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#94 Selective licensing in Newcastle and Gateshead: which streets need a landlord licence

Writer: Alessio Scannicchio
Alessio Scannicchio
11 minutes ago
4 min read

England only. General information, not legal advice. Check your council's current list.

If you let a home in Newcastle or Gateshead, the street it sits on can decide whether you need a licence from the council. Newcastle's newest scheme, covering Byker and Greater High Cross, came into force on 30 September 2026. Here is what the official documents say.

What is selective licensing?

Selective licensing comes from Part 3 of the Housing Act 2004. A council can designate an area, and once it does, privately rented homes in that area must be licensed by the council unless an exemption applies. Unlike HMO licensing, it is not limited to shared houses. It can apply to a home let to a single person, a couple or a family.

Newcastle's 2026 scheme: Byker and Greater High Cross

The legal instrument is the Newcastle City Council Designation of an Area for Selective Licensing 2026. It was made on 24 February 2026, came into force on 30 September 2026, and stays in effect up to and including 29 September 2031, unless the council revokes it earlier.

You may see 1 October 2026 on some council web pages. The designation itself and the public notice both give 30 September 2026, which is the date we use here.

The scheme covers named streets in two areas.

Byker area. Whole streets include Chatsworth Gardens, Cresswell Street, Grace Street and Morton Street, among others.

Greater High Cross. Whole streets include Atkinson Road, Benwell Grange Road, Bishops Road and Hodgkin Park Road, among others.

House numbers matter

Some streets are only partly included. For example:

  • Welbeck Road: 9 to 337 odds and 408 to 474 evens

  • Tunstall Avenue: 1 to 59 odds and 2 to 60 evens

  • Elswick Road: 337 to 387 odds

So two homes on the same street can be treated differently. The council's Designation Documents list every street and, where relevant, the house numbers. That list, not a map or a summary like this one, is what counts.

Newcastle's other areas, licensed since April 2025

A separate Newcastle designation came into force on 5 April 2025 and runs until 5 April 2030. The council lists these areas:

  • Cowgate

  • West End Terraces

  • Howdene Road, part of Howlett Hall Road, Ravenburn Gardens and part of Swinley Gardens (HHRS) in Benwell

  • Lemington

  • Denton Court

  • Columbia Grange

Together with Byker and Greater High Cross, the council says there are now eight selective licensing areas in the city.

Gateshead: 16 neighbourhoods in two phases

Over the river, Gateshead Council's selective licensing designation covers 16 neighbourhoods. It applies to private rented homes let to a single person, two people sharing, or a single household.

Phase 1, from 1 June 2025 until 31 May 2030: Bensham North/Windmill Hills, Bensham Central and West, The Avenues, Bensham South/Avenues North, Bensham West/Avenues, Beacon Lough East, Birtley/Birtley Industrial and Chopwell North.

Phase 2, from 1 October 2025 until 30 September 2030: North Felling/Felling Shore Industrial, Derwentwater East, Derwentwater West/Racecourse Estate, Swalwell North/Metro Centre, Kelvin Grove, Felling Falla Park, Sunderland Road and Shipcote.

Gateshead also runs additional HMO licensing for shared homes with three or four unrelated people across these areas, from 1 June 2025 until 31 May 2030.

Exemptions

Newcastle's 2026 designation lists these exceptions. A home does not need a selective licence if:

  • it is an HMO that must be licensed under Part 2 of the Act (mandatory HMO licensing)

  • the tenancy was granted by a registered social landlord

  • it is under an interim or final management order

  • it has a temporary exemption notice under section 86

  • the tenancy or occupation is exempt under the Act

What happens if a required licence is missing?

Newcastle's public notice says that failing to license a property when required "may lead to prosecution and an unlimited fine or the imposition of a civil penalty". Under section 249A of the Housing Act 2004, a council can impose a civil penalty of up to £40,000 instead of prosecuting. Section 95 also gives a defence where a licence application has been duly made and is still being considered.

Practical steps

  • Find your exact address, including the house number, in the council's street list.

  • If you are on the list and not exempt, apply to the council before letting, or as soon as possible.

  • Keep a record of your application and any council correspondence.

  • For Newcastle, contact the property licensing team at propertylicensing@newcastle.gov.uk or 0191 211 5595.

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Sources

General information, not legal advice. Rules and street lists can change, so check your council's current list before you let.

 
 
 

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