North East
We currently show scheme records, official links, and supporting research for this council.
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This page includes the scheme records we currently hold, but council policies and boundaries can change. Treat it as a researched starting point and verify the latest position on the official council pages before acting.
Based on publicly available information, we show the licensing status we currently hold for Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council, highlight mandatory HMO rules, and link you to official council sources for verification where we currently have them.
Confirm the current scheme boundary, licence fee, exemptions, application route, and any recent policy changes on the council website before making decisions.
Our current data is based on publicly available information. Always verify the latest licensing position, scheme boundaries, fees, and exemptions with Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council.
We research council licensing information from public sources and present it as general guidance. We do not replace the council's own licensing pages or legal advice.
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We will email you if Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council introduces, renews, or changes a licensing scheme. Free, occasional updates only. Always verify final requirements on the council website.
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This page may already answer a lot of the question. Use the paid products only if you want a quicker written summary, a more risk-focused view, or ongoing monitoring.
Property Licensing Check
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A concise written review for one property, postcode, or council situation based on current public council-source information.
Best for: Best for landlords, agents, and buyers who want written clarity quickly on one case.
Delivery: Concise report by email, usually within 2 working days
Licensing Due Diligence Report
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A more tailored, more decision-oriented, and more risk-focused review for higher-stakes property decisions.
Best for: Best for buyers, investors, agents, landlords refinancing, and conveyancers handling material decisions.
Delivery: Analyst-reviewed report with stronger risk framing
Alerts and monitoring
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A lighter monitoring tier for selected councils or areas, aimed at landlords and smaller investors who want ongoing updates.
Best for: Best for landlords and smaller investors who want ongoing updates without building their own tracking process.
Delivery: Monthly monitoring and change alerts
These options are designed to save research time, improve clarity, and support decision-making. Final reliance should still be tied back to the relevant council and, where necessary, professional advice.
Enter a postcode to see whether it appears to fall within a licensing scheme area, then verify the result with the council.
Additional HMO licensing scheme approved by Cabinet on 18 February 2025, coming into force for both Phase 1 and Phase 2 selective licensing areas from 1 June 2025. Applies to HMOs occupied by three or four unrelated persons, living in two or more separate households sharing one or more basic amenity, that fall outside the scope of mandatory HMO licensing. The scheme covers the same 16 neighbourhood areas as the selective licensing scheme and is described in some sources as effectively borough-wide. Approximately 370 larger HMOs are estimated to be affected.
Designated under Housing Act 2004, Part 2. Applies to both Phase 1 and Phase 2 geographic areas from 1 June 2025 (unlike selective licensing which phased in at different dates). Designation shall cease to have effect on 31 May 2030. Did not require Secretary of State confirmation under the Housing Act 2004: Licensing General Approval 2024. Kamma Data (April 2024) noted Gateshead consulted on an additional licensing scheme 'approved in July 2025' - this is likely a reference to the 18 February 2025 Cabinet decision or a slight date discrepancy. The figure of £976.30 for the additional HMO fee is confirmed by multiple sources. Non-compliance: financial penalty up to £30,000 or prosecution. Property types covered: HMOs occupied by three or four unrelated persons living in two or more separate households and sharing one or more basic amenity (kitchen or bathroom). Applies to properties outside the scope of mandatory HMO licensing (i.e., those with 3-4 occupants rather than 5+).. Exemptions or exclusions: HMOs with 5 or more occupants that already require mandatory HMO licensing are exempt. Standard exemptions under Housing Act 2004 apply..
Our current data shows this scheme based on public information. Always verify the latest fees, dates, and boundary wording on the official council page.
Mandatory HMO licensing applies throughout England and therefore covers the entire borough of Gateshead. Required for all HMOs occupied by five or more people forming two or more households who share facilities such as a kitchen or bathroom. Extended in October 2018 to include all HMOs regardless of number of storeys (previously required 3 or more storeys). Properties with a mandatory HMO licence are exempt from selective and additional licensing requirements.
Administered nationally under Housing Act 2004, Part 2. Properties holding a mandatory HMO licence are exempt from selective and additional licensing requirements. Council also maintains a public HMO register (PDF published at gateshead.gov.uk, most recent confirmed version is Public_Part_2_HMO_Register_2023.pdf, though the URL returned 403 at time of extraction). Guidance notes for HMO licence applications and HMO renewal licences are available on the council website. Failure to licence is a criminal offence; financial penalty up to £30,000 or prosecution. Council can revoke licence and make a Management Order. Property types covered: All HMOs with 5 or more occupants from 2 or more separate households sharing a kitchen or bathroom. Includes shared houses, bedsits, mixed-use conversions, and purpose-built HMOs meeting the occupancy threshold.. Exemptions or exclusions: HMOs with fewer than 5 occupants (though management regulations still apply). Owner-occupied properties. Properties managed by a public body. Buildings regulated under other statutory frameworks..
