Additional HMO licensing in Walsall
Yes. Walsall operates an additional HMO licensing scheme. Letting a covered property without a licence risks a civil penalty of up to £40,000 and a rent repayment order of up to two years' rent.
Common questions
Do I need an additional HMO licence in Walsall?
Yes. Walsall operates an additional HMO licensing scheme. Letting a covered property without a licence risks a civil penalty of up to £40,000 and a rent repayment order of up to two years' rent.
Which areas of Walsall does the scheme cover?
Phase 1: Pleck, Palfrey, Paddocks, St Matthews. Phase 2: Willenhall South, Birchills Leamore, Blakenall, Bentley and Darlaston North, Darlaston South. Confirm a specific address against the council's own designation map before applying.
When does Walsall's scheme end?
The designation runs until 31 August 2027, unless the council revokes it earlier under section 84 of the Housing Act 2004.
Walsall publishes this much: Two designations, both additional; Walsall operates NO selective scheme. Scheme 1: Pleck, Palfrey, Paddocks and St Matthews, 1 September 2022 to 31 August 2027, live. Scheme 2: Bentley and Darlaston North, Birchills Leamore, Blakenall, Darlaston South and Willenhall South, 1 July 2023 to 30 JUNE 2026. Scheme 2 has EXPIRED, seven weeks before this note. The mandatory fee table above applies to additional licences.
The council’s own licensing page carries the charge that applies today — confirm it there before you budget.
Not established is not the same as free.
What the designation says
Walsall Council operates two additional HMO licensing schemes covering nine wards between them. The first was approved in October 2021 and came into force on 1 September 2022 for five years, covering Pleck, Palfrey, Paddocks and St Matthews. Cabinet approved a second scheme on 7 September 2022, operational from 1 July 2023, covering Willenhall South, Birchills Leamore, Blakenall, Bentley and Darlaston North, and Darlaston South. In those wards a landlord letting to three or four unrelated people needs a licence from the council, subject to statutory exemptions. Larger houses in multiple occupation with five or more occupants need a mandatory licence anywhere in the borough. The council has said it will enforce against non-compliance, and letting without a required licence carries an unlimited fine on prosecution or a civil penalty of up to £40,000 per offence. Check the specific address against the ward list before letting. The £40,000 ceiling applies to offences committed on or after 1 May 2026; the £30,000 ceiling still applies to offences committed before that date.
What this means for a landlord
A licence must be in place before the property is let, not applied for afterwards. Operating unlicensed in a designated area is a criminal offence: a civil penalty of up to £40,000 per offence and a rent repayment order of up to two years' rent. Both maxima apply to conduct on or after 1 May 2026; before that date they were £30,000 and twelve months. Section 21 was abolished on 1 May 2026 and possession now runs through the amended section 8 grounds. Mandatory HMO licensing applies separately and everywhere, wherever a property is let to five or more people forming two or more households.
Information tool, not legal advice. Confirm the position with Walsall before letting.