Sunderland: mandatory HMO licensing only, with city-wide planning controls

One HMO scheme, no selective layer

Sunderland expressly says it does not currently operate additional or selective licensing schemes for rental properties. Mandatory HMO licensing applies where five or more people from two or more households live in a qualifying building, converted flat or qualifying purpose-built flat. An ordinary family let and a three- or four-person share do not acquire a council licence requirement from a Sunderland designation under the current pages.

The fee depends on the number of occupants

For five occupants, the current fee is £710 for Part 1 and £294 for Part 2, totalling £1,004. The guidance provides higher occupant bands, including an additional £44.50 for six to nine occupants and £87 for ten to twelve occupants. Renewal is £544 plus £294, totalling £838, provided the existing licence has not expired. Licences usually last five years but may be shorter and cannot be transferred when a property changes hands.

Article 4 does not grant planning permission

Sunderland's Article 4 Direction affects the former Barnes, Hendon, Millfield, St Michael's and St Peter's wards. It removes permitted-development rights for the relevant HMO changes, so planning permission may be needed even where a mandatory HMO licence is also required. The council is clear that an HMO licence is not planning permission.

Keep the penalty figure in context

The public-register page refers to an unlimited Magistrates' Court fine, a rent repayment order of up to twelve months and a civil penalty that could be up to £30,000. Sunderland's May 2026 enforcement policy refers to a maximum financial or civil penalty of £40,000 in the worst cases. Because the council's own pages differ, check the current notice before quoting a figure.

The register is not an instant online checker

Sunderland's public register can be inspected by appointment at City Hall, and an electronic copy costs £77.50. Applications are made through the council-linked Idox portal. A new owner must make a fresh application rather than relying on the previous owner's licence.

Verify current fees, planning controls and enforcement wording via Sunderland City Council's HMO, public-register and private-sector enforcement pages. Illustrative guide - fees, policies and schemes change; general information, not legal advice.