Our current data shows this scheme based on public information. Always verify the latest fees, dates, and boundary wording on the official council page.
Phase 1 of the new Gateshead selective licensing scheme, approved by Cabinet on 18 February 2025. Covers 8 Lower Super Output Areas (neighbourhoods) in Gateshead. Applies to all private rented properties let to a single person, two people sharing, or a single household within the designated areas, unless a statutory exemption applies. The 8 Phase 1 areas include 5,391 addresses in total across both phases combined. Phase 1 covers parts of the Bensham/Saltwell area, High Fell, Birtley, and Chopwell.
Designated under Housing Act 2004, Part 3, Section 80. Scheme came into force 1 June 2025 and ceases 31 May 2030 (unless revoked earlier under Section 84). Did not require Secretary of State confirmation under the Housing Act 2004: Licensing General Approval 2024 (in force 23 December 2024). Non-compliance is an offence; financial penalty up to £30,000 or prosecution. Council may also revoke the licence and make a Management Order. The designation was approved at Cabinet on 18 February 2025 by Kevin Scarlett, Head of Housing. Property types covered: All private rented residential properties let to a single person, two people sharing, or a single household within the designated areas.. Exemptions or exclusions: Properties with a mandatory HMO licence are exempt from selective licensing. Standard exemptions under Housing Act 2004 also apply (e.g. social housing, properties covered by other regulatory frameworks, temporary exemption notices)..
Our current data shows this scheme based on public information. Always verify the latest fees, dates, and boundary wording on the official council page.
Phase 2 of the new Gateshead selective licensing scheme, approved by Cabinet on 18 February 2025. Covers 8 Lower Super Output Areas (neighbourhoods) in Gateshead. Applies to all private rented properties let to a single person, two people sharing, or a single household within the designated areas, unless a statutory exemption applies. Phase 2 covers parts of Felling, Derwentwater, Swalwell/MetroCentre, and Shipcote areas.
Phase 2 came into force 1 October 2025 and ceases 30 September 2030 (unless revoked earlier). Both Phase 1 and Phase 2 together cover 16 Lower Super Output Areas across 10 wards (Birtley, Bridges, Chopwell & Rowlands Gill, Deckham, Felling, High Fell, Lobley Hill & Bensham, Saltwell, Whickham North, and Dunston & Teams). Total properties covered across both phases: approximately 5,391 addresses. Non-compliance financial penalty up to £30,000 or prosecution. Property types covered: All private rented residential properties let to a single person, two people sharing, or a single household within the designated areas.. Exemptions or exclusions: Properties with a mandatory HMO licence are exempt from selective licensing. Standard exemptions under Housing Act 2004 also apply..
Our current data shows this scheme based on public information. Always verify the latest fees, dates, and boundary wording on the official council page.
A redesignated selective licensing area within the former Central Gateshead scheme boundary. Designated to allow continued close working with landlords, residents, and tenants in an area where there was a likelihood that standards could return to pre-licensing practices without continued regulation. Covered a smaller, refined area within the original Central Gateshead scheme.
This expired scheme ran from 30 April 2018 to 29 April 2023. It was a redesignation of part of the Central Gateshead selective licensing scheme (which expired April 2018) to maintain oversight in areas considered at highest risk of standards regression. The areas covered by this expired scheme now fall within the 2025-2030 Phase 1 selective licensing scheme (e.g., Bensham North/Windmill Hills, The Avenues). Property types covered: All private rented residential properties within the designated area.. Exemptions or exclusions: Standard exemptions under Housing Act 2004..
Our current data shows this scheme based on public information. Always verify the latest fees, dates, and boundary wording on the official council page.
The original Central Gateshead selective licensing scheme covering private rented properties in the Bensham and surrounding areas of central Gateshead. The scheme ran for five years and was evaluated before expiry. A consultation found 86% of responding residents favoured continuation and 50% of responding landlords agreed continued licensing should be considered.
This scheme expired approximately April 2018. The council evaluation noted 59 enforcement notices served and over 350 letters sent to landlords and owners during the scheme. At expiry, a redesignated sub-area (Central Bensham) was created. The broader areas are now part of the 2025-2030 schemes. Property types covered: All private rented residential properties within the designated area.. Exemptions or exclusions: Standard exemptions under Housing Act 2004..
Our current data shows this scheme based on public information. Always verify the latest fees, dates, and boundary wording on the official council page.
A previous selective licensing scheme for the Sunderland Road area of Gateshead. Expired approximately April 2018. The Sunderland Road area is now included in the 2025-2030 Phase 2 selective licensing scheme.
This scheme expired approximately April 2018. The Sunderland Road area is included again in Phase 2 of the 2025-2030 selective licensing designation. Property types covered: All private rented residential properties within the designated area.. Exemptions or exclusions: Standard exemptions under Housing Act 2004..
