Northumberland has one discretionary licensing scheme on our record: selective licensing (in force). Mandatory HMO licensing applies everywhere in England to HMOs with 5 or more people in 2 or more households.
Selective: yesAdditional HMO: none foundMandatory HMO: alwaysChecked 28 Sep 2026
| Area covered | Part of the council area |
|---|---|
| Runs | 14 Oct 2024 to 13 Oct 2029 |
Ward or street lists can split a road. Use the council's own address checker or designation map before relying on this list.
Checked 28 Sept 2026.
| Date | What | Scheme | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Oct 2029 in 1111 days | scheme end | Selective licensing | council |
Want a reminder before a deadline? Use the form at the bottom of this page and pick "Email me before my deadlines".
Whatever the local schemes, a licence is required for any house in multiple occupation let to 5 or more people forming 2 or more households who share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet. This rule is national and has applied since 1 October 2018. Letting without a required licence is a criminal offence under section 72 of the Housing Act 2004. Read do I need an HMO licence? and how to apply.
We did not find an online public register for Northumberland. Every council must keep one (Housing Act 2004, s.232) and make it available for inspection; ask the council's private sector housing team.
Northumberland publishes Article 4 data to the national planning data platform, but none of its 13 published areas are labelled as an HMO direction. That does not prove there is no HMO Article 4 direction: check the council's planning pages.
Licensing and planning are separate. A licence does not give planning permission, and planning permission does not replace a licence. See Article 4 and HMOs.
Figures below count First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) decisions published on GOV.UK for properties located in Northumberland. They show how tenants and the council use enforcement here. Most civil penalties are paid without appeal, so they never reach the tribunal.
| Rent repayment order decisions | 0 (0 in the last 3 years) |
|---|---|
| Civil penalty appeals | 0 |
| Other Housing Act appeals (licence terms, notices, orders) | 3 |
If you have let without a licence you needed, read unlicensed property: what to do, rent repayment orders and civil penalties.
Northumberland is in the North East region of the new Private Rented Sector Database. Registration opens 15 Jun 2027 and the deadline to register is 14 Sept 2027. The published fee is £65 per property per year. Database registration is separate from council licensing: you may need both. See register your rental property.
We can prepare a licence application for you for a fixed fee; the council's own fee is separate. See pricing for what is included and how we make money. You can also run a full address check on the postcode checker.
Yes. Croft ward, Blyth: in force until 13 Oct 2029 (part of the area). Check the council's map or address checker to confirm your street.
We did not find a published fee on the council pages we checked. Mandatory HMO licence fees are set by each council, usually in two parts (application and grant). See the council page or our HMO licence cost guide.
Northumberland publishes Article 4 data to the national planning data platform, but none of its 13 published areas are labelled as an HMO direction. That does not prove there is no HMO Article 4 direction: check the council's planning pages.
Related: selective licensing in England · additional HMO licensing · HMO licence cost · HMO rules · HMO hub
Last checked 28 Sep 2026. Information, not legal advice. Licensing schemes change often; always confirm with the council before you act.