Landlord guide: Hartlepool Council

Overview

If you let a property in the Hartlepool Council area, the first job is to confirm which licensing regime the exact address falls under. Mandatory HMO licensing applies to any property let to five or more people forming two or more households who share facilities. Additional licensing can extend licensing to smaller HMOs. Selective licensing can require a licence for every private rented home in a designated area, including single-family lets. Check the current designations on the council's website before you advertise. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 (main provisions commence 2026) replaces fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies with periodic assured tenancies, ends section 21 no-fault evictions and introduces a national landlord database and ombudsman. Whatever the licensing position, landlords must provide a current gas safety record where there is gas, an EICR no more than five years old, a valid EPC, working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, deposit protection and prescribed information, and the required prescribed documents served before the tenancy starts.