My Middlesbrough Portal — How to Use It for Your Landlord Licence Application

Most selective and HMO licence applications are made through the My Middlesbrough gateway at my.middlesbrough.gov.uk. The council says online forms can only be completed on a laptop or desktop, not a phone, tablet, or Mac. Community Hubs have desktop computers, and landlords who need another route can call the Private Sector Housing Team on 01642 728100 to apply by phone.

Creating Your Account

Before you can submit anything, you need a My Middlesbrough user account. This is the same portal used for council tax, bin collections, and other council services. If you already have an account for any council service, you can use it for licensing.

The registration process requires basic identity details and an email address. Once your account is active, you can access the licensing application modules.

Finding the Right Application Form

The portal houses separate application modules for each licensing type:

• Mandatory HMO applications: submitted via the HMO Licensing Application Portal
• Newport 1 (Phase 2) selective applications: submitted via "Apply for a licence for Newport 1 (Phase 2)"
• Newport 2 selective applications: submitted via "Apply for a licence for Newport 2"

Selecting the wrong module — applying under Newport 2 when your property is in Newport 1, for example — can result in your application being refused. Linthorpe Road is a known boundary split where some addresses fall under Newport 1 and others under Newport 2. Check the council's address lookup tool before you start.

What You Need Before You Log In

Have everything ready before starting the form; you will need to upload documents during the process:

• Gas Safety Certificate (CP12) — issued within the last 12 months by a Gas Safe registered engineer
• EICR — assessed as "Satisfactory" within the last 5 years by an NICEIC, NAPIT, BSI, or ELECSA accredited electrician
• EPC — at grade E or above, valid for 10 years
• Smoke and CO alarm declaration — signed statement confirming working alarms on every storey and CO alarms where required
• Scale floor plans (mandatory for HMOs, on-demand for selective) — showing room dimensions in m², marking any areas below 1.5 m ceiling height
• Written tenancy agreement — compliant with the Renters' Rights Act 2025

You also need contact details for all "relevant persons" — the freeholder, any mortgage lender, managing agents, and joint owners. The form requires you to certify that you have served written notification of the application on these parties.

Paying Fees Through the Portal

Fees are paid as part of the application process. Newport 1 Phase 2 uses a two-part structure:

• Part 1 is paid when you submit the application (£499 for Newport 1 Phase 2)
• Part 2 is paid after the council issues a Notice of Intention to Grant (£499 for Newport 1 Phase 2)

The council lists the Newport 2 licence fee as £878, with a separate £20 one-off fit and proper person check fee. Follow the Newport 2 application page for its payment instructions.

The mandatory HMO fee of £1,168.88 follows the council's HMO payment schedule.

Application fees are non-refundable. If your application is refused because of missing or expired documents, you lose the fee paid. This is why assembling everything before you log in matters.

After Submission

Once submitted and the required application fee is paid, the application enters "Submitted" status. The council reviews your documents and evaluates whether the application is complete. When all mandatory forms are filled, all certificates uploaded, and the fee processed, the application is classified as "duly made" — which provides statutory protection against prosecution for unlicensed letting while your application is pending.

The Fit and Proper Person assessment is part of the application process. For Newport 2 applications, the £20 fit and proper check fee is charged separately.

Our Middlesbrough Landlord Licensing guide includes the complete pre-submission checklist to ensure every document is ready before you start the portal application, protecting your non-refundable fee.

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