The definition of a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) is a property where:
- three or more people live
- at least two of these people are not members of the same family
- they share facilities such as a bathroom, toilet, kitchen or living room.
If you rent, or plan to rent, to five or more people and at least two of these people are not part of the same family and they share facilities then you may need to apply for a licence.
You will need to prove that the house:
- is a safe place for the tenants to live;
- has suitable fire precautions in place, minimum standards of fire safety (opens new window);
- has enough facilities for the number of people living in the house.
For further detail visit the Housing Act 2004 (opens new window)
Licence fees
The fee is in two parts, if you choose to pay both parts of the fee and the licence is refused, then we will refund the second part of the fee.
Fees for a first licence or a variation
| Application processing fee. Payment due at time of application. | Scheme management fee. Payment due immediately following the grant of licence. | Total fee | |
| HMO licence (up to 14 bedrooms) | £659.80 | £439.88 | £1,099.68 |
| HMO licence (15+ bedrooms) | £719.32 | £478.69 | £1,198.01 |
| Variation of HMO licence (at licence holders request, for an increase in occupancy) | £210.97 | not applicable | £210.97 |
Fees for a renewal licence
| Application processing fee. Payment due at time of application. | Scheme management fee. Payment due immediately following the grant of licence. | Total fee | |
| HMO licence (up to 14 bedrooms) | £579.92 | £386.62 | £966.54 |
| HMO licence (15+ bedrooms) | £638.99 | £426 | £1,064.99 |
Discounts
Persons applying for a Mandatory HMO licence in Gateshead may be eligible for discounts. A discount is available to landlords who are accredited by or are members of specified schemes.
Landlords accredited under one of the following schemes may be entitled to a discount (from Part B payment):
- National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA)
- UK Association of Letting Agents (UKALA)
- Safeagent
Landlords that are a member of one of the following may be entitled to a discount (from Part B payment):
- ARLA Propertymark
- Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)
- Guild of Letting and Management
- Guild of Property Professionals
- GPLA Gateshead Private Landlords Association
Additionally, a multi-property discount is available when multiple licence applications are submitted at the same time by the same person for properties under their control. In this case, a discount of £10 is applied to each additional property after the first.
Discounts will be determined on receipt of a duly made application (a full application and all supporting documents) and applied to the Part B payment.
Discounts will not be applicable where the council has:
- an application is triggered by identification by the Council that an HMO has been operating without a licence
- made two requests for additional supporting documents
- served a warning letter for failure to licence the property.
- where a licence is granted for a shorter duration than 5 years.
Licence variation fees
These fees are applicable where the property is already licensed
| Variation to the licence | Fee |
|---|---|
| Change of licence holder's address | None |
| Change of manager's address | None |
| Change/appointment of manager (unless they are also the licence holder) | None |
| Change of name (marriage/divorce/deed poll) | None |
| Change in amenities | None |
| Reduction in the number of maximum occupiers and/or households for licensing purposes | None |
Other fees and charges
| Action | Charge |
|---|---|
| Revocation of licence | No fee |
| Application to licence following revocation of licence | New application fee |
| Application refused by us | Part A payment |
| Application withdrawn by the applicant | Part A payment |
| Application made in error for example, duplicate / property not required to be licensed | No fee, refund will be made |
| Properties that cease to be licensable during the licensing application process | Part A payment |
| Charge for provision of and receipt of a paper application (for applications received after online system becomes available) | £50 |
| Charge for each incomplete/deficient application received (if application is returned or missing information needs to be pursued) | £25 added to fee |
Phased payment plan (per property) Phased payments are only available for those landlords or agents making 10 or more applications at the same time. A request for a phased payment plan must be made before an application is made. If you make an application before contacting us a payment plan cannot be arranged. Contact us, email [email protected] | £25 per additional request |
| Caution issue (as an alternative to prosecution) | £343 |
| Public register - request for paper copy | £50 |
Enforcement action under Part 1 of The Housing Act 2004(opens new window) relating to a licensed property (charged underThe Housing Act 2004, section 49(opens new window)) Once an invoice is issued, this charge becomes a local land charge on the property | The fees and charges are set out in our fees and charges register |
| Change of licence holder from managing agent to managing agent when owner stays the same. New Application required (Contact us to discuss further) | £255 |
| Change of licence holder from owner to managing agent when owner stays the same. New Application required (Contact us to discuss further) | £255 |
Duties
If you are a landlord of a HMO property The Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation (England) Regulations 2006 (opens new window) will explain what you must do.
If you are a tenant of a HMO property the Duties of occupiers of HMO's (opens new window) will explain what you must do as an occupier.
Planning permission
As a landlord you should also make sure that the property has planning permission to be a House in Multiple Occupation. For further information on use class visit the Planning Portal. (opens new window)
To apply for a change of use visit Other consents for planning permission.
Apply for a Licence for a House in Multiple Occupation.
For more information on renting a house visit Gov.UK (opens new window)
Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) register
The HMO register lists licensed properties and includes information such as:
- licence holder
- manager
- the postal address of the property
- number of habitable rooms.
- licence details
Contact us if you would like to view the register.
Contact us
If you are unsure if your property needs a licence email the property occupancy details to
