Sandwell Council has approved the implementation of a borough-wide additional licensing scheme for HMOs, which will be introduced from 1st October 2024.
This will allow the council to licence every HMO, bedsits, rooms in houses and other similar properties which are not already subject to mandatory licensing.
Under the new rules, landlords will have to pay £1001 for a five-year licence, paid in two stages — discounts of up to £220 are available for landlords who are members of accredited landlord schemes.
The council is asking landlords renting HMOs to register for a licence in advance of the scheme getting underway.
Failure to licence a property which requires licensing may result in an unlimited fine on summary conviction or a Civil Penalty of up to £30,000.
The introduction of the scheme follows an extensive 10-week consultation which took place between January and March 2024.
Cllr Vicki Smith, Sandwell’s cabinet member for housing and sustainable development said: “We want to improve housing conditions and make sure that landlords are providing good quality, safe HMOs.
“While we know that many landlords already do this, there are still too many properties that are poorly managed and are in unsafe and unsatisfactory conditions.
“We will work with landlords to see that their property is up to standard and ensure it is safe to live in for tenants, and that all the licensing conditions and management regulations are followed.”
