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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 licensingOccupied 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 licensingSmaller 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 1LSOA nameLSOA neighbourhood

Central Gateshead 

Birtley 

Chopwell 

High Fell 
 

008ABensham North/Windmill Hills
008FBensham Central and West
010AThe Avenues
010BBensham South/Avenues North 
010CBensham West/Avenues
021BBeacon Lough East
026DBirtley/Birtley Industrial
029CChopwell 

View the phase 2 boundary maps

Designation - phase 2LSOA nameLSOA neighbourhood

Central Gateshead

Felling

Swalwell  

003BNorth Felling/Felling Shore Industrial 
008CDerwentwater East 
008E 003BDerwentwater West/Racecourse Estate 
009ASwalwell North/Metro Centre
010DKelvin Grove
012AFelling Falla Park
027BSunderland Road
028BShipcote 

Contact us

Private Sector Housing Team
Civic Centre
Gateshead
NE8 1HH

0191 433 3926 / 433 3365
privatelandlords@gateshead.gov.uk