Gateshead Bensham Selective Licensing: What Landlords in Bensham and Saltwell Need

Bensham and Saltwell sit at the heart of Gateshead's selective licensing scheme. Five of the eight Phase 1 LSOAs fall in or around this corridor — Bensham North/Windmill Hills, Bensham Central and West, The Avenues, Bensham South/Avenues North and Bensham West/Avenues — making it the most densely designated part of the borough.

If you rent out a property anywhere in this belt, here is what the licensing rules mean for you.

Why Bensham Is So Heavily Designated

The Bensham and Saltwell wards have the highest private rented sector density in Gateshead. Rows of traditional Tyneside flats — upper and lower maisonettes behind a shared front door — dominate the housing stock. The council's evidence base for the 2025 designation cited low housing demand, anti-social behaviour and poor property conditions across these neighbourhoods.

The previous scheme (The Avenues / Saltwell Ward selective licensing, Phase 3) expired on 29 April 2025, and the new 16-LSOA designation replaced it from 1 June 2025, expanding coverage beyond the old street-based boundaries.

Which Scheme Applies to Your Property

All five Bensham-area LSOAs fall under Phase 1, which started 1 June 2025 and runs until 31 May 2030. But the licence type depends on how the property is occupied:

Single-family let, single tenant, or couple → selective licence (£850 total: £510 Part A + £340 Part B).

Three or four occupants from two or more households sharing facilities → additional HMO licence (£976.30 total: £585.80 Part A + £390.50 Part B). The additional HMO scheme covers all 16 LSOAs from 1 June 2025.

Five or more occupants from two or more households → mandatory HMO licence (£1,099.68 for up to 14 beds). This applies borough-wide, not just in designated areas.

The higher-tier licence always displaces the lower one: a mandatory HMO licence exempts you from needing an additional or selective licence.

Tyneside Flats: A Common Trip-Up

A standard Tyneside flat is a self-contained dwelling with its own front door (shared only at ground level). If you let one flat to a single household, it needs a selective licence. Letting both flats in a converted building to unrelated households does not by itself make the building a standard HMO. If the block meets the section 257 statutory tests and is within one of the 16 designated LSOAs, it is covered by additional HMO licensing; each privately let flat may also need a selective licence if its address is in a selective area. Check the building's status and each address before applying.

Border Streets and LSOA Splits

LSOA boundaries in central Gateshead do not follow neat street lines. Properties on opposite sides of the same road in Saltwell or Deckham can fall in different LSOAs — one designated, one not. The only reliable check is the council's online address lookup at gateshead.gov.uk, which confirms the LSOA for each specific address.

Getting Your Application Right

The application runs through the MetaStreet portal. You need a "My Gateshead Account," your CP12 gas safety certificate, EICR, EPC (minimum E rating), tenancy agreement and fit-and-proper declarations. A £25 charge applies when an application is returned for missing information or requires repeated council follow-up. If the council refuses an application, it retains Part A; full refunds are available for applications submitted in error, such as duplicates or properties outside the scheme.

The Gateshead Landlord Licensing Guide includes the full document audit checklist and a step-by-step portal walkthrough so you can get the application right first time.

See more England guides →