West Midlands
HMO licensing in Solihull
Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council requires a mandatory licence for HMOs occupied by 5 or more people from 2 or more households. No additional or selective licensing scheme is currently in force in Solihull (checked September 2026). The published licence fee starts at £1,075.
Mandatory licence
5+ people, 2+ households
National scheme
Additional / selective
None in force
Mandatory licensing only
Licence fee
From £1,075
Decision time
About 8 weeks
The council's stated aim
Licensing schemes in Solihull
Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council operates the national mandatory scheme. We found no additional or selective licensing scheme in force or proposed as of September 2026. Councils can introduce one after a public consultation, so it is worth setting an alert.
Licence fees
The published fee for a new HMO licence is £1,075. Fees can depend on the number of occupants or lettings, and they are reviewed each year.
Base HMO licence fee is £1,075, non-refundable, covering a licence of up to 5 years. A National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) membership discount of £108 is available on production of proof of membership. Additional charges apply for an extra let or occupant over 7 persons (£43), a subsequent licence following a change of licence holder (£215), and review of an inadequately completed application (£145). The council's older published FAQ guidance quoted a lower £795 base fee with separate landlord-association discounts, but the council's current housing pages confirm £1,075 as the live fee — the source material does not clearly state whether a distinct, lower fee applies specifically to renewals.
Check the current fee on the council website (solihull.gov.uk) before you apply.
Minimum room sizes
| Double bedroom | 10.22 m² minimum floor area for two occupants aged 10 or over (national mandatory HMO licence condition under The Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation (Mandatory Conditions of Licences) (England) Regulations 2018), applied by Solihull as part of its HMO standards. |
|---|---|
| Single bedroom | 6.51 m² minimum floor area for one occupant aged 10 or over under the same 2018 Regulations. |
National minimums for licensed HMOs are 6.51 m² for one adult and 10.22 m² for two adults; councils can apply higher local standards.
Fire safety requirements
- Fire safety, amenity and room-size conditions must all be met before a licence can be granted, assessed against the Housing Health and Safety Rating System.
- Working smoke/fire detection appropriate to the property and its escape routes.
- Emergency lighting to windowless common parts.
Kitchen, bathroom and amenity standards
- Minimum standards of amenities and facilities including the number, type and quality of shared bathrooms, toilets and cooking facilities, scaled to permitted occupancy.
- Proposed manager must provide evidence of a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check as part of the 'fit and proper person' assessment.
- Property must be suitable, or capable of being made suitable, for the number of tenants allowed under the licence.
Documents you will need
- Gas safety certificate (CP12) — Within the last 12 months for every gas appliance on the property.
- EICR — Electrical Installation Condition Report, dated within the last five years.
- EPC — Valid Energy Performance Certificate for the property.
- Floor plans — Showing room layout, dimensions and fire-safety provisions.
- DBS check — Disclosure and Barring Service check for the licence holder/manager, required as part of the fit-and-proper-person assessment.
Sources
Compiled from the council’s own published pages and documents; data reviewed September 2026. Rules and fees change, so always confirm with Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council before applying. This is general information, not legal advice.