Landlord licensing in Sunderland

Required for any HMO let to 5 or more people forming 2+ households who share facilities.

Sunderland City Council does not currently operate any selective licensing scheme. Sunderland previously operated a small selective licensing scheme covering the Middle Hendon and Long Streets area (sometimes known as "Little Egypt") from 1 July 2010 to 30 June 2015 — this was the result of a successful campaign by the Long Street Action Group to address poor landlord practices, troublesome tenants, drug dealing and antisocial behaviour in those streets. The 5-year scheme was NOT renewed when it expired in 2015; instead the council chose to promote its (voluntary) Accredited Landlords Scheme. There has been no selective licensing in Sunderland since June 2015. Landlords letting single-family or single-household properties anywhere in the city of Sunderland do not need a property licence; only properties meeting the mandatory HMO threshold (5+ occupants in 2+ households sharing facilities) require licensing.

Sunderland City Council does not currently operate any additional HMO licensing scheme. Only the national mandatory HMO licensing scheme applies — properties occupied by 5 or more people forming 2 or more households who share or lack a basic amenity (bathroom, toilet or kitchen) require a mandatory HMO licence under Part 2 of the Housing Act 2004. The minimum room sizes set by the 2018 prescribed conditions order apply to all licensable HMOs in Sunderland: 6.51m² for any room used as sleeping accommodation by a single person aged over 10, 10.22m² for sleeping accommodation by 2 people over 10, and 4.64m² for a single person aged under 10. Rooms below 4.64m² cannot be used as sleeping accommodation, and floor area with a ceiling height below 1.5m cannot be counted. Where a licensed HMO is found to be in breach of room sizes, the local authority can grant up to 18 months to rectify. Licence holders must comply with the council's waste storage and disposal conditions, including providing suitable refuse storage facilities, sufficiently sized receptacles and clear written instructions to residents about waste collection days and bin presentation. The council also operates a public register of licensed HMOs (available by appointment at City Hall, with electronic copies costing £77.50). Sunderland investigates concerns of poor housing conditions in HMOs and may take legal action against landlords if problems are sufficiently serious. Operating an unlicensed mandatory HMO is a criminal offence exposing the landlord to prosecution with an unlimited fine, a civil penalty notice of up to £30,000 per offence without warning, and Rent Repayment Orders of up to 12 months rent.