LetLens / Licensing by council / Northumberland
Landlord licensing in Northumberland
Mandatory HMO licensing applies across England, so a property in Northumberland let to five or more people forming two or more households, who share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet, needs a licence. Northumberland 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 Northumberland 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 costsNot published for this property size. We do not estimate a fee the council has not stated.
WhereEverywhere in Northumberland, as everywhere in England. Scope, fee schedule and source
- What Northumberland 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£650, the same for a rental of any size
WhereCroft ward, not the whole of Northumberland. 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
Or open NE61 3QS, a postcode near the centre of Northumberland, to see what a full report looks like.
Each scheme in detail, and the evidence behind it
Which properties each scheme catches in Northumberland, 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
- Where it applies
- National scheme
- Which properties
- Houses in Multiple Occupation occupied by 5 or more persons forming 2 or more households who share amenities (mandatory HMO licensing under Part 2, Housing Act 2004 and the Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation (Prescribed Descriptions) (England) Order 2018; the 3-storey requirement was removed from 1 October 2018)
- Fee
The published fee schedule
Additional HMO licensing No scheme
Selective licensing In force
Licence fee, any size£650
- Where it applies
- Croft ward
- Which properties
- All privately rented dwellings (Part 3 houses, Housing Act 2004) within the designated area, unless exempt; a mandatory HMO is an exempt category (mandatory HMOs are licensed under Part 2 instead)
- Designations in force
- Designation of a Selective Licensing Area - Croft Ward, Blyth
- Designation period
- 14 October 2024 to 13 October 2029
Designation of a Selective Licensing Area - Croft Ward, Blyth covers Croft.
The published fee schedule
- Fee
- £650
- Paid in two parts
- £200 on application, then £450 when the licence is granted
- Licence term
- Up to 5 years
- Fee schedule dated
- 2024
Discounts
- Accredited landlord (Northumberland tenant accreditation) - reduces Part 2 (enforcement) from £450 to £295: £155
Other charges
- Late application fee: £250
- Bulk licensing discount (£25 off after the 3rd property licensed by the same landlord): £25
- Change of licence holder to new manager whilst the owner remains the same: £80
- Enforcement action under Part 1 Housing Act 2004 relating to a licensed property (s49), per legal notice served: £250
- Temporary exemption notice: £0
- Variation of existing licence: £0
Article 4 and HMO planning permission in Northumberland None in force
No HMO Article 4 direction is in force in Northumberland, 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 Northumberland multiplies the exposure rather than capping it.
The letting market in Northumberland
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£551 pcmFrom 39 room listings in Northumberland.
- Median whole-property rent£825 pcmFrom 184 whole-property listings.
- Typical 4-bed rent£1,290 pcmThe comparison a room-by-room let is measured against.
- Median sale price£200,000Across 1,036 sales in 2026, all property types, HM Land Registry.
- Gross yield, whole let5.0%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 HMO16.5%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£36,305Mean of net small-area median incomes around the council's main listing areas, not a council-wide median.
- Postcodes with flood exposure4.6%602 of 13,157 indexed postcodes.
- Postcodes in Flood Zone 3274 (2.1%)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.
Postcode districts in Northumberland
Licensing, Article 4 and the fee all turn on the exact address, because a designated area rarely follows the council boundary. LetLens holds 13,157 Northumberland 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 Northumberland?
Mandatory HMO licensing applies across England, so a property in Northumberland let to five or more people forming two or more households, who share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet, needs a licence. Northumberland also runs selective licensing, which can bring smaller HMOs, or every private rental, into licensing. Selective licensing covers Croft ward.
How much does an HMO licence cost in Northumberland?
Northumberland has not published a fee for a five-bedroom, five-person HMO in a form we can quote, so this page does not invent one. Ask the council's licensing team for the current schedule.
Is there an Article 4 direction in Northumberland?
No HMO Article 4 direction is in force in Northumberland, 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 Northumberland are covered by licensing?
Selective licensing under Designation of a Selective Licensing Area - Croft Ward, Blyth covers Croft. 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 Northumberland?
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 Northumberland
Northumberland is a local housing authority in North East, with a population of about 324,000 and 13,157 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 Northumberland
Northumberland licensing team · [email protected] · 07736 623776