On 3 November 2025, Leeds City Council formally designated parts of the Armley, Beeston and Holbeck, Burmantofts and Richmond Hill, Hunslet and Riverside, Gipton and Harehills and Farnley and Wortley wards for Selective Licensing with effect from 9 February 2026 which is available to view.
From this date, if you are operating a privately rented property in an area of the designated parts of the Armley, Beeston and Holbeck, Burmantofts and Richmond Hill, Hunslet and Riverside, Gipton and Harehills and Farnley and Wortley wards you must have a licence for the property or have made an application for a licence in order to comply with the law.
There may be circumstances where this is not possible, for example where a landlord purchases a rented property within the area. In this case, an application should be submitted within 14 days of the purchase completion, and the application shall be accompanied by a solicitor’s letter confirming the date of completion.
There are also certain exemptions from these licensing requirements, which include holiday home rentals, properties subject to a long lease, where the accommodation is shared with the landlord or a member of the landlord’s family or where the tenant meets the definition of ‘family member’ specified in the Order.
For further details of the exemptions which apply to selective licensing, see the following legislation. If in doubt, please contact the selective licensing team on tel. 0113 535 1369 or by email at ESWSelective.licensing@leeds.gov.uk
The Selective Licensing of Houses (Specified Exemptions) (England) Order 2006 and section 79 Housing Act 2004.
1. What you will need to make an application
a) You may need the following information for individuals and organisations included in the application;
- full name including middle name if applicable
- address
- phone number
- email address
- National Insurance number
- date of birth
- company registration number and any trading name
- in relation to organisations, the details of a responsible person at the organisation e.g. a director.
b) Details of the government approved redress scheme of which any Property Manager is a member of.
c) Details of houses in multiple occupation (HMO) or properties that are licensed (or due to be licensed) under Part 2 or 3 of the Act in respect of which the proposed Licence Holder is the Licence Holder, whether in the area of Leeds City Council or any other Local Housing Authority.
d) Property details including the number of toilets, washbasins and sinks; the type and location of all smoke and heat detectors and details of the fire escape route at the property.
e) Mortgage details (name of provider and the mortgage company’s address), if any.
f) The Property Owner’s membership number (if any) of the Leeds Rental Standard.
g) Proof of identification for the Applicant; proposed Licence Holder and the Property Manager, comprising:
- photo ID e.g. current signed passport and current UK or EEA photo card driving licence as proof of name, and
- an official document as proof of address, e.g. a utility bill (gas, electric, landline phone bill, water) issued within the last three months, council tax bill for the current council tax year and current UK driving licence (but only if not used for the name evidence)
See the following pages for the different types of identification that are acceptable; what to do should you not have photo ID; how to submit ID (note that persons applying for a licence online are required to upload identification documents). For paper applications, clear and legible photocopies of the proof of identity documents are required (please do not send original documents as we cannot ensure their safe return) and what limited companies should do.
h) A debit or credit card if making an application online.
2. How to apply for a Selective Licence
Applications can be made and paid for online via the council’s website. If you would prefer, applications can also be made on a paper application form. Please contact us if you wish to make a paper-based application.
The fee for a Selective Licence is set out in the table below. Note that the fee is higher for a paper-based application due to the extra work required by the council.
| First payment | Second payment | |
|---|---|---|
| Online application | £675 | £425 |
| Paper-based application | £800 | £425 |
The first payment is due at the time of making an application. In the case of a paper-based application, please do not send any money with your completed application form. We will acknowledge receipt of your application and will provide you with details of how to make the first payment.
The second payment is due once your application has been determined and the council intends to grant a licence.
When deciding whether to grant a licence or not, the council must look at three aspects of the management of the property and if these are satisfactory then it must grant a licence. the council considers:
- the proposed Licence Holder
- the proposed Property Manager (if a different person from the Licence Holder), and
- the proposed management arrangements
Note that If the owner of the property to be licensed is the Licence Holder and a confirmed member of the Leeds Rental standard at the time of making an application, a discount of £150 is available per application.
