Birmingham Magistrates have ordered a private landlord to pay 21,680 pounds for letting four homes without the selective licences required by the city. Muhammed Ali, 56, of Oxford Road, Birmingham, pleaded guilty to breaching the Housing Act 2004 on 5 November.
The court imposed a 16,000 pound fine, a 2,000 pound victim surcharge and 3,680 pounds in prosecution costs. The offences covered properties in Minster Drive, Langley Road, Deakins Road and Aspen Grove, some converted into self-contained flats, all inside Birmingham City Council selective licensing areas.
Regulatory breaches alone proved enough for a five-figure bill. Prosecutors told the court there were no allegations of tenant mistreatment or illegal eviction, yet repeated failure to licence still brought prosecution and a record of fines stretching back to 2010.
Court hears licences were never obtained
Prosecutor Simon Mortimer told magistrates that Ali knew licences were needed but had not obtained them. “It simply appears that he will not get licences. He knows he needs them. The properties are within Birmingham City Council selective licensing area,” he said.
The court heard previous fines totalling tens of thousands of pounds since June 2010. The chair of the bench said Ali had a long history of failure to obtain the correct licences for the properties he owns since 2010. Sefton recently secured a 22,477 pound repayment order in a separate licence breach, showing courts are backing councils on paperwork cases.
Defence points to changing rules
Defence solicitor Sham Uddin said Ali had struggled with changing regulations and had tried to resolve matters but failed to complete applications in time. “My client has not been prosecuted for mistreating any tenants or for evictions,” he said. “These are regulatory offences – licences were not applied for.”
Magistrates rejected mitigation as a reason to avoid a substantial penalty, given the repeat history. The ruling underlines that agents as well as landlords must check designation maps before letting or managing homes in expanded schemes. Southend landlords face a three-month licensing gap from January, another reminder that start dates and boundaries matter.
This follows Landlord Knowledge’s report on the Sefton repayment order, which showed tribunals willing to order large repayments where licensing is ignored. The Birmingham case extends that pattern from repayment orders to criminal fines with costs.
Councils are leaning on licensing as a core enforcement tool while the private rented sector database beds in. Official selective licensing guidance sets out when councils can designate areas.
What this means for landlords
- If you let in Birmingham: check the current selective licensing map by street before each let or renewal, including converted flats.
- If you use an agent: confirm in writing who holds responsibility for licence applications and renewals.
- If you own conversions: check whether each unit needs its own licence rather than one building licence.
- Watch for: consultation and expansion notices, since boundaries change and ignorance is not accepted as a defence.
- Bottom line: missing paperwork alone can now cost more than many annual rental profits.
Editor’s view
Sixteen years of warnings ended in a predictable result. Councils have the maps, the courts and the costs orders. Landlords who treat licensing as admin will keep funding enforcement.
Author: Editorial Team – UK landlord & buy-to-let news, policy, and finance
Published: 11 November 2026
Sources: Birmingham Magistrates Court, Birmingham City Council
Related reading: Sefton orders landlord to repay £22,477 in benefits
