Tyne and Wear · Council licensing
Landlord licensing in South Tyneside
✓ Hand-verified 27 May 2026Beyond mandatory HMO licensing, South Tyneside does not currently operate a selective or additional licensing scheme. Here's the current position.
Required for any HMO let to 5 or more people forming 2+ households who share facilities.
South Tyneside sets this fee under section 63(3) of the Housing Act 2004. Its current charge is not yet recorded here.
The council’s own licensing page carries the charge that applies today — confirm it there before you budget.
Not established is not the same as free.
South Tyneside does not have a confirmed selective licensing scheme in force. The council approved one in November 2020, covering roughly 3,000 properties in designated areas, but it was paused during the coronavirus pandemic and never commenced. The evidence behind it identified South Shields, West Park, Simonside and Rekendyke, and Beacon and Bents as the wards with the highest concentrations of private rented housing, together accounting for more than 35 per cent of the borough total. The council's current licensing pages no longer present that scheme as active and no replacement designation has been published.
South Tyneside does not operate an additional HMO licensing scheme; the council states that there are currently no additional licensing schemes in the borough. Only mandatory HMO licensing applies, under Part 2 of the Housing Act 2004, so a licence is required where a property is occupied by five or more people forming two or more households who share basic amenities. A smaller shared house of three or four occupants does not need an HMO licence here. Concentration is managed through planning instead: a borough-wide Article 4 Direction introduced in early 2026 removed permitted development rights for small HMOs, so planning permission is now required for any new HMO anywhere in South Tyneside regardless of size. That is a planning control rather than a licence, and it does not itself create a licensing requirement.
Common questions
Does South Tyneside have a selective licensing scheme?
No. South Tyneside does not currently operate a selective licensing scheme. Mandatory HMO licensing still applies wherever a property is let to five or more people forming two or more households.
Does South Tyneside have an additional HMO licensing scheme?
No. South Tyneside 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 South Tyneside?
A mandatory HMO licence is required anywhere in England and Wales, including South Tyneside, 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
All property licensing in Tyne and Wear →
Source: South Tyneside licensing page →
Every landlord in South Tyneside 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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