HMO licensing in North Tyneside

North Tyneside Council operates the national mandatory scheme. We found no additional or selective licensing scheme in force or proposed as of September 2026. Councils can introduce one after a public consultation, so it is worth setting an alert.

The published fee for a new HMO licence is £750. Fees can depend on the number of occupants or lettings, and they are reviewed each year.

North Tyneside's HMO fees are based on a property consisting of 5 lettings: an HMO Application Fee of £450, plus an HMO Licence Fee of £300 for up to 5 units — a total of £750 for a typical 5-let HMO — plus an Additional Licence Fee of £32 for each unit above 5. The fee covers processing the application, determining the fit-and-proper-person test, inspecting the property, preparing the licence (including a re-visit if needed), and ongoing enforcement/monitoring of HMOs in the borough. A Change of Managing Agent costs £250 and an Amendment of an existing Licence costs £50. The council does not publish a separately discounted renewal fee, so the same application/licence fee structure applies to renewals. No instalment plan is published — payment is required with the application (by card online, or by phone).

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

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.

• North Tyneside's fire safety standards are based on LACORS Housing – Fire Safety guidance (Local Government Regulation), set out in the council's 'Guidance for Landlords on HMO Standards in North Tyneside'.
• 3 and 4 storey properties: Grade D, LD1 fire detection — smoke alarms on all escape routes/levels, smoke alarms in every risk room (communal living room, utility room, all bedrooms), a smoke alarm in any unoccupied basement, and a heat detector in the kitchen. A fully protected 30-minute escape route is required, with 30 minutes of fire resistance on doors/walls from risk rooms onto the escape route, and 30-minute fire separation between risk rooms and the floor above.
• 1 and 2 storey properties: Grade D, LD2 fire detection — smoke alarms on escape routes/levels and in communal risk rooms, a smoke alarm in any unoccupied basement, and a heat detector in the kitchen. A fully protected 30-minute escape route is not required, but 30 minutes of fire separation (including fire doors) is required from communal risk rooms onto the escape route.
• Basements: 30-minute fire separation required between an unoccupied basement and the ground floor where it stores combustible materials or houses gas/electricity meters, including a full FD30S fire door and door set at the head of the basement stairs; standards may be relaxed if the basement is free of combustibles/meters, well managed and landlord-only access.
• Fire doors (complete door sets) must give 30 minutes' protection, have intumescent and cold smoke seals, be hung on 3 fire-rated hinges, and have a self-closing device.
• Polystyrene ceiling/wall tiles are not permitted; a light-duty fire blanket must be provided in every kitchen.
• Habitable inner rooms only acceptable on floors up to 4.5m above ground level; escape windows must comply with LACORS guidance and Building Regulations.
• Final exit doors and bedroom door locks must be openable from the inside without a key.
• A Fire Risk Assessment is always required under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 — this is separate from, and not replaced by, compliance with the standards above; bedsits, properties over 4 storeys, or high-risk-occupant properties require individual assessment by the council and Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service.

• Bathrooms and WCs scale with occupancy: 1 bathroom + 1 WC for 3-4 occupiers; 1 bathroom + 1 WC (separate compartment) for 5 occupiers; 2 bathrooms + 2 WCs (1 in a separate compartment) for 6-9 occupiers; 2 bathrooms + 2 WCs (separate compartments) for 10 occupiers — with 1 extra WC and 1 extra bathroom required per 5 additional occupiers above that.
• All baths/showers/wash-hand basins need constant hot and cold water; bathrooms must be adequately heated and ventilated, of adequate size and layout, sited in or near the living accommodation, and fitted with a privacy lock; walls around baths/showers/basins need a non-porous, cleanable finish.
• Kitchen facilities (1-6 persons): 1 cooker with 4 burners/rings, grill and oven (300mm worktop clearance either side, away from doorways); 1 sink with draining board and hot/cold water; fridge(s) totalling 150 litres plus a separate freezer or equivalent; 1.5 linear metres of worktop by the cooker; sockets for each fixed appliance plus 2 double sockets; 500mm cabinet per person.
• Kitchen facilities (7-12 persons): 1 cooker plus a microwave, or 2 full cookers; 2 sinks (or 1 sink + dishwasher); fridge(s) totalling 170 litres plus 20 litres per person above 7; 3 linear metres of worktop; 500mm cabinet per person. 12+ persons: an additional oven, grill, 4-burner hob, extra worktop, wall cabinet, 40-litre fridge/freezer and a kettle.
• Kitchen floor area: at least 7.0 m² usable floor area for up to 6 persons, plus 1.0 m² per additional occupant above 6 (up to a 13.0 m² maximum); must have an externally vented extraction system, a non-porous/cleanable wall finish behind worktops, and a suitably sized rubbish bin.
• Bedsits/individually let rooms: each letting needs its own hand-wash basin (with a sink if cooking facilities are provided), properly connected to drainage.

• HMO Licence Application Form — North Tyneside's own HMO Licence Application Form, completed and emailed to the Environmental Health Private Sector Housing Team.
• Gas safety certificate — Current Landlords Gas Safety Record for the property if gas is supplied.
• EICR — Electrical Installation Condition Report confirming the electrical installation is safe.
• EPC — Valid Energy Performance Certificate for the property.
• Fire risk assessment — Written fire risk assessment under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
• Floor plan with room sizes — Plan showing room layout and measured floor areas, checked against North Tyneside's space standards.

• northtyneside.gov.uk
• northtyneside.gov.uk
• northtyneside.gov.uk
• northtyneside.gov.uk
• northtyneside.gov.uk

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