Tamworth Borough Council is seeking your views on a proposal to introduce additional licensing for Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) with 3–4 occupants.
The council is consulting on the introduction of additional licensing for 3–4 bedroom HMOs to help make sure that all privately rented homes meet appropriate standards of safety and quality, strengthen and protect renters’ rights, and support well-managed, responsible accommodation across the area.
A property is classed as an HMO when it is occupied by three or more people forming two or more separate households who share at least one basic amenity such as a bathroom, kitchen, or WC.
Larger HMOs with five or more occupants are already required by law to have a mandatory HMO licence. However, smaller HMOs—those with 3 or 4 occupants—currently fall outside this national requirement.
In recent months, we have seen a noticeable rise in the number of new 4‑bed HMOs being created within the borough. Developers have also increasingly contacted the council after identifying Tamworth as an area without additional licensing and Article 4 planning restrictions, which appears to be contributing to this growth. Many of these developers actively seek out boroughs with fewer regulatory requirements and less red tape, making unregulated areas particularly attractive for the rapid creation of smaller HMOs.