3. Who can apply for a Selective Licence
Anyone can apply for a Selective Licence, however:
- the proposed Licence Holder is required to be a Fit and Proper Person and 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 Property Manager can be either the Person Having Control of the Property or an employee or agent of the Person Having Control. They are required to be a Fit and Proper Person to be the manager
- a person who is 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 a Licence Holder or Property Manager. Applications identifying banned persons for either of these roles will be refused by the council
If the Property Owner or part owner of a property which is rented out has a Banning Order in force against them under Section 16 of the Housing and Planning Act 2016 then the council will not be able to grant a Selective Licence in respect of that property unless the ownership of the property changes to someone who does not have a Banning Order in force against them.
4. Proposed management arrangements
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.
5. What you need to do before applying for a licence
The law requires you to let certain persons know in writing that you intend making 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, ie. 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
There is a template at the end of the paper application form that can be used to tell each of these persons. Persons applying for a licence online can download a form from the selective licensing page.
6. Apply for each property you own
The legislation relates to the licensing of properties not individuals. We have to consider the individual circumstances of each property; undertake checks and serve separate notices relevant to that property and issue a licence for each address. You should submit an application for each rented property you own in the designated area.
7. If your property is split into flats
Flats need to have their own licence. You must therefore submit a licence application for each flat. Please contact us if there are any shared amenities in the property, such as a toilet; washing facilities; a kitchen or a living room.
8. If your property is empty
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 before your new tenants move in.
Property Owners should be aware that the council targets empty homes in the city to encourage the owners in bringing their properties 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.
9. Types of identification accepted for the Applicant, proposed Licence Holder and Property Manager
Proof of identification is required for the Applicant; proposed Licence Holder and the Property Manager, comprising a minimum of one document from column 1 and one document from column 2 in the table below:
|
Column 1 Accepted forms of identification for proof of name |
Column 2 Accepted forms of identification for proof of address |
|
|---|---|---|
| Individual |
|
|
| Limited Company |
|
|
| Partnership |
For each partner –
|
|
| Registered Charity |
|
|
| Trading as |
|
|
| Trust |
|
|
i. You are required to submit two 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.
ii. 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.
iii. 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.
iv. All applications are required to be accompanied by two 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.
10. What will happen if you don’t submit a licence application
Subject to specific exemptions that are laid out in law, all properties within an area designated for Selective Licensing are required to have a licence. Operating a property without a licence - or without having made an application for a licence within the required timescale - is an offence which could result in a prosecution in the Magistrate’s Court (with an unlimited fine) or a civil penalty of up to £30,000. Once the provisions of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 are in force, a civil penalty of up to £40,000 may be served. In addition, tenants may make a claim for a Rent Repayment Order against you and no section 21 notice may be given in relation to a shorthold tenancy of an unlicensed house so long as it remains so.
If a landlord persisted in not applying for a licence, leading to multiple prosecutions and/or civil penalties for operating without a licence under s.95(1) Housing Act 2004, they could be banned from operating their business for a period of at least 12 months.
The Selective Licensing designation for parts of East, South and West Leeds takes effect from 09 February 2026. In order to comply with the law, landlords and managing agents who rent out properties in the designated area must have made a full application and paid the first part of the licence fee by that date.
11. What to do if you have a licensed HMO in a Selective Licensing area
If your property is already licensed under Part 2 of the Housing Act 2004 (mandatory HMO licensing) you do not need to apply for a Selective Licence.
12. How much a Selective Licence costs
The licence fee is £1,100 if an application is made online and if made on paper it is £1,225.
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 Selective Licensing scheme over the 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 licence is available when the proposed Licence Holder owns the property to be licensed and is a confirmed member of the Leeds Rental Standard (LRS) at the time the licence application is made. They must remain a member of LRS for the duration of the licence. The discount will not be applied if an application to become a member of LRS is pending or where it appears that a timely application for a licence has not been made to the council.
