council page.
Need the local HMO route→
Use the additional licensing page if the real question is whether a smaller shared house needs a local licence here.
Tenant checking landlord compliance→
Use the tenant guide if you rent a property and want to check whether your landlord holds the right licence.
Important disclaimer
This tool provides general information about landlord licensing schemes in England. Results are based on publicly available data and may not reflect recent changes. This is not legal advice. Always verify licensing requirements directly with your local council before making decisions.
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