North East · Council licensing
Landlord licensing in Middlesbrough
✓ Hand-verified 19 Aug 2026Middlesbrough 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.
One payment, and the licence lasts 5 years.
- £771.00 for a property up to 5 bedrooms, plus a per-additional-bedroom increment (£24.98 under the prior structure), single payment, 5-year licence. , which records the baseline charge rising from £755.42 to £771.00 from 1 April 2025
Middlesbrough — Middlesbrough 2025/26 Fees and Charges Schedule on moderngov.middlesbrough.gov.uk, read 19 Aug 2026
Middlesbrough Council operates THREE concurrent selective licensing schemes across the Newport and North Ormesby wards. All confirmed via Middlesbrough Council's selective landlord licensing page and Kamma's Middlesbrough guide: (1) Operative 3 July 2023 to 2 July 2028. Designation made 2023, replacing earlier Newport scheme. Fee £861. (2) NEWPORT WARD - SCHEME 2 (Newport extension): Launched 23 July 2024 to 22 July 2029. This new scheme replaces another scheme that was terminated in June 2024 and covers Newport streets not previously covered by the Newport 1 designation. Fee £998. (3) Operative 14 June 2021 to 13 June 2026 (5-year scheme). Fee £845. North Ormesby was Middlesbrough's original selective licensing area; the council ran an earlier scheme in North Ormesby with documented benefits (2020 evaluation). All private landlords renting properties in the designated areas need a licence, regardless of HMO status. Small HMOs (3-4 occupants from more than one household) within the selective area are also licensed under selective licensing rather than a separate additional scheme. Apply via Middlesbrough Council website. The North Ormesby scheme expires 13 June 2026 and should be monitored for renewal/redesignation.
Areas: {"Newport ward (Scheme 1)","Newport ward (Scheme 2/extension)","North Ormesby ward"}
One payment.
- NOTE the £861 figure was previously recorded on this row as if it were the mandatory fee; it is the Newport Scheme 2 selective fee
Middlesbrough, read 19 August 2026
Scheme runs until: 22 July 2029
Middlesbrough Council does NOT operate any Additional HMO Licensing scheme. Confirmed by Kamma's Middlesbrough licensing guide: "There are currently no additional licensing schemes running in Middlesbrough. Additional licensing requires all HMO's with 3 or more people from more than one household to obtain a property licence." Cross-confirmed by Middlesbrough Council's own selective landlord licensing page, which states that small HMOs (3-4 occupants from more than one household) within selective licensing areas need a SELECTIVE licence (not an additional licence), and HMOs with 5 or more occupants are covered by the national mandatory scheme. Mandatory HMO fee: £755.42 plus £24.98 for each additional bedroom (per Kamma, accurate as of 1 July 2024). Middlesbrough has been the first Tees Valley local authority to introduce Article 4 planning restrictions on HMOs - this is a planning control (requiring planning permission for HMO conversions of up to 6 people) and is NOT a licensing scheme. Article 4 is often confused with additional licensing but they are separate regimes.
Common questions
Does Middlesbrough have a selective licensing scheme?
Yes. Middlesbrough 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 Middlesbrough have an additional HMO licensing scheme?
No. Middlesbrough does not currently operate an additional HMO licensing scheme. Mandatory HMO licensing still applies wherever a property is let to five or more people forming two or more households.
Do I need an HMO licence in Middlesbrough?
A mandatory HMO licence is required anywhere in England and Wales, including Middlesbrough, 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 Middlesbrough: areas, dates and fees →
All property licensing in North East →
Source: Middlesbrough licensing page →
Every landlord in Middlesbrough 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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