# Licensing in Hartlepool

> Hartlepool 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: E06000001
- Web page: https://lettance.com/councils/hartlepool
- API: https://lettance.com/api/v1/councils/hartlepool

## Licensing schemes

### Mandatory HMO licence: Mandatory HMO licensing (Hartlepool)

- Status: In force (`in_force`)
- Area: Whole borough of Hartlepool (national scheme).
- Fee: Not yet confirmed. The HMO page links 'guidance notes and fees' to the HMO licensing scheme download page, which offers only the application form, standard licence conditions 2025 and guidance leaflets; no fee figure was found in the fetched documents.
- Who needs one: Properties occupied by five or more people forming more than one household who share at least one bathroom, kitchen and/or toilet or lack one of these amenities.
- Exemptions: Temporary Exemption Notices of up to 3 months (with a possible second extension) where the landlord plans to stop renting or reduce occupants below five.
- Apply: https://www.hartlepool.gov.uk/downloads/download/161/houses-in-multiple-occupation-licensing-scheme
- Licence conditions: https://www.hartlepool.gov.uk/downloads/file/550/standard-licence-conditions-2025
- Confidence: Medium
- How we checked this: The council aims to process complete applications within 8 weeks and will carry out an HHSRS inspection within 5 years of licensing. It notifies Planning and Building Control when an application is made.
- Sources: https://www.hartlepool.gov.uk/private-sector-housing/houses-multiple-occupation-hmo, https://www.hartlepool.gov.uk/downloads/download/161/houses-in-multiple-occupation-licensing-scheme

## Article 4 for house shares

Not yet confirmed: whether Hartlepool has an Article 4 direction on house shares.

## 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.

Housing Civil Penalty Policy dated October 2024, under the Housing and Planning Act 2016 and Electrical Safety Standards Regulations 2020, with a £30,000 maximum per offence. Starting levels by seriousness: Mild £2,500, Moderate £7,500, Serious £12,500, Very Serious £17,500, Severe £22,500, Very Severe £27,500, adjusted by up to £5,000 for aggravating or mitigating factors (more only exceptionally). The council says it was 'updated following a legal precedent ... in conjunction with the Justice for Tenants organisation'.

Policy: https://www.hartlepool.gov.uk/downloads/file/428/housing-civil-penalty-policy

## Consultations

We found no consultations when we researched Hartlepool.

## Not yet confirmed

We could not settle these points when we researched Hartlepool 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 (whose 'Licensing and policies' section lists only the civil penalty policy), the HMO page and download pages, the housing hub and the planning policy 'live consultations' link. The council does not state the absence.
- The mandatory HMO licence fee and licence term are not published on the pages fetched.
- No civil penalty policy updated for the Renters' Rights Act 2025 was found; the October 2024 policy uses a £30,000 maximum.
- Article 4: whether Hartlepool has an HMO (C3 to C4) Article 4 direction is not confirmed. Checked: the council's planning, planning policy and conservation areas pages and planning.data.gov.uk (no Article 4 records for the council). None was found, but absence is inferred, not stated by the council; confirm with its planning team.

## Landlord register

The national landlord register is separate from licensing. Hartlepool 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/hartlepool (catalogue edition 31 October 2026). This is information, not legal advice. Check the linked sources, and the council's own pages, before you act.