LetLens / Licensing by council / North East Lincolnshire
Landlord licensing in North East Lincolnshire
Mandatory HMO licensing applies across England, so a property in North East Lincolnshire let to five or more people forming two or more households, who share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet, needs a licence. North East Lincolnshire also runs selective licensing, which can bring smaller HMOs, or every private rental, into licensing.
The licence you need turns on who lives in the property. Find the line that describes your let.
- Required by national lawThe same in all 296 English councils. Not a North East Lincolnshire decision.
Your propertyLet to 5 or more people forming 2 or more households who share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet
You needMandatory HMO licence In force England-wide
It costs£1,000 for a 5-bedroom HMOband 1-6 occupants
WhereEverywhere in North East Lincolnshire, as everywhere in England. Scope, fee schedule and source
- What North East Lincolnshire requires on topSchemes this council chose to run, and what differs from the council next door.
Your propertyA smaller shared house the national scheme does not reach, typically 3 or 4 sharers forming 2 or more households
You needNo additional HMO licence No scheme
Your propertyLet privately inside a designated area, whether or not it is an HMO
You needSelective licence In force
It costs£1,000, the same for a rental of any size
WhereDesignated area (postcode-resolved), not the whole of North East Lincolnshire. Scope, fee schedule and source
- Planning permission, a separate questionNot licensing. Whether you may create an HMO at all, decided by the council’s planning side.
Your planConverting a house (use class C3) into a small HMO (use class C4)
You needPlanning permission None in force
WhereNo direction here, so this is normally permitted development. The direction, its dates and its boundary
Each fee is for the example property named on its own line, from the council’s published schedule. Other sizes are priced separately; the full schedules, discounts and surcharges are below.
Or open DN34 4UA, a postcode near the centre of North East Lincolnshire, to see what a full report looks like.
Each scheme in detail, and the evidence behind it
Which properties each scheme catches in North East Lincolnshire, in the council’s own words, with the designations in force, the whole published fee schedule and the source for every figure. The three regimes can stack: a property can need a licence under one and still be caught by another.
Mandatory HMO licensing In force England-wide
Fee, 5-bed HMO£1,000band 1-6 occupants
- Where it applies
- National scheme
- Which properties
- HMO occupied by five or more people forming more than one household who share basic amenities (kitchen, bathroom or toilet) - mandatory HMO licensing under s55/s254 Housing Act 2004
The published fee schedule
- Size charge
- £115 per occupant above 6
- Licence term
- Up to 5 years
| Size | Fee | Part 1 + part 2 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 6 | £1,000 | £150 + £850 |
Other charges
- Basic variation to licence: £160
- Pre-licensing advice visit (net, excl VAT): £289
- Pre-licensing advice visit (incl VAT): £347
Additional HMO licensing No scheme
Selective licensing In force
Licence fee, any size£1,000
- Where it applies
- Designated area (postcode-resolved)
- Which properties
- Any house let or occupied under a tenancy or licence within the specified section of the East Marsh Ward, Grimsby, that is privately rented (Part 3 s80 Housing Act 2004), excluding: Part 2 mandatory HMOs, registered-social-landlord tenancies, houses under an Interim/Final Management Order, temporary exemptions (s86), and statutory specified exemptions. HMOs of 3 or 4 persons inside the area must hold a selective licence.
- Designations in force
- North East Lincolnshire Borough Council Selective Licensing Designation 2025 (East Marsh, Grimsby)
- Designation period
- 8 April 2026 to 7 April 2031
North East Lincolnshire Borough Council Selective Licensing Designation 2025 (East Marsh, Grimsby) covers East Marsh.
The published fee schedule
- Fee
- £1,000
- Paid in two parts
- £600 on application, then £400 when the licence is granted
- Licence term
- Up to 5 years
- Fee schedule dated
- 2026
Discounts
- Accredited landlord (Council/DASH Accreditation Scheme) discount on Part B: £275
Other charges
- Late fee (licence not applied for within first six months of scheme): £200
Article 4 and HMO planning permission in North East Lincolnshire None in force
No HMO Article 4 direction is in force in North East Lincolnshire, so converting a house into a small HMO occupied by no more than six residents (use class C4) is normally permitted development and does not need planning permission on those grounds. An HMO for seven or more residents falls outside class C4 and needs permission anyway.
The research note behind this verdict
What happens if you let without a licence
Letting or managing an unlicensed property that needs a licence is a criminal offence, under section 72 of the Housing Act 2004 for an HMO and section 95 for a property caught by selective licensing. A council can prosecute, or impose a civil penalty instead. For conduct on or after 1 May 2026 that penalty can be up to £40,000 per offence, raised from £30,000 by the Financial Penalties (Housing Offences and Breach of Banning Orders) Regulations 2026. Tenants and the council can also apply for a rent repayment order, which for conduct from the same date can claw back up to two years of rent, up from one, under section 103 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025.
