Birmingham City Council vs Sandwell Council — Landlord Licensing Compared

Side-by-side comparison of selective and additional HMO licensing in Birmingham City Council and Sandwell Council. Reference data from each council's own pages and GOV.UK.

Adjacent West Midlands authorities with overlapping stock.

Birmingham City Council (West Midlands)

• Selective licensing: Designated areas only. Selective licensing scheme covering 25 of Birmingham's 69 wards. Address checker on council site.
• Additional HMO licensing: City-wide scheme in force. Birmingham City Council operates additional licensing for smaller HMOs. From 5 June 2023 a property occupied by 3 or 4 people making up 2 or more households who share facilities such as a kitchen or bathroom needs an additional licence before it can be rented out. Mandatory licensing continues to apply to HMOs with 5 or more occupants. Birmingham separately operates selective licensing in designated wards.
• Council licensing page: https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/info/20175/private_housing/2649/selective_licensing
• Council HMO page: https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/downloads/download/5544/hmo_licence_fees
• Full reference page: https://letsentry.co.uk/council/birmingham

Sandwell Council (West Midlands)

• Selective licensing: No scheme confirmed. Sandwell introduced borough-wide Additional HMO Licensing on 1 October 2024. No selective licensing scheme.
• Additional HMO licensing: Status not yet verified. Not yet independently verified — check the council page.
• Council licensing page: https://www.sandwell.gov.uk/find-home/housing-multiple-occupation-hmo/7
• Council HMO page: https://www.sandwell.gov.uk/find-home/housing-multiple-occupation-hmo/2
• Full reference page: https://letsentry.co.uk/council/sandwell

Mandatory HMO licensing applies in both areas: any HMO occupied by 5 or more people forming 2 or more households needs a licence anywhere in England.

Sources: - legislation.gov.uk — Housing Act 2004 — https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2004/34/contents - GOV.UK — House in multiple occupation (HMO) licence — https://www.gov.uk/house-in-multiple-occupation-licence

Last verified: 2026-06-28. Reference data only — always check each council's own page before applying.