Additional HMO licensing
In force| Area covered | Whole council area |
|---|---|
| Consultation | 8 Jan 2024 to 18 Mar 2024 |
| Designation made | 19 Jun 2024 |
| Runs | 1 Oct 2024 to 30 Sept 2029 |
Checked 28 Sept 2026.
Upcoming: consultations and key dates in Sandwell
| Date | What | Scheme | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 Sept 2029 estimated (start + 5 years) in 1098 days | scheme end | Additional HMO licensing | council |
Want a reminder before a deadline? Use the form at the bottom of this page and pick "Email me before my deadlines".
Mandatory HMO licensing in Sandwell
Whatever the local schemes, a licence is required for any house in multiple occupation let to 5 or more people forming 2 or more households who share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet. This rule is national and has applied since 1 October 2018. Letting without a required licence is a criminal offence under section 72 of the Housing Act 2004. Read do I need an HMO licence? and how to apply.
Sandwell HMO licence register
We did not find an online public register for Sandwell. Every council must keep one (Housing Act 2004, s.232) and make it available for inspection; ask the council's private sector housing team.
Sandwell Article 4 and HMO planning rules
Sandwell publishes Article 4 data to the national planning data platform, but none of its 12 published areas are labelled as an HMO direction. That does not prove there is no HMO Article 4 direction: check the council's planning pages.
Licensing and planning are separate. A licence does not give planning permission, and planning permission does not replace a licence. See Article 4 and HMOs.
Tribunal record: rent repayment orders and civil penalties in Sandwell
Figures below count First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) decisions published on GOV.UK for properties located in Sandwell. They show how tenants and the council use enforcement here. Most civil penalties are paid without appeal, so they never reach the tribunal.
| Rent repayment order decisions | 4 (2 in the last 3 years) |
|---|---|
| Orders made | 3 (75% of decisions with a known outcome) |
| Median award | £2,570 (last 3 years: £1,144) |
| Total awarded | £7,781 |
| Civil penalty appeals | 4 |
| Penalty upheld (in full or reduced) | 100% · confirmed in full 75% |
| Median penalty: council's notice / after tribunal | £5,000 / £5,000 |
| Other Housing Act appeals (licence terms, notices, orders) | 8 |
Recent rent repayment order decisions in Sandwell
| Decided | Area | Property | Offence alleged | Outcome | Amount | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 May 2025 | B65 | House | unlawful eviction / harassment; failure to comply with improvement notice; breach of banning order | Order made | £1,144 | GOV.UK |
| 20 Aug 2024 | B68 | House / not stated | unlawful eviction / harassment; violence for securing entry | Refused | — | GOV.UK |
| 18 Nov 2022 | DY4 | HMO | unlicensed HMO | Order made | £4,067 | GOV.UK |
| 28 Oct 2019 | B66 | HMO | unlicensed HMO | Order made | £2,570 | GOV.UK |
Recent civil penalty appeals in Sandwell
| Decided | Area | Offence | Outcome | Council's penalty | After tribunal | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 May 2026 | DY4 | failure to comply with improvement notice | Penalty confirmed | £5,000 | £5,000 | GOV.UK |
| 29 Sept 2025 | B67 | failure to comply with improvement notice; HMO management regulations | Penalty confirmed | £16,000 | £16,000 | GOV.UK |
| 26 Sept 2023 | B70 | failure to comply with improvement notice | Penalty confirmed | £5,000 | £5,000 | GOV.UK |
| 2 Jun 2020 | B66 | failure to comply with improvement notice | Penalty varied | — | — | GOV.UK |
Amounts and outcomes are extracted automatically from the decision text and can be wrong; open the decision on GOV.UK for the full reasons. Party names are not shown. Information, not legal advice.
If you have let without a licence you needed, read unlicensed property: what to do, rent repayment orders and civil penalties.
Landlord database deadline for Sandwell
Sandwell is in the West Midlands region of the new Private Rented Sector Database. Registration opens 15 Dec 2026 and the deadline to register is 14 Mar 2027. The published fee is £65 per property per year. Database registration is separate from council licensing: you may need both. See register your rental property.
Get help with a Sandwell licence application
We can prepare a licence application for you for a fixed fee; the council's own fee is separate. See pricing for what is included and how we make money. You can also run a full address check on the postcode checker.
Sandwell licensing: common questions
Is there selective licensing in Sandwell?
We found no selective licensing scheme on Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council's website as of 28 Sep 2026. Mandatory HMO licensing still applies to 5+ people in 2+ households. Confirm with the council.
How much is an HMO licence in Sandwell?
We did not find a published fee on the council pages we checked. Mandatory HMO licence fees are set by each council, usually in two parts (application and grant). See the council page or our HMO licence cost guide.
Does Sandwell have an Article 4 direction for HMOs?
Sandwell publishes Article 4 data to the national planning data platform, but none of its 12 published areas are labelled as an HMO direction. That does not prove there is no HMO Article 4 direction: check the council's planning pages.
How often do landlords in Sandwell face rent repayment orders or fines?
The First-tier Tribunal has published 4 rent repayment order decisions for properties in Sandwell (3 with an order made), median award £2,570, and 4 civil penalty appeals. Most penalties are never appealed, so the true number of fines is higher.
Related: selective licensing in England · additional HMO licensing · HMO licence cost · HMO rules · HMO hub
Sources
- Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council: licensing page
- GOV.UK: House in multiple occupation licence
- Housing Act 2004, Part 2 (HMO licensing)
- Housing Act 2004, Part 3 (selective licensing)
- planning.data.gov.uk: Article 4 direction areas (MHCLG)
- GOV.UK: Residential property tribunal decisions
- GOV.UK: Civil penalties under the Renters' Rights Act 2025 and other housing legislation
- GOV.UK Housing Hub: Get ready to register
Last checked 28 Sep 2026. Information, not legal advice. Licensing schemes change often; always confirm with the council before you act.