Middlesbrough licensing / Selective licensing

Selective licensing in Middlesbrough

Active in Middlesbrough

Selective licensing applies to most private rented homes inside a designated area. Middlesbrough has at least one active selective scheme. The detail below is built from the council's own pages.

What selective licensing actually means

A council can designate any part of its area for selective licensing under Part 3 of the Housing Act 2004. Inside the designated area, almost every privately rented home needs a licence, whether the property is a single-family let, a small flat, or a house shared by a couple.

Selective licensing is not about HMOs. The rule keys off the fact that the home is privately rented, not how many people live in it or how many households share it.

Renting out without a licence inside a designated area is a criminal offence. Councils can apply a civil penalty of up to £40,000 per offence, and tenants can apply for a rent repayment order of up to 12 months of rent.

Check an address against the scheme

Enter the postcode and pick the address. We check the selected street against the council's published scheme area and tell you whether the licence applies.

Middlesbrough selective licensing schemes

Middlesbrough Newport 1 selective landlord licensing phase 2

Selective licensing · active · Listed streets

Coverage: Listed streets
Runs: 23 Jul 2024 to 22 Jul 2029
Term: 5 years
Fee per property: £998

Middlesbrough Newport 1 selective landlord licensing applies to listed streets in part of Newport ward from 23 July 2024 to 22 July 2029.

The scheme covers a designated list of streets. Adjacent streets can have different answers, so always check the street name, not just the postcode.

The council states the Newport 1 phase 2 selective licence fee is £998, with an additional £20 one-off fit and proper person test charge.

Properties exempt from this scheme

Properties subject to a prohibition order under Section 20 of the Housing Act 2004 are exempt.
Business premises are exempt.
HMOs that require a statutory HMO licence are exempt.
Tenancies for agricultural land or holdings are exempt.
Properties controlled by a local housing authority, police authority, fire and rescue authority, or health service body are exempt.
Student accommodation managed by the educational establishment for full-time students is exempt.
Long leases of more than 21 years are exempt where the landlord cannot end the tenancy earlier than the lease term.
Accommodation where the tenant is a member of the landlord's family may be exempt.
Holiday homes are exempt.
Accommodation shared with the landlord or licensor, or their family, is exempt.

Apply for this licence on the council site

Middlesbrough Newport 2 selective landlord licensing

Selective licensing · active · Listed streets

Coverage: Listed streets
Runs: 3 Jul 2023 to 2 Jul 2028
Term: 5 years
Fee per property: £878

Middlesbrough Newport 2 selective landlord licensing applies to listed streets in part of Newport ward from 3 July 2023 to 2 July 2028.

The scheme covers a designated list of streets. Adjacent streets can have different answers, so always check the street name, not just the postcode.

The council states the Newport 2 selective licence fee is £878, with an additional £20 one-off fit and proper person test charge.

Properties exempt from this scheme

Properties subject to a prohibition order under Section 20 of the Housing Act 2004 are exempt.
Business premises are exempt.
HMOs that require a statutory HMO licence are exempt.
Tenancies for agricultural land or holdings are exempt.
Properties controlled by a local housing authority, police authority, fire and rescue authority, or health service body are exempt.
Student accommodation managed by the educational establishment for full-time students is exempt.
Long leases of more than 21 years are exempt where the landlord cannot end the tenancy earlier than the lease term.
Accommodation where the tenant is a member of the landlord's family may be exempt.
Holiday homes are exempt.
Accommodation shared with the landlord or licensor, or their family, is exempt.

Apply for this licence on the council site

Middlesbrough North Ormesby selective landlord licensing

Selective licensing · active · Listed streets

Coverage: Listed streets
Runs: 14 Jun 2021 to 13 Jun 2026
Term: 5 years
Fee per property: £845

Middlesbrough North Ormesby selective landlord licensing applies to listed streets from 14 June 2021 to 13 June 2026.

The scheme covers a designated list of streets. Adjacent streets can have different answers, so always check the street name, not just the postcode.

The policy lists the North Ormesby selective licence fee as £845, paid in two £422.50 parts, with an additional £20 fit and proper person check. The council page states new applications are no longer accepted.

