Do I Need a Landlord Licence in Middlesbrough?

You've bought a property in Middlesbrough, or you've kept one after moving out, and someone mentioned you might need a licence. The short answer is: it depends on where the property sits and how many people live there.

Middlesbrough has two separate licensing regimes running at the same time, and most of the borough has no licensing requirement at all. Working out which category your property falls into takes five questions.

The Five-Step Decision

Step 1 — Is the property actually in Middlesbrough Council's area? Postcodes across Teesside straddle council boundaries. TS1, TS3, TS4, TS5, TS7, and TS8 all include streets that belong to Stockton-on-Tees or Redcar & Cleveland. A Middlesbrough postal address does not mean Middlesbrough Council is your licensing authority. Check the council's GIS portal or address lookup tool.

Step 2 — Does a statutory exemption apply? Properties managed or controlled by a local authority or a registered social housing provider are exempt, as are student halls managed or controlled by a university under an approved code of practice. So are leases for a term exceeding 21 years with no provision for early landlord termination, and properties where an owner-occupier lives in the building and shares with no more than two lodgers.

Step 3 — Are there five or more occupants from two or more households sharing basic amenities? If yes, the property is a mandatory HMO and needs a licence under Part 2 of the Housing Act 2004. This applies borough-wide, with no expiry date.

Step 4 — Is the property inside a selective licensing area? Middlesbrough's active designations cover parts of Newport ward only (Newport 2, running until July 2028, and Newport 1 Phase 2, running until July 2029). If your property is in one of those areas, you need a selective licence — even for a single-family let.

Step 5 — None of the above? If the property has fewer than five occupants, sits outside Newport ward, and is not exempt, no licence is needed. You still have to meet general housing safety standards under the HHSRS and comply with the Renters' Rights Act 2025, but there is no licensing application to submit.

Common Confusion Points

North Ormesby: the selective licensing scheme there expired on 13 June 2026. Some third-party websites still list it as active. Properties in North Ormesby no longer need a selective licence.

Additional HMO licensing: Middlesbrough Council does not run an additional HMO licensing scheme. That means a property occupied by three or four people from separate households does not need a licence unless it falls inside Newport ward's selective designation.

Flats above shops: if a flat above a commercial premises in TS1 houses five or more occupants from two or more households sharing basic amenities, it needs a mandatory HMO licence. A single-family flat above a shop in Newport ward needs a selective licence. Outside Newport, a single-family flat above a shop needs nothing.

What It Costs If You Do Need One

• Mandatory HMO licence: £1,168.88 (split across two stage payments)
• Selective licence (Newport 2): £878, plus a £20 fit-and-proper check per proposed licence holder
• Selective licence (Newport 1 Phase 2): £998 (£499 + £499)

All fees are non-refundable if the application is rejected.

Getting It Right First Time

The most expensive mistake is applying under the wrong scheme or with missing documents. Our Middlesbrough Landlord Licensing Guide walks through the full decision framework, every document you need, and the application steps for each licence type — so you protect that non-refundable fee.

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