If, during the term of a Selective Licence:
- the Licence Holder fails to maintain their membership of LRS, the council will investigate and take appropriate recovery action. This may result in the demand for full repayment of the discount granted in relation to a property/licensed portfolio
- we become aware of any information that is found to be incorrect or misleading with regards to discount eligibility, we will seek to recover the value of the discount claimed. In such cases, the Applicant will be given the opportunity to provide evidence to the contrary. Please be aware that this may affect the validity of a Selective Licence
13. How to pay the licence fee
The licence fee will be charged in two parts as shown below:
| Online application form | Paper application form |
|---|---|
| First fee - £675 | First fee - £800 |
| Second fee - £425 (£275 for Leeds Rental Standard members) | Second fee - £425 (£275 for Leeds Rental Standard members) |
For applications made online, you will automatically be transferred to our payment portal where you will have to pay £675 before your application can be submitted. We accept Visa, MasterCard, Maestro and Visa Electron cards.
In the case of paper applications, please do not send any money or a cheque with your application. We will acknowledge your application and will tell you how to pay the first part of the licence fee within this acknowledgement. Failure to pay within 21 days may render your application invalid and you will have to make a new licence application.
If your 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 first part of the licence fee is non-refundable. In the event that the council refuses to grant a licence or withdraws an application, or where you choose to withdraw an application, we will retain the first part of the fee (£675 or £800). Only in exceptional circumstances, i.e. 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.
Where a property is sold during the 5 year term of the scheme or ceases to meet Selective Licensing criteria, no part of the licence fee will be refunded.
14. What happens after you have made an application
If you submit your application online, you will receive three emails from us confirming your submission and 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 as you will need it should you contact us. Keep your emails safe as they 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 tel. 0113 535 1369 or by email at ESWSelective.licensing@leeds.gov.uk It is your responsibility to ensure that your application reaches us. The acknowledgement will tell you how to pay the first part of the licence fee (£800) and payment must be made within 21 days. We will not start to process your licence application until the fee has been paid.
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 at this time (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 your application being deemed withdrawn. In such cases the council would retain the first part of the fee paid.
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, and
- that the proposed management arrangements for the property are satisfactory.
Once we have considered all the necessary information, we will either grant or refuse a licence in accordance with the requirements of the Housing Act 2004.
As stated above in ‘How do I pay the licence fee?’, in the event that the council refuses to grant a licence the first part of the licence fee will not be refunded.
Based on our experience of mandatory HMO licensing, we anticipate the average time to complete the application process to be 16 weeks from the date we receive your application. Applicants may experience longer processing times, for example, where queries exist over applications or where an Applicant delays payment of the second part of the licence fee.
15. Public register
The council is required by law to establish and maintain a register of all Selective Licences granted. As such the name and address of the Licence Holder and any Property Manager (as it appears on the licence) will appear on this register and will be made available for inspection at our offices by members of the public at all reasonable times. A shortened version of the register will be published on Data Mill North.
Find out how we look after all your personal data on our privacy notice page.
16. Glossary of terms used in the licence application form
In the following notes, unless otherwise stated, “the Act” means the Housing Act 2004. Any references to sections etc. are to sections in the Act.
Applicant
The Applicant may be the Property Owner; the proposed Licence Holder; the Property Manager; the Person Having Control of the property or the person managing the property or somebody acting on their behalf who is completing the application for whatever reason.
Limited Company
A limited company is a separate legal body formed by law for business or trade. It allows a group of people to work together for a common goal, usually to make a profit. A limited company can make contracts, take legal action and owe money all on its own not in the name of its owners. Limited companies have directors and should be registered with Companies House.
There are two kinds of limited company: private limited companies and public limited companies (PLC’s). Private limited companies cannot offer shares to the general public. PLC’s however can raise capital by offering shares to the general public. Shares are traded on the stock exchange, and a PLC must have issued shares to a value of at least £50,000 before it can trade.
