Tyne and Wear · Council licensing
Landlord licensing in Gateshead
✓ Hand-verified 24 Aug 2026Gateshead operates discretionary property licensing. Letting an unlicensed property where a scheme applies risks a civil penalty of up to £30,000 and a rent repayment order — check whether your property is covered below.
Required for any HMO let to 5 or more people forming 2+ households who share facilities.
The band is set by the number of bedrooms.
| Part A | £659.80 |
| Part B | £439.88 |
| Total, up to 14 bedrooms | £1,099.68 |
| 15 or more bedrooms | £1,198.01 |
- Renewal up to 14 bedrooms £579.92 + £386.62 = £966.54; 15 or more £1,064.99
- Variation for increased occupancy £210.97
- Paper application £50
- Incomplete application plus £25
- Discounts apply against Part B (NRLA, UKALA, Safeagent, Propertymark, RICS, GPLA)
- Discount per additional property
Gateshead — gateshead.gov.uk, read 19 Aug 2026
Gateshead operates selective licensing in two phases, both made under the same designation. Phase 1 came into force on 1 June 2025 and ceases to have effect on 31 May 2030, covering Bensham North and Windmill Hills, Bensham Central and West, The Avenues, Bensham South and Avenues North, Bensham West and Avenues, Beacon Lough East, Birtley and Birtley Industrial, and Chopwell North. Phase 2 came into force on 1 October 2025 and ceases on 30 September 2030, covering North Felling and Felling Shore Industrial, Derwentwater East, Derwentwater West and Racecourse Estate, Swalwell North and Metro Centre, Kelvin Grove, Felling Falla Park, Sunderland Road and Shipcote. Either phase may end earlier if the council revokes the designation under section 84 of the Housing Act 2004. Within a designated neighbourhood every privately rented home needs a licence regardless of how many people occupy it, so a landlord should check which phase, if any, covers a specific address. Letting without a required licence is a criminal offence carrying a civil penalty of up to £30,000 or prosecution, and exposes the landlord to a rent repayment order.
Areas: Designated 18 February 2025, in two phases. Phase 1 from 1 June 2025 to 31 May 2030: Bensham North and Windmill Hills, Bensham Central and West, The Avenues, Bensham South and Avenues North, Bensham West and Avenues, Beacon Lough East, Birtley and Birtley Industrial, Chopwell North. Phase 2 from 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2030: North Felling and Felling Shore Industrial, Derwentwater East, Derwentwater West and Racecourse Estate, Swalwell North and Metro Centre, Kelvin Grove, Felling Falla Park, Sunderland Road, Shipcote
Paid in two parts — one on application, the balance before the licence is issued.
| Part A | £510 |
| Part B | £340 |
| Total | £850 |
| Each property | £10 |
Gateshead, read 24 August 2026
Scheme runs until: 30 September 2030
Gateshead operates an additional licensing scheme for houses in multiple occupation, made alongside the selective designation and implemented in a single phase which came into force on 1 June 2025. It extends licensing to shared properties that fall outside the national mandatory regime, typically those let to three or four people forming two or more households who share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet. Mandatory HMO licensing continues to apply separately wherever a property is let to five or more people forming two or more households. Because Gateshead also runs selective licensing across two phases of designated neighbourhoods, a landlord should establish which scheme catches a given property before applying.
Areas: 16 neighbourhoods, designated 18 February 2025, in force 1 June 2025 to 31 May 2030
Paid in two parts — one on application, the balance before the licence is issued.
| Part A | £585.80 |
| Part B | £390.50 |
| Total | £976.30 |
- Discounts: accreditation £75 off Part B, early bird £75, multi-property £10
Gateshead — gateshead.gov.uk, read 19 Aug 2026
Scheme runs until: 31 May 2030
Common questions
Does Gateshead have a selective licensing scheme?
Yes. Gateshead operates a selective licensing scheme. Letting a property covered by it without a licence risks a civil penalty of up to £30,000, a rent repayment order of up to twelve months' rent, and the loss of the right to serve a section 21 notice.
Does Gateshead have an additional HMO licensing scheme?
Yes. Gateshead operates an additional HMO licensing scheme. Letting a property covered by it without a licence risks a civil penalty of up to £30,000, a rent repayment order of up to twelve months' rent, and the loss of the right to serve a section 21 notice.
Do I need an HMO licence in Gateshead?
A mandatory HMO licence is required anywhere in England and Wales, including Gateshead, where a property is let to five or more people forming two or more households who share basic amenities. Smaller shared houses may also need a licence where an additional licensing scheme applies.
- Free landlord compliance check — five questions, no account
- Tenancy agreement checker — findings cited to the Act and section
Selective licensing in Gateshead: areas, dates and fees →
Additional HMO licensing in Gateshead: areas, dates and fees →
All property licensing in Tyne and Wear →
Source: Gateshead licensing page →
Every landlord in Gateshead also needs
A valid Gas Safety certificate (annual), an EICR (every 5 years), a valid EPC, a protected deposit, smoke & CO alarms, the Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet, and a current How to Rent guide — plus the new Section 8 possession rules since Section 21 was abolished on 1 May 2026.
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