Our current data shows this scheme based on public information. Always verify the latest fees, dates, and boundary wording on the official council page.
These public research signals help show how recently this page was reviewed and what still needs checking before you rely on it.
Last reviewed
27 March 2026
Research confidence
High (76/100)
Sources checked
25
The core data (scheme types, designated areas, start/end dates, fees, and consultation timeline) is well-confirmed across multiple official and specialist sources. The gateshead.gov.uk website returned HTTP 403 for direct page fetches, but official search result summaries from Google surfaced detailed content from the council pages themselves. The public notice portal (publicnoticeportal.uk) confirmed the statutory designation details. Kamma Data and NRLA April 2025 update confirmed fee amounts. The £850 selective fee and £976.30 additional HMO fee are confirmed by multiple sources. Mandatory HMO fee (£976.30 / £1,063.60) is from Kamma April 2024 data only and may be slightly outdated. The moderngov.co.uk Fees and Charges 2025/26 PDF was inaccessible (binary encoding issue). The public register status (by appointment, not online) is confirmed via multiple source summaries.
Gateshead Council maintains two registers under Housing Act 2004 requirements: (1) the Selective Landlord Licences Register, listing all properties where a licence is currently in force with the licence holder name and address and property manager if applicable; and (2) the Temporary Exemption Notices Register, listing all properties with a current licensing exemption. Both registers are available for viewing by appointment at the Private Sector Housing Offices, 2nd Floor, Civic Centre, Regent Street, Gateshead, NE8 1HH. A paper copy of either register is available on request for a £50 charge. There is no publicly searchable online register for selective licensing. For mandatory HMO licensing, a PDF public register has been published at the council website (most recent known version: Public_Part_2_HMO_Register_2023.pdf, though the URL returned 403 at time of extraction). The Kamma property guide and legislate.tech both describe the HMO register as available online as a PDF download.
Supporting sources
All councils in England must operate mandatory HMO licensing. This applies to properties with 5 or more occupants forming 2 or more separate households, regardless of location. If your property meets these criteria, you must apply for a mandatory HMO licence from Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council.
Mandatory HMO licensing applies throughout England and therefore covers the entire borough of Gateshead. Required for all HMOs occupied by five or more people forming two or more households who share facilities such as a kitchen or bathroom. Extended in October 2018 to include all HMOs regardless of number of storeys (previously required 3 or more storeys). Properties with a mandatory HMO licence are exempt from selective and additional licensing requirements.
Administered nationally under Housing Act 2004, Part 2. Properties holding a mandatory HMO licence are exempt from selective and additional licensing requirements. Council also maintains a public HMO register (PDF published at gateshead.gov.uk, most recent confirmed version is Public_Part_2_HMO_Register_2023.pdf, though the URL returned 403 at time of extraction). Guidance notes for HMO licence applications and HMO renewal licences are available on the council website. Failure to licence is a criminal offence; financial penalty up to £30,000 or prosecution. Council can revoke licence and make a Management Order. Property types covered: All HMOs with 5 or more occupants from 2 or more separate households sharing a kitchen or bathroom. Includes shared houses, bedsits, mixed-use conversions, and purpose-built HMOs meeting the occupancy threshold.. Exemptions or exclusions: HMOs with fewer than 5 occupants (though management regulations still apply). Owner-occupied properties. Properties managed by a public body. Buildings regulated under other statutory frameworks..
In addition to licensing, all private landlords in England must comply with these requirements:
Use these routes to move from the Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council summary into the most relevant next action for your property, role, or research task.
Landlord with a standard let→
Start with a postcode if you want a property-specific route before relying on the council summary alone.
Shared occupancy or possible HMO→
Use the HMO checker if occupier numbers, households, or room-sharing could change the answer.
Check if a property has an HMO licence→
Use this if you need to check whether a property holds an HMO licence, or find the council's public HMO register.
Investor, buyer, or conveyancer→
Use the due diligence guide if this council page is part of a purchase, refinance, or pre-letting review.
Letting agent or portfolio manager→
Preview the monitoring route if you need ongoing watchlists and recurring scheme-change visibility.
Understand selective licensing rules→
Read the guide if you want the broader legal background on how selective licensing works alongside this council page.
Understand additional licensing rules→
Read the guide if you want the broader background on how additional HMO licensing works alongside this council page.
Need the local HMO route→
Use the additional licensing page if the real question is whether a smaller shared house needs a local licence here.
Tenant checking landlord compliance→
Use the tenant guide if you rent a property and want to check whether your landlord holds the right licence.
Important disclaimer
This tool provides general information about landlord licensing schemes in England. Results are based on publicly available data and may not reflect recent changes. This is not legal advice. Always verify licensing requirements directly with your local council before making decisions.
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