Selective licence application guidance notes

Part 3 of the Housing Act 2004 allows a council to designate an area for Selective Licensing, subject to the approval of a business case based on criteria specified by the Government. Where a Selective Licensing designation is made, all privately rented properties in the area need to have a licence (except those which fall within one of the specified exemptions as set out further down this document). Failure to have a licence is an offence.

A Selective Licence contains a series of conditions that set out the standards a landlord is expected to achieve in relation to the management, use or occupation of their properties. This helps ensure that homes are of an acceptable standard. Failure to comply with the conditions of a Selective Licence is also an offence.

Find out more about Selective Licensing in the private rented sector government guidance.

The designation covers parts of the Armley, Beeston and Holbeck, Burmantofts and Richmond Hill, Hunslet and Riverside, Gipton and Harehills and Farnley and Wortley wards. An interactive map of the area is available. The shaded area of the map represents the designated area while the solid black line represents the boundary.

As part of the Leeds Ambitions, the council is committed to addressing poverty and inequality. Not everyone has benefited from the success of the city, and the council and partners have developed strategies to try and tackle these in parts of the city such as the area designated for Selective Licensing, linked to priority wards to try and address these issues.

Selective licensing is a tool which, as part of the council’s overall housing strategy, can help to address poor quality homes in the private rented sector (PRS) as well as wider issues in the area through working with others.

The designated area consists of over 33,500 households and just over 10% of the population of the city of which in total 37.7% of homes are within the PRS, compared to a city average of 21.8%. The area has a population of 4830 per km2 compared to the city average of 1471 per km2.

Appendix 2 of the business case presented to the council’s Executive Board in October 2025 provides detailed data to demonstrate that the area meets the criteria of an area experiencing a high level of deprivation.

There is an interactive map of the designated area.

The map search tool searches using a postcode, street name or property address and has a facility to zoom in and out. The boundary of the Selective Licensing area is represented by a solid black line while the designated area is shaded in pink/purple. Find out more about the indicative street list of the designated area. The list should be used in conjunction with the map.

If your property is in the area designated for Selective Licensing, you need to apply for a licence unless exempt.

The designation starts on 9 February 2026 and will remain in force for 5 years unless the scheme is revoked earlier by the council.

Depending on the circumstances, councils can look at extending any designation for a further period. However, this would be subject to another business case being made based on the government’s criteria for any such scheme.

If you rent out a property in the designated area you will need to have applied for a Selective Licence by 9 February 2026.

Find out more information including an interactive map of the designated area and an online application form.

All licences issued as part of the Selective Licensing scheme will expire on 8 February 2031 as this is the end date of the designation.

Some properties are exempt and do not need a Selective Licence. These include:

• holiday lets
• business premises
• socially let properties such as properties managed or controlled by a local housing/police/fire and rescue authority or a health service body
• student premises where the university is the landlord

Premises where the tenant is a family member within the remit of the specific definition contained in The Selective Licensing of Houses (Specified Exemptions) (England) Order 2006.

• any property where the landlord already holds an HMO licence
• if you live in your own home and rent rooms to up to 2 lodgers

All exemptions are detailed in in The Selective Licensing of Houses (Specified Exemptions) (England) Order 2006.

If you have any questions about exemptions, please call the Selective Licensing team on 0113 535 1369 or email us at eswselective.licensing@leeds.gov.uk.

Exemptions from Selective Licensing are set out in The Selective Licensing of Houses (Specified Exemptions) (England) Order 2006 (the Order). Charitable organisations, supported living providers and similar bodies are not included in the list of exemptions in the Order unless they fall within the descriptions covered by legislation.

Registered social landlords are considered public sector bodies or providers of social housing and are regulated under different legislation and standards.

For an exemption from Selective Licensing to apply, providers of social housing must be registered.

Find out more about the published list of exempted providers.

Owners can apply for temporary exemption if their property is to be occupied or used in a manner that would no longer fall within the definition of a licensable house. You may qualify for an exemption if, for example:

• are going to stop renting out your property
• have sold your property subject to contract
• have permission to change your property from residential to another use

Temporary exemptions can be granted at the discretion of the council and usually lasts for up to 3 months. They are confirmed by the service of a temporary exemption notice.

Anyone breaching a temporary exemption notice and letting their property could be subject to legal action without further warning.

If you have any questions about exemptions or wish to apply for a temporary exemption notice, please call the Selective Licensing team on 0113 535 1369 or email us at eswselective.licensing@leeds.gov.uk.

