Selective licensing in Stockton-on-Tees

What the designation says

Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council operates a selective licensing scheme covering Central Stockton, North Thornaby and Newtown. Cabinet approved it on 16 May 2024 and it came into force on 1 November 2024, running for five years. Every privately rented property inside a designated area needs its own licence, so a landlord with several properties in the areas needs one for each. The council publishes street-level maps for each of the three areas, so check the specific address rather than the ward name. Letting a licensable property without a licence is a criminal offence carrying an unlimited fine on prosecution, or a civil penalty of up to £30,000 as an alternative, and the same penalties apply per breach of a licence condition. A tenant may also seek a rent repayment order of up to twelve months.

What this means for a landlord

A licence must be in place before the property is let, not applied for afterwards. Operating unlicensed in a designated area is a criminal offence: a civil penalty of up to £30,000 per offence, a rent repayment order of up to twelve months' rent, and a section 21 notice that cannot be served while the property is unlicensed. Mandatory HMO licensing applies separately and everywhere, wherever a property is let to five or more people forming two or more households.

Stockton-on-Tees's own licensing page →