Designation of selective and additional houses in multiple occupation (HMO) licensing
At the Cabinet meeting held 18 February 2025, the designation of selective and additional House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) licensing within 16 neighbourhoods across Gateshead was approved.
This will address poor housing conditions and other issues that make poverty impacts worse. These include:
- overcrowding
- fuel poverty
- anti-social behaviour
- crime within the private rented sector.
Applications
In areas where selective and additional licensing is applied, all landlords must have a licence to rent out their property.
To qualify for a licence, a landlord must be able to demonstrate that they are:
- acting within the law
- taking adequate steps to manage their properties
- keeping the property safe.
We will also carry out a 'fit and proper' person test to measure a landlord's suitability to manage a tenancy.
Properties with a mandatory HMO licence are exempt. There are also several other circumstances where you do not have to apply for a licence.
Read The Selective Licensing of Houses (Specified Exemptions) (England) Order 2006 (opens new window) for a full list of exemptions.
Applications will be accepted from 1 March 2025. There will be discounts for early applications.
Contact us to find out more and if your property(ies) are affected.
Types of licence
We are implementing two types of licensing, including:
Type | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Selective licensing | Occupied by single people, two sharers and families | Phase 1 commencing 1 June 2025 until 31 May 2030 Phase 2 commencing 1 October 2025 until 30 September 2030 |
Additional HMO licensing | Smaller HMOs which are occupied by three or four people that are not related but they share facilities (such as kitchen of bathroom) in a rented home | 1 June 2025 for all additional HMOs in both phases until 31 May 2030 |
Selective licensing areas
The selective licensing areas are divided into two phases.
Lower Layer Super Output Areas (LSOAs) comprise between 400 and 1,200 households and usually have a resident population between 1,000 and 3,000 persons. (https://www.ons.gov.uk/methodology/geography/ukgeographies/statisticalgeographies (opens new window))
View the phase 1 boundary maps
Designation - phase 1 | LSOA name | LSOA neighbourhood |
---|---|---|
Central Gateshead Birtley Chopwell High Fell | 008A | Bensham North/Windmill Hills |
008F | Bensham Central and West | |
010A | The Avenues | |
010B | Bensham South/Avenues North | |
010C | Bensham West/Avenues | |
021B | Beacon Lough East | |
026D | Birtley/Birtley Industrial | |
029C | Chopwell |
View the phase 2 boundary maps
Designation - phase 2 | LSOA name | LSOA neighbourhood |
---|---|---|
Central Gateshead Felling Swalwell | 003B | North Felling/Felling Shore Industrial |
008C | Derwentwater East | |
008E 003B | Derwentwater West/Racecourse Estate | |
009A | Swalwell North/Metro Centre | |
010D | Kelvin Grove | |
012A | Felling Falla Park | |
027B | Sunderland Road | |
028B | Shipcote |
Contact us
Private Sector Housing Team
Civic Centre
Gateshead
NE8 1HH
0191 433 3926 / 433 3365
privatelandlords@gateshead.gov.uk