Please note that to consider temporary exemption, the council requires evidence such as a statutory declaration; a copy of a planning decision as to the proposed use of the house or a contract of sale.

The previous Selective Licensing schemes for Beeston and Harehills ended on 5 January 2025. On that date, all licences issued as part of the schemes expired.

Selective Licensing in East, South and West Leeds is a new scheme. As such, you will need to have applied for a licence for any property in the designated area that requires a licence by 9 February 2026. There is no exemption for properties that have previously had a Selective Licence.

Information and guidance about the scheme, together with access to an online application form.

The conditions relate to the management of a property in terms of its safety and it’s letting, together with the day to day management of the property. More information and guidance on complying with the licence conditions.

It is the responsibility of the licence holder or (if appropriate) a person on whom restrictions or obligations under a licence are imposed, to ensure they comply with the licence. The council has produced guidance to assist you in complying with the conditions detailed in the licence.

Applications can be made and paid for online. Alternatively they can be made on a paper application form. If you require a paper application form, contact the Selective Licensing team on 0113 535 1369 or by emailing eswselective.licensing@leeds.gov.uk. 

The fee to make a paper-based application is higher than if an application is made online. This covers the additional work required to administer the application.

Proof of identification is required for the applicant; proposed licence holder and the property manager, comprising a minimum of 1 document from the proof of name and 1 document from proof of address.

Accepted forms of identification for proof of name

Individual

• Current signed passport
• UK or EEA photo card driving licence
• UK firearms or shotgun certificate
• National identity card

Limited company

• Certificate of incorporation
• Overview for the company from Companies House

Partnership

For each partner:

• current signed passport
• UK or EEA photo card driving licence
• UK firearms or shotgun certificate
• National identity card

Registered charity

• Overview of the charity from the Charity Commission service

Trading as

• See Individual or Partnership requirements

Trust

• Trust document

Accepted forms of identification for proof of address

Individual

• Utility bill (gas, electric, landline phone bill, water) for home address issued within the last three months
• Council tax bill for home address for the current council tax year
• Current UK or EEA photo card driving licence (only if not used for proof of name)

Limited company

• Utility bill for the company issued within the last three months.
• Business rates bill for the company for the current financial year
• Company letterhead

Partnership

• Utility bill issued within the last three months for the business premises used by the partnership
• Business rates bill for the business premises used by the partnership for the current financial year
• Business letterhead

Registered charity

• Utility bill for the charity issued within the last three months
• Business rates bill for the charity for the current financial year
• Charity letterhead

Trading as

• See Individual or Partnership requirements

Trust

• List of trustees and their addresses
• List of beneficiaries and their addresses

Important information

You are required to submit 2 forms of ID for the Applicant, proposed licence holder and property manager, with your completed application form. You cannot use one form of identification for both proof of name and address, for example, if you provide your driving licence as proof of your name you must provide another form of identification for your address, such as a recent utility bill.

If applying for a licence online, you will be required to upload scanned copies of the documents. Please make sure they are in one of the following formats - pdf, jpg, png and that they are clear and legible. If you do not have a way of uploading something online you can access the public libraries and community hubs within Leeds where the staff will be able to assist you in scanning documents.

If completing a paper application form, please provide clear and legible photocopies of the proof of identity documents. Please do not send in originals as we cannot ensure their safe return.

All applications are required to be accompanied by 2 forms of identification for each party. This is regardless of whether the proofs have previously been provided in relation to other applications for this scheme and for previous applications in other licensing schemes.

The fee for a Selective Licence is £1,100 per property/unit of accommodation for applications made online and £1,225 if a paper application is made.

There is no reduction for landlords with a large number of properties/units of accommodation as the fee covers the cost of the administration of the scheme over its 5 year term. As such the fee remains the same per property. Similarly the fee remains the same regardless of the size of a property.

A discount of £150 per property is available to members of the Leeds Rental Standard meeting certain criteria.

A discount of £150 per licence is available to applicants who:

• own the property to be licensed
• are proposing to be the Licence Holder
• who, at the time of making their application are confirmed members of the Leeds Rental Standard (LRS)

The discount will not be applied if an application for membership of LRS is pending or where it appears that a timely application has not been made to the council for a Selective Licence. The discount requires membership of LRS throughout the duration of the licence.

Find out more information about the Leeds Rental Standard.

