Police Figures Reveal Scale of Homicide Link to HMOs and Exempt Accommodation

Recent scrutiny of Birmingham City Council's oversight has brought to light a significant correction regarding homicide statistics within the West Midlands Police (WMP) area.

For a long time, the public perception of the relationship between housing types and serious crime has been hindered by inconsistent data. On 16 October 2026, following work by Council scrutiny services, West Midlands Police Superintendent Haroon Chughtai provided a critical correction to figures previously cited.

The corrected data, covering the period from 2022 to 2026, reveals that there were 151 homicides across the entire West Midlands Police force area. Of these, 56 cases—representing 37%—were associated with Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) or Supported Exempt Accommodation (SEAs). This association was determined by investigators based on scene location, victim address, and/or the offender's address.

These figures are stark, and for residents living in areas with high concentrations of these properties, they confirm long-held fears about the safety implications of poorly managed exempt and supported housing.

What you can do to help keep our streets safe

In Pype Hayes and wider Erdington, we are all too familiar with the pressures that poorly managed HMOs and exempt accommodation can place on a community. If you are living on a street where one of these properties is operating, you are the front line in identifying antisocial or criminal behaviour.

If you witness or suspect any of the following, please do not hesitate to contact the police immediately:

• Antisocial behaviour or persistent disturbance.
• Drug dealing or activity associated with the supply of illegal substances.
• Signs of human trafficking or modern slavery.
• Evidence of prostitution.

How to report:

• In an emergency: Always call 999.
• For non-emergencies: Call 101 or report it via the West Midlands Police online portal.

My office is committed to transparency and ensuring that the council and the police have a clear understanding of the reality on our streets. By reporting these issues, you provide the evidence base we need to demand better oversight and enforcement.

Source: West Midlands Police, information provided by Superintendent Haroon Chughtai and corrected/confirmed on 16 October 2026; homicide data covering 2022–2026.