A Midlands council is the latest to introduce an additional licensing regime for HMOs – but it’s based on a consultation process which began back in 2020.

Sandwell Council’s new scheme starts join July 1 and will – in the authority’s own words – improve housing conditions and ensure landlords are providing “good quality, safe HMOs”.

It will cover part of West Bromwich town centre including the High Street, where council chiefs say they have evidence of a number of HMOs that have “not been operated to the required standard”.

The lead councillor for housing, Zahoor Ahmed, says: “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.”

The scheme follows a 12-week consultation in 2020.