Limited Liability Partnership
A type of business structure that combines the flexibility of a traditional partnership (where two or more people pool money, skills and resources to carry on a business and share in profit and loss) with the limited liability of a company. Partners are not personally liable for business debts and their personal assets are protected. LLPs are a separate legal entity and are common for professional services.
Other incorporated association
An incorporated association is a legal structure that gives an organisation its own separate legal identity, unlike an unincorporated one where individuals are personally liable for debts. Charities are typically incorporated associations. Registered charities are organisations registered with the UK Charity Commission. They have a legal structure that is defined by a governing document.
Trust
A legal arrangement where one or more people or a company (the ‘trustees’) control money or assets (called the ‘trust property’) which they must use for the benefit of one or more people (the ‘beneficiaries’).
Proposed Licence Holder
The Act requires that the proposed Licence Holder is, out of all the persons reasonably available to be the Licence Holder, the most appropriate person to be the Licence Holder and that they are also a Fit and Proper Person.
A person who also has control of the property and takes responsibility for it is assumed to be a more appropriate person to be the Licence Holder than a person who does not have control, unless the contrary is shown.
The proposed Licence Holder should have adequate financial means to manage the property and undertake their responsibilities as a Licence Holder.
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. Applications that identify a banned person for the role of Licence Holder will be refused by the council.
Similarly applications that identify a person who live overseas for the role of Licence Holder will be refused.
Property Owner
Means the person (other than a mortgagee not in possession) who is for the time being entitled to dispose of the fee simple of the premises whether in possession or in reversion. It includes also a person holding or entitled to the rents and the profits of the premises under a lease of which the unexpired term exceeds 3 years. If the Property Owner or Part Owner of a house which is rented out has a Banning Order in force against them under Section 16 of the Housing and Planning Act 2016 then the council will not be able to grant a Selective Licence in respect of that house unless the ownership of the house changes to someone who does not have a Banning Order in force against them.
Property Manager
The proposed Property Manager can either be the Person Having Control of the house or their agent or employee. The proposed Property Manager must be a fit and proper person to be the manager of the house and the proposed management arrangements must be otherwise satisfactory.
Person Having Control
This means the person who receives the rack rent of the property (or who would be in a position to receive it if the premises were let at a rack rent). Rack rent is defined as the rent which is not less than 2/3rds of the full net rental value of the premises. The Person Having Control includes not only the person who receives the rent in this way on his own account but also someone who receives it as an agent or trustee for another or someone else.
Single occupation
This means a property occupied by one household (see the definition of household below).
Multiple occupation
This means a property occupied by more than one household (see the definition of household below).
Hostel
Accommodation provided for people with no other permanent residence (as distinct from a hotel which generally provides accommodation for visitors to the area for a short term). The category includes hostels, guesthouses and bed and breakfast accommodation. Hostels generally house vulnerable people for a temporary period of time until a more permanent home can be provided. A level of support is provided to the clients which varies according to the nature and ethos of the establishment, it’s clients and the organisation running the hostel.
Storeys in the property
Storeys need to be counted from the final exit door to the uppermost level, including mezzanines as a storey. Where the final exit is located on the ground floor, or raised ground floor, any lower ground floor or basement or cellar should not be counted as a storey.
Number of separate letting units
A letting unit can consist of a building; part of a building; a room or a bedsit which is occupied by a person or household. Each unit is rented out on a separate tenancy, for example:
- a 2 bedroom flat occupied by a family would count as one letting unit
- a 3 bedroom house with 1 room occupied by a couple, one 1 room occupied by their children and 1 room occupied by an unrelated single person would count as two separate letting units, and
- a 4 bedroom house with each room occupied by an unrelated individual and all pay separate rents would count as four separate letting units
Household
The following are ‘households’ for the purposes of the Housing Act 2004:
- Members of the same family living together including:
- couples married to each other or living together as husband and wife (or in an equivalent relationship in the case of persons of the same sex)
- relatives living together, including parents, grandparents, children (and step-children), grand-children, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, nephews, nieces or cousins
- Half relatives will be treated as full relatives. A foster child living with his foster parent is treated as living in the same household as his foster parent.
