HMO licence South Tyneside: licensing schemes, fees and enforcement

We found no additional or selective licensing scheme in force in South Tyneside on the council's website as of 28 Sep 2026. Mandatory HMO licensing applies everywhere in England to HMOs with 5 or more people in 2 or more households.

Selective: none foundAdditional HMO: none foundMandatory HMO: alwaysChecked 28 Sep 2026

Free. Official data only. We don't store your postcode.

South Tyneside licensing schemes in force or approved

We found no additional or selective licensing scheme in force on South Tyneside Council's website as of 28 Sep 2026. Mandatory HMO licensing still applies to any HMO with 5 or more people in 2 or more households. Confirm with the council (council page).

Note from our check: previous table: selective approved Nov 2020 for parts of Beacon & Bents, Simonside & Rekendyke, Westoe (paused) - never implemented/now none

Mandatory HMO licensing in South Tyneside

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.

South Tyneside HMO licence register

We did not find an online public register for South Tyneside. Every council must keep one (Housing Act 2004, s.232) and make it available for inspection; ask the council's private sector housing team.

South Tyneside Article 4 and HMO planning rules

South Tyneside does not publish Article 4 data to the national planning data platform, so we cannot tell you from official data whether an HMO Article 4 direction applies. Absence of data is not absence of a 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.

Tribunal record: rent repayment orders and civil penalties in South Tyneside

Figures below count First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) decisions published on GOV.UK for properties located in South Tyneside. 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 decisions0 (0 in the last 3 years)
Civil penalty appeals1
Penalty upheld (in full or reduced)100% · confirmed in full 0%
Median penalty: council's notice / after tribunal£16,488 / £16,349

Recent civil penalty appeals in South Tyneside

DecidedAreaOffenceOutcomeCouncil's penaltyAfter tribunalDecision
22 Apr 2021NE33unlicensed HMO; failure to comply with improvement noticePenalty varied£16,488£16,349GOV.UK

Amounts and outcomes are extracted automatically from the decision text and can be wrong; open the decision on GOV.UK for the full reasons. Party names are not shown. Information, not legal advice.

If you have let without a licence you needed, read unlicensed property: what to do, rent repayment orders and civil penalties.

Landlord database deadline for South Tyneside

South Tyneside 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.

Get help with a South Tyneside licence application

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.

Help with a South Tyneside licence

We may refer legal matters to an SRA-regulated solicitor and may receive a referral fee; we will tell you before any referral. See how we make money.

South Tyneside licensing: common questions

Is there selective licensing in South Tyneside?

We found no selective licensing scheme on South Tyneside Council's website as of 28 Sep 2026. Mandatory HMO licensing still applies to 5+ people in 2+ households. Confirm with the council.

How much is an HMO licence in South Tyneside?

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.

Does South Tyneside have an Article 4 direction for HMOs?

South Tyneside does not publish Article 4 data to the national planning data platform, so we cannot tell you from official data whether an HMO Article 4 direction applies. Absence of data is not absence of a direction: check the council's planning pages.

How often do landlords in South Tyneside face rent repayment orders or fines?

The First-tier Tribunal has published 0 rent repayment order decisions for properties in South Tyneside (0 with an order made), and 1 civil penalty appeal. Most penalties are never appealed, so the true number of fines is higher.

Related: selective licensing in England · additional HMO licensing · HMO licence cost · HMO rules · HMO hub

Sources

Last checked 28 Sep 2026. Information, not legal advice. Licensing schemes change often; always confirm with the council before you act.