Gateshead Selective Licensing Phase 1: What Landlords Need to Know

Gateshead's 2025–2030 selective licensing scheme rolled out in two phases, each covering different neighbourhoods with different start dates. If you own a rental property in Gateshead, the phase your property falls under determines when your application was due and when your licence expires.

Phase 1: The Eight Areas

Phase 1 started on 1 June 2025 and runs until 31 May 2030. It covers eight LSOAs concentrated in central and southern Gateshead:

• Bensham North / Windmill Hills
• Bensham Central and West
• The Avenues
• Bensham South / Avenues North
• Bensham West / Avenues
• Beacon Lough East
• Birtley / Birtley Industrial
• Chopwell North

These areas have the highest concentration of private rented housing in the borough, particularly the Bensham corridor where rows of Tyneside flats dominate. The council identified them based on low housing demand, anti-social behaviour levels and poor property conditions.

Phase 2: The Other Eight Areas

Phase 2 launched four months later on 1 October 2025, running until 30 September 2030. It covers:

• North Felling / Felling Shore Industrial
• Derwentwater East
• Derwentwater West / Racecourse Estate
• Swalwell North / Metro Centre
• Kelvin Grove
• Felling Falla Park
• Sunderland Road
• Shipcote

Together, both phases cover approximately 5,400 private rented properties — around 34% of Gateshead's private rented stock.

What the Phase Difference Means in Practice

The fees and conditions are identical between phases. The practical differences are:

Application timing: Phase 1 licensing began on 1 June 2025; Phase 2 began on 1 October 2025. For a property acquired or becoming licensable during an active phase, submit a complete application before a tenant moves in.

Early-bird windows: Phase 1's early-bird discount (£75 off Part B) ran from 1 March to 31 May 2025. Phase 2's window ran from 1 July to 30 September 2025. Both are now closed.

Expiry dates: Phase 1 licences expire 31 May 2030. Phase 2 licences expire 30 September 2030. Mark these — letting without a licence after expiry carries the same penalties as never having one.

Additional HMO Licensing Crosses Both Phases

One wrinkle: the additional HMO licensing scheme (for shared houses with 3–4 occupants from 2+ households) covers all 16 LSOAs simultaneously. It started on 1 June 2025 alongside Phase 1 selective licensing, regardless of which phase your area falls under. If your property is an HMO in a Phase 2 selective area, the additional HMO scheme was already live from June.

Fees for Both Phases

The two-part fee structure is the same across both phases:

• Selective licence: £510 Part A + £340 Part B = £850 total
• Additional HMO licence: £585.80 Part A + £390.50 Part B = £976.30 total

Part A is retained when an application is refused or withdrawn; Gateshead issues full refunds for applications submitted in error, such as duplicates or properties outside the scheme. Part B is invoiced when the council decides to grant the licence.

What to Do Now

If your property is in a designated area and you have not applied, do it immediately — the council cross-references council tax records and Land Registry data to identify unlicensed properties, and the civil penalty for letting without a licence is up to £40,000.

The Gateshead Landlord Licensing Guide covers the full application process for both phases, including the document audit, portal walkthrough and fee discount eligibility.

See more England guides →