The fee is a ‘one off’ that covers the duration of the licence. It is collected in two parts, one part, £400 on making the application online or £525 if on paper, and one part, £700 (or £550 for members of the Leeds Rental Standard meeting specific criteria) which will be payable only if an application is successful.

The amount payable at each part of the fee changed on 26 February 2026. Find out more about the change. 

The licence fee will be charged in two parts. One part, £400 on making the application online or £525 if on paper, and one part, £700 (or £550 for members of the Leeds Rental Standard meeting the above criteria) which will be payable only if an application is successful.

For applications made online, you will automatically be transferred to our payment portal where you will have to pay £400 before your application can be submitted. You will need a debit or credit card to use this service.

For paper applications, we will acknowledge your application and will tell you how to pay the first part (£525) of the licence fee. Failure to pay the fee within 21 days  may result in an application being deemed withdrawn and liable to make a new application. Should a new application not be made, you could be liable for formal action for failing to licence your property.
 
If an application is successful, we will tell you how to pay the second part of the licence fee. We will not issue a final licence until the second payment has been made and it has cleared.

The amount payable at each part of the fee changed on 26 February 2026. Find out more about the change.

Please note that the first part of the licence fee is non-refundable. In the event that the council refuses to grant a licence or cancels an application, or where you choose to withdraw an application, we will retain the £400 or £525 (dependent on the application type) paid. Only in exceptional circumstances, for example where an application has been submitted in error for a property that was not required to be licensed, will the council refund the first part of the licence fee.

Further to case law, the licence fee is payable in two instalments; the first part (for the cost of processing and determining an application) on making an application with the second part (for the monitoring and enforcement of the scheme) being payable only if an application is successful. There is no option to split the fee payment into further instalments or set up any other arrangement.

The law requires you to let certain persons know in writing that you intend to make an application for a Selective Licence. 

The persons that need to know are:

• any mortgagee of the property to be licensed
• any owner of the property if that is not you, such as the freeholder and any head lessors who are known to you
• any tenants or long leaseholders of the property or any part of it (including any flat) who is known to you other than a statutory tenant or other tenant whose lease or tenancy is for less than three years (including a periodic tenancy)
• the proposed Licence Holder and Property Manager (if any) if that is not you
• any person who has agreed to be bound by any conditions in a licence if granted

Persons applying for a licence online can download a template. There is also a template at the end of the paper application form that can be used to tell each of these persons.

The legislation relates to the licensing of properties not individuals. We have to consider the circumstances of each property, undertake checks and serve separate notices relevant to that property and issue a licence for each address.

In most circumstances, each unit of accommodation, including any self-contained flat in a larger house/building will require its own licence.

You may need one or more licences in buildings (or parts of buildings) that share basic amenities, such as a toilet, bathroom or kitchen This could be a Selective Licence and/or a HMO licence depending on the number of occupiers.

If you are unsure which licence or licences you need, please contact the Selective Licensing team on 0113 535 1369 or by email eswselective.licensing@leeds.gov.uk

If a property is empty then it is not privately let and therefore you do not need a licence. If you plan to rent out your property, an application is required as soon as it is occupied. We would encourage you to apply for a licence prior to your new tenants moving in.

Property owners should be aware that the council targets empty homes in the city to bring them back into use. Owners are advised therefore to consider the loss of rental income; property deterioration and increased Council Tax payments for empty properties against the cost of a Selective Licence for properties that are let and generating an income.

Anyone can apply for a Selective Licence. The applicant may be the Property Owner; the proposed Licence Holder; the Property Manager, the person having control of the property or somebody acting on their behalf who has completed the application for whatever reason.

The proposed Licence Holder should be the most appropriate person to be the Licence Holder out of all the people who are available and must be a Fit and Proper Person. In general, the person having control of the Property is the most appropriate person to be the Licence Holder unless the contrary is shown.

People who are the subject of a current Banning Order served under section 16 of the Housing and Planning Act 2016 will not be considered a fit and proper person to be the Licence Holder. Applications that identify a banned person for the role of Licence Holder will be refused by the council.

The Licence Holder should have adequate financial means to manage the property and undertake their responsibilities as a Licence Holder. They must also live in the UK and have a property address. No application will be accepted where any address is a care of or PO box address.

In some instances, it may be appropriate for a limited company to be named as the Licence Holder. If this is the case, the applicant should provide as part of their application the full company details.

The council will not issue a Selective Licence where the proposed Licence Holder lives overseas. In such circumstances, a UK based Licence Holder will need to be nominated and must agree to act on their behalf. The council would expect the nominated person to receive rent from the licensable property.