Properties exempt from this scheme

Properties subject to a prohibition order under Section 20 of the Housing Act 2004 are exempt.
Business premises are exempt.
HMOs that require a statutory HMO licence are exempt.
Tenancies for agricultural land or holdings are exempt.
Properties controlled by a local housing authority, police authority, fire and rescue authority, or health service body are exempt.
Student accommodation managed by the educational establishment for full-time students is exempt.
Long leases of more than 21 years are exempt where the landlord cannot end the tenancy earlier than the lease term.
Accommodation where the tenant is a member of the landlord's family may be exempt.
Holiday homes are exempt.
Accommodation shared with the landlord or licensor, or their family, is exempt.

Apply for this licence on the council site

Who needs a selective licence

If the property is inside the scheme area and rented out under most types of tenancy, the landlord usually needs a licence. That includes a couple renting a flat, a single tenant renting a whole house, and a family renting a terrace.

A selective licence does not normally apply to social housing, holiday lets, properties under the Housing Act 1985 Part 7, or homes already licensed as HMOs. The council's notice of designation lists the exact exemptions, and they vary scheme to scheme.

Whoever is in control of the property is responsible for the licence. That is normally the freeholder for a house, or the leaseholder for a flat. A managing agent can hold the licence with the landlord's written agreement.

Selective licensing and HMO licensing in Middlesbrough

Selective licensing and HMO licensing are different rules. A property only needs one licence at a time. If the property meets the test for a mandatory HMO (five or more people in two or more households) or for an additional HMO licence the council runs, that takes precedence and the property does not also need a selective licence.

Middlesbrough does not currently run an additional HMO licensing scheme. Larger HMOs still need a mandatory HMO licence under national law, but a small house share that does not meet the mandatory threshold falls back under selective licensing in scheme areas.

The practical effect: check the HMO rules first. If the property is an HMO under either definition, apply for the HMO licence. If it is a single-household let inside a designated selective area, apply for the selective licence instead.

How to apply

Applications go through the council. Most have an online form that takes the property address, the landlord and agent details, gas and electrical safety certificates, an Energy Performance Certificate, and proof of right to manage. Councils ask for the fee up front, usually split between a non-refundable application fee and a grant fee paid when the licence is issued.

A licence usually runs for five years. If the council renews the designation, every existing licence has to be re-applied for. Fees and conditions can change between renewals.

A licence is tied to the named landlord and the named property. Sell the property, change the manager, or move out and the licence does not transfer. The council needs a new application.

What happens if you do not licence

Renting out an unlicensed property in a designated area is a criminal offence under section 95 of the Housing Act 2004. Councils can prosecute, or apply a civil penalty of up to £40,000 instead under section 249A. The decision is the council's, and a civil penalty does not need a court case.

A tenant can apply for a rent repayment order for up to 12 months of rent already paid. Universal Credit and housing benefit paid for the same period can also be reclaimed by the council under section 41 of the Housing and Planning Act 2016. Two separate offences in 12 months can trigger a banning order, which removes the landlord from the rental market entirely.

A landlord who has not applied for a licence cannot serve a valid section 21 no-fault eviction notice. The block lasts until the licence is in place. A tenancy started inside the scheme area without a licence remains valid; only the eviction route is closed.

Talk to Middlesbrough directly

Anything on this page that you cannot find an answer to, the council's licensing team can confirm in minutes.

Email the licensing team

[email protected]

Phone the licensing team

01642 728100

Apply for a licence

Application form on Middlesbrough's website

Public licence register

Search licensed properties in Middlesbrough

Official licensing page

Middlesbrough council guidance

Mortgage and insurance implications

A buy-to-let mortgage usually requires the landlord to hold any licence the council demands. Lenders ask for the licence reference at the point of letting and again at renewal. Letting an unlicensed property in a designated area can technically breach the mortgage terms, and lenders have called in loans on that basis.

Landlord insurance is similar. Insurers normally require any licensable property to actually be licensed, and a civil penalty or rent repayment order can void cover for related claims. Disclose the licence status on renewal.

Buyers of let properties in Middlesbrough should ask the seller for the licence reference and the conditions attached to it. The licence ends on sale, but the conditions tell the buyer what improvements the council has already required.