Licensing in Birmingham City Council is set street by street. Check whether a specific address needs a licence with the free property licence checker, or see if it falls in a selective licensing area. See also: Article 4 Direction in Birmingham City Council — HMO planning rules.
Birmingham operates a city-wide additional licensing scheme for HMOs, meaning that even smaller shared properties need a licence. If you rent out a property in Birmingham, here is what applies to you.
Birmingham City Council has introduced city-wide additional licensing, which means that even smaller HMOs with three or more tenants now require a licence. This goes further than the national mandatory HMO threshold, which only applies at five or more tenants.
Each additional licence costs £755 and is valid for five years. If you rent out more than one HMO, you need a separate licence for each property.
Mandatory HMO licensing applies across Birmingham, as it does across all of England, for properties with five or more tenants from two or more households sharing facilities. This is a national requirement under the Housing Act 2004.
For a five-person HMO in Birmingham, fees start at £1,150, with an additional £50 per extra person beyond five.
Birmingham's licensing regime also covers Section 257 HMOs: buildings that have been converted into self-contained flats but do not comply with the 1991 building regulations. If you own such a building, it may need a licence even if each flat is occupied by a single household.
Operating a licensable HMO in Birmingham without a licence can result in a civil penalty of up to £30,000. Tenants may also be able to apply for a Rent Repayment Order, which can require the landlord to repay up to 12 months of rent.
The quickest way is to use Tuxa. Enter the property address and you will get an immediate answer on whether a licence is required and which type applies. You can also visit the Birmingham City Council website directly.
A: Birmingham City Council operates a city-wide Additional Licensing Scheme for Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs). This means that even smaller shared properties with three or more tenants, who are not from the same family, require a licence. Each additional licence costs £755 and is valid for five years. This scheme extends beyond the national mandatory HMO threshold, which typically applies to properties with five or more tenants.
A: Mandatory HMO licensing applies to properties across Birmingham, as it does throughout England, for properties housing five or more tenants from two or more households who share facilities. For a five-person HMO in Birmingham, the initial fee is £1,150, with an additional £50 for each tenant beyond five.
A: Operating a licensable HMO in Birmingham without the required licence can lead to significant penalties. Landlords may face a civil penalty of up to £30,000. Additionally, tenants have the right to apply for a Rent Repayment Order, which could compel the landlord to repay up to 12 months' worth of rent.
A: You can quickly check if your property needs a licence by using Tuxa's property address search tool, which provides an immediate answer on whether a licence is required and which type applies. Alternatively, you can visit the official Birmingham City Council website for detailed information and to use their property licensing triage form.
Tuxa monitors licensing scheme data across England. Use the search above to check any property in Birmingham or anywhere else in the country.
This page was researched and written by the Tuxa editorial team. Our data is sourced directly from local authority websites, MHCLG scheme designation orders, and the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA). We update our content when councils announce new schemes or enforcement actions. If you spot an error or out-of-date information, please contact us.
Source: Birmingham City Council licensing Last reviewed: May 2026 Reviewed by Ben Yarrow, Tuxa Editorial Team