HMO licence Walsall: schemes, fees and tribunal record

Walsall licensing schemes in force or approved

Additional HMO licensing

In force

Area covered	Area not confirmed
Runs	1 Sept 2022 to 31 Aug 2027

Ward or street lists can split a road. Use the council's own address checker or designation map before relying on this list.

Council licensing page

Checked 28 Sept 2026.

Upcoming: consultations and key dates in Walsall

Date	What	Scheme	Source
31 Aug 2027 in 337 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 Walsall

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.

Walsall HMO licence register

We did not find an online public register for Walsall. Every council must keep one (Housing Act 2004, s.232) and make it available for inspection; ask the council's private sector housing team.

Walsall Article 4 and HMO planning rules

Walsall does not publish Article 4 data to the national planning data platform, so we cannot tell you from official data whether an HMO Article 4 direction applies. Absence of data is not absence of a 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 Walsall

Figures below count First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) decisions published on GOV.UK for properties located in Walsall. 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	0 (0 in the last 3 years)
Civil penalty appeals	3
Penalty upheld (in full or reduced)	66.7% · confirmed in full 0%
Median penalty: council's notice / after tribunal	£7,500 / £3,813
Other Housing Act appeals (licence terms, notices, orders)	4

Recent civil penalty appeals in Walsall

Decided	Area	Offence	Outcome	Council's penalty	After tribunal	Decision
25 Oct 2022	WS3	failure to comply with improvement notice	Penalty varied	—	£2,625	GOV.UK
16 Jun 2021	WV13	HMO management regulations	Penalty cancelled	—	£0	GOV.UK
9 Jun 2020	WS1	failure to comply with improvement notice; breach of banning order	Penalty varied	£7,500	£5,000	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 Walsall

Walsall 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 Walsall 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.

Walsall licensing: common questions

Is there selective licensing in Walsall?

We found no selective licensing scheme on Walsall 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 Walsall?

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 Walsall have an Article 4 direction for HMOs?

How often do landlords in Walsall face rent repayment orders or fines?

The First-tier Tribunal has published 0 rent repayment order decisions for properties in Walsall (0 with an order made), and 3 civil penalty appeals. Most penalties are never appealed, so the true number of fines is higher.

Sources

Last checked 28 Sep 2026. Information, not legal advice. Licensing schemes change often; always confirm with the council before you act.

HMO licence Walsall: licensing schemes, fees and enforcement