- Any domestic staff are also included in the household if they are living rent-free in accommodation provided by the person for whom they are working.
Meaning of HMO
HMO means a house in multiple occupation as defined by sections 254 to 259, Housing Act 2004 and it applies to a wide range of housing types and includes:
- a building or a part of a building, which consists of one or more units of living accommodation not consisting of a self-contained flats or flats
- the living accommodation is occupied by persons who do not form a single household
- where two or more of the households who occupy the living accommodation share one or more basic amenities or the living accommodation is lacking in one or more basic amenities
- buildings converted into self-contained flats if more than one third of the flats are tenanted and the conversion does not comply with Building Regulations 1991 or subsequent Building Regulations. See sections 254-257 of the Act
Fit and proper person
The council must be satisfied that the proposed Licence Holder and Property Manager and any other person involved in the management of the house are a “Fit and Proper Person” to hold a licence/manage the property. the council will take into account certain illegal activities which would make them unfit to be a Licence Holder or Property Manager. These are detailed in the application form. The evidence is relevant if it was either the proposed Licence Holder or manager themselves who were involved or someone associated with them, or formerly associated with them, on a personal or other basis. Not all matters will prevent a licence being granted but they must all be declared on the application form and the council will consider the relevance of them. A person subject to a banning order will not be considered a Fit and Proper Person.
Spent convictions
This is a detailed and comprehensive matter and it is recommended that you seek independent legal advice on the matter but as a general guide under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, criminal convictions can become spent or ignored after a rehabilitation period. They do not need to be disclosed. The rehabilitation period varies depending on the sentence or order imposed by the court – not the nature of the offence. The following sentences are excluded from rehabilitation and can never become spent and should always be disclosed:
- Sentence of imprisonment for life
- Sentence of imprisonment, youth custody, detention in a young offender institution or corrective training of over four years for a schedule 18 offence
- Sentence of preventive detention
- Sentence of detention at His Majesty’s pleasure
- Sentence of custody for life
- Public protection sentences* (imprisonment for public protection, detention for public protection, extended sentences of imprisonment or detention for public protection and extended determinate sentences for dangerous offenders)
*A public protection sentence (the provisions for which are set out in Part 12 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 and Part 8 of the Armed Forces Act 2006 means a sentence of imprisonment or detention, as detailed above, imposed for specified sexual and violent offences.
The periods from the date of conviction are in the table below:
| Sentence or disposal | Rehabilitation period |
|---|---|
| A custodial sentence of more than 4 years (not for a schedule 18 offence) | 7 years (or 3.5 years if under 18 when convicted) |
| A custodial sentence* of more than 1 year and up to, or consisting of, 4 years | 4 years (or 2 years if under 18 when convicted) |
| A custodial sentence of 1 year or less, removal from His majesty’s service, a sentence of service detention, A severe reprimand under the Armed Forces Act 2006 | 12 months (or 6 months if under 18 when convicted) |
| Driving endorsements | 5 years |
| Driving disqualification | When the period of disqualification has passed |
| Simple caution or youth caution | Spent immediately |
| Conditional caution, youth conditional caution, diversionary caution | 3 months or when caution ceases to have effect if earlier |
| A fine | 12 months |
| A compensation order | The date on which the payment is made in full |
| Relevant orders** (orders that impose a disqualification, disability, prohibition or other penalty) | The end date given by the order or, if no date given, 2 years from the date of conviction - unless the order states ’unlimited’, ’indefinitely’ or ’until further order’ as in these cases it will remain unspent |
*Suspended custodial sentences are treated the same as custodial sentences for this purpose. It will be the length of the sentence imposed by the court, not the period it is suspended for that dictates when it will become spent.
**Relevant orders include community and youth rehabilitation orders, conditional discharge orders, hospital orders, bind overs, referral orders, care orders, and earlier statutory orders and any order imposing a disqualification, disability, prohibition, penalty, requirement or restriction, or is otherwise intended to regulate the behaviour of the person convicted.
