HMO licensing in Gateshead

The published fee for a new HMO licence is £976.30, and £976.30 to renew. Fees can depend on the number of occupants or lettings, and they are reviewed each year.

Gateshead charges HMO licence fees in two parts: Part A is payable on submission of the application and covers processing/administration; Part B is payable once the council has issued a Notice of Intent to Grant a Licence, and covers ongoing management and enforcement. The council's Mandatory HMO Licensing Policy (approved by Cabinet, July 2025) confirms that Mandatory HMO licence fees now replicate the fees charged for the council's Additional HMO Licensing scheme: Part A £585.80 plus Part B £390.50, a total of £976.30. Discounts of £75 apply for landlords accredited by or members of specified schemes (NRLA, UKALA, Safeagent, ARLA Propertymark, RICS, Guild of Letting and Management, Guild of Property Professionals), and a £10 per-property discount applies where multiple licence applications for properties under the same person's control are made at the same time; discounts are applied against the Part B payment. There is no separate discounted renewal fee published — the same fee structure applies to a renewal application. The fee covers a licence lasting up to 5 years. (Note: Gateshead separately runs Additional HMO Licensing, for 3-4 person shared houses in designated neighbourhoods — £585.80 + £390.50 = £976.30 — and Selective Licensing, for single lets/two-sharer/family homes in designated neighbourhoods — £510 + £340 = £850; those are different licence types from the mandatory HMO licence described here and only apply within the council's 16 designated licensing neighbourhoods.)

Check the current fee on the council website (gateshead.gov.uk) before you apply.

Fees for council-designated schemes are set separately from the mandatory HMO fee. Figures are the standard full-rate fee for a new licence, before any discounts.

National minimums for licensed HMOs are 6.51 m² for one adult and 10.22 m² for two adults; councils can apply higher local standards.

• Standards are based on LACORS Housing – Fire Safety Guidance principles, set out in Gateshead's Mandatory HMO Licensing Property Standard (Appendix C, July 2025 policy).
• 3 or 4 storey properties: mixed Grade A, LD2 fire detection system — interlinked smoke alarms on the escape route at all levels and in all risk rooms (living room, utility room, all bedrooms), an interlinked heat detector in the kitchen, and detection in any unoccupied cellar; a 30-minute protected escape route with FD30S fire doors to kitchens, living rooms and bedrooms; 30-minute fire separation between risk rooms and the floor above.
• 1 or 2 storey properties: mixed Grade D, LD2 system — interlinked smoke alarms on the escape route, in all bedrooms and communal risk rooms, plus a heat detector in the kitchen; 30-minute protected route with FD30S fire doors to kitchens and living rooms (bedroom fire doors not required); no additional fire separation required between units beyond sound traditional construction.
• Bedsits or properties of more than 4 storeys, or those housing 'high risk' occupants, require individual assessment by the council and Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service.
• All smoke/heat detectors must be hard-wired, interlinked and comply with BS 5839 Part 1 or 6; polystyrene ceiling/wall tiles are not permitted; a light-duty fire blanket (BS 6575) must be provided in every kitchen.
• Final exit doors must lead to a place of safety and be openable from inside without a key; bedroom door locks (if fitted) must be openable from inside without a key.
• Escape windows only acceptable on a floor no more than 4.5m above ground level (first floor), per LACORS guidance and Building Regulations Approved Document B.
• Emergency lighting required where the escape route is long, complex or lacks sufficient borrowed light, complying with BS 5266 Part 1.
• A carbon monoxide alarm is required (mandatory licence condition) in any room with a fixed combustion appliance other than a gas cooker; a smoke alarm is a mandatory condition on every storey with living accommodation, kept in proper working order.
• Fire risk assessment required under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, alongside an annual test/certification of the automatic fire detection system (BS 5839) and any emergency lighting (BS 5266-1:2005).

• Space heating must be provided in every unit of accommodation, sufficient to reach and maintain: 18°C in bedrooms, 21°C in living/dining rooms, study rooms, bathrooms with WC and dining kitchens, 18°C in kitchens and separate WCs, and 16°C in circulation areas.
• Kitchen facilities (1-6 persons): 1 gas/electric cooker with minimum 4 burners, grill and oven; sink with draining board and hot/cold water; fridge(s) totalling 150 litres plus a separate freezer or equivalent fridge-freezer; 1.5 linear metres of worktop next to the cooker; sockets for each fixed appliance plus 2 double sockets; 500mm of cabinet storage per person.
• Kitchen facilities (7-12 persons): 1 cooker (4-ring/grill/oven) plus a microwave, or 2 full cookers; a dishwasher; fridge(s) totalling 170 litres plus 20 litres per person above 7; 3 linear metres of worktop; 500mm cabinet per person. For 12+ persons an additional oven, grill, 4-ring hob and kettle are required.
• Kitchen usable floor area: at least 7.0 m² for up to 6 persons, plus 1.0 m² per additional occupant above 6, up to a maximum of 13.0 m²; the kitchen must have an externally vented extraction system.
• Bathing/toilet facilities: 1 bathroom (bath/shower + WHB) and 1 WC (with WHB) for 3-5 occupiers (5-person households need the WC in a separate compartment); 2 bathrooms and 2 WCs (1 in a separate compartment) for 6-10 occupiers.
• All bathrooms/WCs must allow privacy (suitable lock), be adequately heated and ventilated, of adequate size and layout, and fitted with taps giving constant hot and cold water; a bath (not just a shower) is required where the property is likely to house children.
• Security: window locks on ground-floor/accessible windows; front door fitted with a viewer or glass panel and a security chain; front and rear doors fitted with British Standard secure locks openable from inside without a key for fire escape purposes; rear door fitted with a barrel bolt (200mm min) unless it has a multi-point locking mechanism.

• Gas safety certificate (CP12) — Current Landlords Gas Safety Certificate submitted with the application if gas is supplied to the property.
• EICR — Electrical Installation Condition Report completed within the last 5 years (proof of improvements required if works have been carried out).
• Fire detection and emergency lighting certificates — Certificates confirming the automatic fire detection system and any emergency lighting are working correctly, tested annually.
• Portable Appliance Test (PAT) certificates — Required for any landlord-supplied electrical appliances.
• Floor plan with room sizes — Plan of the property showing room layout and measured floor areas, used to check compliance with Gateshead's space standards.
• EPC — Valid Energy Performance Certificate for the property.
• Tenancy agreement — Copy of the tenancy agreement issued to tenants.
• Management agreement — Copy of the management agreement if the property is managed by an agent.

• gateshead.gov.uk
• gateshead.gov.uk
• gateshead.gov.uk
• gateshead.gov.uk
• gateshead.gov.uk
• gateshead.moderngov.co.uk
• gateshead.moderngov.co.uk

Compiled from the council’s own published pages and documents; data reviewed September 2026. Rules and fees change, so always confirm with Gateshead Council before applying. This is general information, not legal advice.