The Licence Holder including those on behalf of overseas landlords will be subject to a Fit and Proper Person check andmust agree to be bound by the conditions of a licence.

Applications will not be accepted where any address is a care of or PO Box address.

If you submit your application online, you will receive 3 emails from us confirming your submission and also acknowledging receipt of your payment. You should make a note of the enquiry reference number (starting with W) contained in the automated emails from NoReply@leeds.gov.uk. You will need this if you need to contact us.

Your emails are proof that you have made an application for a Selective Licence.

In the case of application forms submitted on paper, we aim to acknowledge receipt of your application within 10 working days. If you have not heard from us after this time, please contact us on 0113 535 1369 or by emailing eswelective.licensing@leeds.gov.uk. It is your responsibility to ensure that your application reaches us. When we acknowledge your application, we will tell you how to pay the first part of the licence fee. Payment must be paid within 21 days. We will not process your licence application until the fee has been paid and the payment has cleared.
 
Once the payment of the first part of the licence fee has cleared, we will start to process your application. Firstly we will check that you have completed the application form in full and have supplied all of the required supporting documentation. If information is missing (or if there are any queries) we will contact you and will tell you what you need to do in order that your application can be progressed. It is important that you provide any missing information within the timescale given; failure to do so could result in us cancelling your application.

We will then carry out a number of checks including for example:

• that no Banning Orders are in force against the proposed Licence Holder, Property Manager and any person who owns an interest in the property to be licensed
• fit and Proper persons checks
• that the proposed management arrangements for the property are satisfactory

Once we have all the necessary information and have considered it, we will either grant or refuse a licence in accordance with the requirements of the Housing Act 2004.

Based on experience, we anticipate the average time to complete the process to be a minimum of 10 weeks from the date we receive your application. Customers may experience longer processing times where queries exist over applications or where an Applicant delays payment of any part of the licence fee.

Subject to specified exemptions, it is a legal requirement for landlords to apply for a licence for each of their rented properties in an area designated for Selective Licensing.

If a landlord does not make an appropriate application by the time of the designation, such as 9 February 2026 (or within 14 days if they subsequently purchase and/or let a property in the designated area) they would be guilty of an offence and would be considered for enforcement action. 

Each case would be judged on its merit at that time but a landlord could be liable for prosecution, with an unlimited fine, or a civil penalty of up to £30,000 per offence (and for offences which take place on or after 1 May 2026, this limit increases to £40,000.

If a landlord persisted in not applying for a Selective Licence and they commit two such Banning Order offences, they could be banned from operating their business for a period of at least 12 months.

In addition to the above, you should be aware that:

• a Residential Property Tribunal could order you to repay up to 12 months' rent (or 2 years’ rent for offences committed on or after 1 May 2026) to the tenants or the council in cases where tenants are in receipt of housing benefit/universal credit
• Section 21 possession proceedings cannot be taken whilst a property that is required to be licensed is not licensed.

More information on the legislation regarding licencing properties.

The council will proactively visit, investigate and where appropriate, instigate legal proceedings where breaches are established.

An application for a Selective Licence can be refused for a number of reasons. When deciding whether to grant a licence or not the council must look at 3 aspects of the management of a property and if these are satisfactory then it must grant a licence.

The council considers:

• the proposed Licence Holder and whether they are a Fit and Proper Person, have no Banning Order against them and are the most appropriate person to be the Licence Holder. In general, the Person Having Control of the Property is the most appropriate person to be the Licence Holder unless the contrary is shown
• the proposed Manager (if a different person from the licence holder)
• the proposed management arrangements

The proposed Manager of the Property can be either the person having control of the property (or an employee or agent of the Person Having Control) and is required to be a Fit and Proper Person to be the manager. 

The decision whether the proposed management arrangements are satisfactory will take into account the level of competence and the Fit and Proper Person character of anyone proposed to be involved in the management of the house and the suitability of the proposed management structure and funding arrangements.

When a licence is refused, applicants are provided with details as to why their application has been refused and they are advised as to any actions they may need to take. The Applicant has a right of appeal and details of how to appeal would be provided at that time.

In the event that the council refuses to grant a licence, the first part of the licence fee £400 or £525 dependent on the type of application) will not be refunded.

Please note that the fee structure for Selective Licensing changed on 26 February 2026. If an application made under the original fee structure is refused, the council will refund £275 per property. 

Find out more about the change.