Privately rented property licensing
There are three schemes currently in operation in Birmingham.
For the purpose of the schemes detailed below, a household is defined as 'a group of people from the same family'.
Mandatory HMO licensing
This has been a requirement nationwide since 2006 and applies to any privately rented property which houses:
- more than five residents who are unrelated
- from two or more households
- who share either a bathroom or a kitchen
Additional property licensing for HMOs
Since 5 June 2023 all privately rented properties in Birmingham need a licence if they house:
- three or four people
- from two or more households
- who share either a bathroom or a kitchen, need a licence
Find out more about additional property licensing
Selective property licensing
Since 5 June 2023 any privately rented, single household properties located in any of the designated 25 wards, need a licence.
Find out more about selective licensing
We have created a form to help you determine if your privately rented property needs a licence:
Complete the property licensing triage form
Page last updated: 3 November 2023
