How to Apply for a Selective Licence in Birmingham: Step-by-Step

Birmingham City Council only accepts selective licence applications through its online Property Licensing Portal. There is no paper form. The process runs through eight stages, and if you go in unprepared, the portal's timed session can catch you out — incomplete uploads can cause the application to be rejected.

Here is how the application actually works, from start to finish.

Before You Start: Gather Everything First

The portal expects you to have these documents ready to upload in a single session:

• Gas safety certificate — current (under 12 months old), issued by a Gas Safe registered engineer
• EICR — showing a "Satisfactory" outcome, issued within the last five years. C1 or C2 defects must have been remediated within 28 days, with proof
• EPC — valid (under 10 years old), minimum Grade E
• Metric floor plans — showing room dimensions in square metres, room uses, positions of smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors, fire doors, and escape routes
• Debit or credit card — for the £375 Stage 1 fee

If any of these are missing or expired, do not start the application. Get them sorted first. An incomplete submission cannot achieve "duly made" status, which means you have no statutory defence if the council investigates.

The Eight-Stage Process

1. Register an account. Create a user account on the Property Licensing Portal with your contact details.

2. Verify the property address. Enter the property's UPRN (Unique Property Reference Number) to confirm it falls within a selective licensing ward. The system uses Ordnance Survey data to verify the address at building level.

3. Designate entity roles. Specify who the proposed licence holder is, along with the freeholder, any leaseholders, mortgagees, and managing agents. The licence holder must be a UK resident or UK-registered company.

4. Upload documents and property details. Upload your gas certificate, EICR, EPC, floor plans, and any additional documents. Enter property specifications including room counts and occupancy details.

5. Pay the Stage 1 fee (£375). Submitted by card during the online session. This is non-refundable once processing starts.

6. Wait for the duly-made assessment. The council checks your application for completeness. If documents are missing or invalid, the application is rejected — it does not progress to the next stage.

7. Receive the draft decision. The council serves a Notice of Intention to Grant (or Refuse). You have 14 days to make representations if you disagree with any proposed conditions.

8. Pay the Stage 2 fee (£325) and receive the licence. After the representation window, you pay the remaining fee and the council issues the final licence document with its conditions and expiry date.

One Critical Detail: Statutory Defence

Submitting a complete, duly-made application gives you an immediate statutory defence under Section 95(3) of the Housing Act 2004 against charges of operating without a licence. This protection applies while the council processes your file.

The defence does not mean you can ignore safety standards or occupancy limits. It only means you cannot be prosecuted specifically for being unlicensed during the processing period.

If You Get Stuck

If the portal times out or throws a technical error, contact the council's licensing team at [email protected] or call 0121 303 5070. Do not assume that a crashed session saved your progress.

The Birmingham Landlord Licensing Guide includes a printable pre-application checklist covering every document, every detail the portal asks for, and every decision point — so you can work through everything offline before touching the portal.

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