Both of those maxima apply only to conduct on or after 1 May 2026. Earlier conduct is still judged against the old £30,000 and twelve-month limits. Each breach is normally penalised separately, so an unlicensed portfolio in North East Lincolnshire multiplies the exposure rather than capping it.
The letting market in North East Lincolnshire
Licensing is only one side of the sum. These are medians from real listings we have collected, with the number of listings behind each one, because a median over a handful of adverts is a different claim from a median over hundreds.
- Median room rent£487 pcmFrom 162 room listings in North East Lincolnshire.
- Median whole-property rent£756 pcmFrom 94 whole-property listings.
- Typical 4-bed rent£866 pcmThe comparison a room-by-room let is measured against.
- HMO income premium+181%Five rooms let individually against one four-bedroom whole-property let, before the extra cost, licensing and voids that come with an HMO.
- Median sale price£157,250Across 514 sales in 2026, all property types, HM Land Registry.
- Gross yield, whole let5.8%Median whole-property rent for a year against the median sale price. Before voids, management, repairs, licensing and finance, all of which a real return has to carry.
- Gross yield, 5-room HMO18.6%Five rooms at the median room rent against the same median sale price. The higher figure is what pays for the licence, the extra management and the higher voids, rather than being profit on top of them.
- Typical household income£33,372Mean of net small-area median incomes around the council's main listing areas, not a council-wide median.
- Postcodes with flood exposure39.4%1,763 of 4,471 indexed postcodes.
- Postcodes in Flood Zone 31,555 (34.8%)The Environment Agency's highest-probability zone. Lenders and insurers ask about this one by name, and it is a subset of the exposure above.
Room rent by outcode
Room rent is fairly even across North East Lincolnshire’s outcodes, which is worth knowing too: the council-wide median above travels reasonably well here.
| Outcode | Median room rent | Room listings | Check a postcode |
|---|---|---|---|
| DN35 | £496 pcm | 58 | Check DN35 |
| DN31 | £470 pcm | 22 | Check DN31 |
| DN32 | £455 pcm | 67 | Check DN32 |
Postcode districts in North East Lincolnshire
Licensing, Article 4 and the fee all turn on the exact address, because a designated area rarely follows the council boundary. LetLens holds 4,471 North East Lincolnshire postcodes. Open one of its postcode districts to see the verdict, the local rent evidence and the investment model.
Common questions
Do I need an HMO licence in North East Lincolnshire?
Mandatory HMO licensing applies across England, so a property in North East Lincolnshire let to five or more people forming two or more households, who share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet, needs a licence. North East Lincolnshire also runs selective licensing, which can bring smaller HMOs, or every private rental, into licensing. Selective licensing covers Designated area (postcode-resolved).
How much does an HMO licence cost in North East Lincolnshire?
£1,000 for a five-bedroom, five-person HMO under the mandatory scheme, from the council's published fee schedule. Fee basis: band 1-6 occupants. Larger or smaller properties, and any additional or selective scheme, are priced separately.
Is there an Article 4 direction in North East Lincolnshire?
No HMO Article 4 direction is in force in North East Lincolnshire, so converting a house into a small HMO occupied by no more than six residents (use class C4) is normally permitted development and does not need planning permission on those grounds. An HMO for seven or more residents falls outside class C4 and needs permission anyway.
Which wards in North East Lincolnshire are covered by licensing?
Selective licensing under North East Lincolnshire Borough Council Selective Licensing Designation 2025 (East Marsh, Grimsby) covers East Marsh. A designation can cover only part of a named ward, so check the exact address rather than relying on the ward name alone.
What is the penalty for letting an unlicensed property in North East Lincolnshire?
Letting or managing a property that needs a licence without one is a criminal offence under the Housing Act 2004. The council can prosecute or impose a civil penalty, which for conduct on or after 1 May 2026 can be up to £40,000 per offence, raised from £30,000 by the Financial Penalties (Housing Offences and Breach of Banning Orders) Regulations 2026. Tenants or the council can also seek a rent repayment order covering up to two years of rent for conduct from that date, up from one year, under section 103 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025. Each breach is normally penalised separately. Indicative only, not legal advice.
About North East Lincolnshire
North East Lincolnshire is a local housing authority in Yorkshire and The Humber, with a population of about 159,000 and 4,471 live postcodes indexed by LetLens. It is the licensing authority for every private rented property inside its boundary, and the local planning authority that decides whether an Article 4 direction applies.
Nearby councils
Licensing stops at the council boundary, so a street on the other side of it can carry a different scheme and a different fee.
Contact North East Lincolnshire
North East Lincolnshire licensing team · [email protected] · 01472 326296