Cryptic crossword clue
About one Birmingham side with rules for residents 5,3

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 plus 3 letter word CIVIL LAW

I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
C
I
V
I
L
L
A
W

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "rules for residents" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case rules for residents = civil law.
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

What does CIVIL LAW mean?

CIVIL LAW noun
  1. The body of law dealing with the private relations between members of a community; it contrasts with criminal law, military law and ecclesiastical law.
  2. Legal system based on the Corpus Juris Civilis; it contrasts with common law.

Latest crossword clues with full explanations