# Licensing in Darlington

> Darlington has no selective or additional licensing scheme in force.

- Checked 26 Oct 2026 (researched_at 2026-10-26, verified_at 2026-10-26)
- Region: North East
- ONS code: E06000005
- Web page: https://lettance.com/councils/darlington
- API: https://lettance.com/api/v1/councils/darlington

## Licensing schemes

### Mandatory HMO licence: Mandatory HMO licensing (Darlington fees)

- Status: In force (`in_force`)
- Area: Whole borough of Darlington (national scheme).
- Fee: Not yet confirmed. Private sector housing fees page: Part A licence application £217; Part B 5 year HMO licence £155 per letting (so a five-letting HMO would pay £217 + 5 x £155 = £992); variation of HMO licence £124; other HMO activities £65 per hour. Part B is invoiced after validation and must be paid before grant.
- Licence length: 5 years
- Who needs one: HMOs occupied by 5 or more persons forming at least 2 separate households (national mandatory test since 1 October 2018, no storey requirement).
- Apply: https://www.darlington.gov.uk/housing/private-sector-housing/houses-in-multiple-occupation-hmos/
- Confidence: High
- How we checked this: HMO page: 'A licence will normally last for a maximum of five years, although it can be for a shorter period.' The HMO page text still describes the 2018 extension in future tense, so it may not have been fully updated.
- Sources: https://www.darlington.gov.uk/housing/private-sector-housing/private-sector-housing-fees/, https://www.darlington.gov.uk/housing/private-sector-housing/houses-in-multiple-occupation-hmos/

## Article 4 for house shares

Darlington has an Article 4 direction on HMOs (shared houses). Turning a family home into a shared house may need planning permission.

- Area: Whole borough: the direction covers 'Land compromising the entire area of the Borough of Darlington shown edged red' on its plan (made 21 July 2025, confirmed 3 June 2026, in force 28 July 2026), removing the C3 to C4 permitted development right. The council says 'From 28 July 2026, all HMOs within the Borough will require planning approval'.
- Takes effect: 28 July 2026

Council source: https://www.darlington.gov.uk/planning-and-building-regs/planning/planning-application-and-permission/houses-in-multiple-occupation-hmo/

## Civil penalty policy

The council's policy sets how it decides the size of a fine. The version we found has not been updated for the Renters' Rights Act.

No standalone civil penalty policy was found. The private sector housing fees page lists 'Civil penalties of up to £30,000 per offence ... an alternative to prosecution' under the Housing and Planning Act 2016 for listed offences, with no matrix. It still cites the pre-Renters' Rights Act £30,000 maximum.

Policy: https://www.darlington.gov.uk/housing/private-sector-housing/private-sector-housing-fees/

## Consultations

We found no consultations when we researched Darlington.

## Not yet confirmed

We could not settle these points when we researched Darlington on 26 October 2026. Check them with the council before you rely on them.

- No selective or additional licensing scheme was found. Checked: the council's private sector housing hub and its subpages (HMOs, fees, private sector housing strategy, which describes only mandatory HMO licensing, and Renters' Rights Act 2025), and the A-Z index. The council consultations list failed to load ('There was a problem loading the consultations'), so open consultations could not be checked.
- No civil penalty policy updated for the Renters' Rights Act 2025 was found.

## Landlord register

The national landlord register is separate from licensing. Darlington is in North East, where registration is planned from 15 June 2027 to 14 September 2027. The regulations are still in draft. Read about the register: https://lettance.com/register

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From Lettance: https://lettance.com/councils/darlington (catalogue edition 31 October 2026). This is information, not legal advice. Check the linked sources, and the council's own pages, before you act.