HMO Licence Cost in Leeds: The £975 Fee and the 2026 Selective Scheme
A mandatory HMO licence in Leeds costs £975, paid as £635 with the application and £340 when the licence is granted, and members of the Leeds Rental Standard pay £825. Licences usually last five years. Separately, since 9 February 2026 every private let in parts of six inner wards in east, south and west Leeds needs a selective licence costing £1,100 online. This guide sets out both fees as published on 3 October 2026, the February 2026 change to how the selective fee is split, who is exempt and how to apply.
In this guide
Leeds licence fees at a glance The mandatory HMO licence The selective licensing area from 9 February 2026 The February 2026 change to the selective fee What the licence conditions ask for Penalties Worked example: a Hyde Park HMO and a Harehills terrace Frequently asked questions SourcesLeeds licence fees at a glance
| Licence | First stage | Second stage | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mandatory HMO, standard | £635 | £340 | £975 |
| Mandatory HMO, Leeds Rental Standard member | £635 | £190 | £825 |
| Selective, online application | £400 | £700 | £1,100 |
| Selective, paper application | £525 | £700 | £1,225 |
| Selective, Leeds Rental Standard member, online | £400 | £550 | £950 |
From Leeds City Council's HMO licensing and selective licensing pages, read 3 October 2026. Selective figures are for applications made from 26 February 2026.
The Leeds HMO fee is at the lower end for a big city: £195 a year over a five-year licence, against £225 a year in Birmingham and £377 a year for a new licence in Bristol. The national HMO licence guide compares councils across England.
The mandatory HMO licence
You need a mandatory licence in Leeds if you rent a property to five or more people who do not all belong to the same family or household and who share a toilet, bathroom or kitchen. The fee is £975 in two stages. You do not send payment with the application; the council sends payment details once it has received your form. If the second stage is not paid, the council treats the application as withdrawn, cancels it and keeps the £635.
- Leeds Rental Standard discount: members get £150 off the second stage, which falls from £340 to £190.
- Length: licences usually last five years.
- How to apply: the council's HMO page offers a PDF application form to post to HMO Licensing, Knowsthorpe Gate, Cross Green, Leeds LS9 0NP.
- Delays: the council says it is processing a high volume of applications and asks applicants to email the HMO team if they have heard nothing within two months.
The licence conditions listed on the council's page cover attendance on an HMO training course, fire safety, kitchen and bathroom facilities and heating. The training condition is unusual and worth planning for: book it early in the licence period rather than leaving it until an inspection.
The selective licensing area from 9 February 2026
Leeds's current selective licensing designation covers parts of the Armley, Beeston and Holbeck, Burmantofts and Richmond Hill, Hunslet and Riverside, Gipton and Harehills, and Farnley and Wortley wards. From 9 February 2026 landlords of private lets in the area needed to have applied for a licence, one for each property including each self-contained flat. If you buy in the area after that date you must apply within 14 days of completing the purchase. The council publishes an interactive map and an indicative street list in the designation; check the exact address, because the boundary runs through wards rather than around them.
Some properties are exempt: holiday lets, business premises, social lets, student accommodation owned by a university, accommodation where the tenant is a family member as defined in the 2006 Exemption Order, empty properties, and any property that already holds an HMO licence. A temporary exemption of up to three months is available if you are taking steps to stop letting, have sold subject to contract or have permission to change the use.
Before applying you must tell certain people in writing: your mortgage lender, any other owners, anyone who manages the property, the proposed licence holder if that is not you, anyone bound by a licence condition, and any tenant or long leaseholder on a lease of more than three years. The council publishes a template letter.
The February 2026 change to the selective fee
The total selective fee did not change in 2026, but the split did. For applications from 26 February 2026 the first part fell and the second part rose:
| Applied | Online first fee | Paper first fee | Second fee | Second fee, LRS member |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before 26 February 2026 | £675 | £800 | £425 | £275 |
| From 26 February 2026 | £400 | £525 | £700 | £550 |
Leeds City Council selective licensing page, read 3 October 2026. LRS means the Leeds Rental Standard; the £150 discount applies where the licence holder owns the property and is a member at the time of application.
Landlords who applied under the original split and have only paid the first part can stay on it, or email the selective licensing team to switch and receive a £275 partial refund. If an application under the old split is refused, withdrawn or does not reach a licence, the council refunds the £275 difference. For most landlords the practical effect is that less money is at risk up front.
What the licence conditions ask for
The selective licence conditions published by Leeds start with gas: every installation and appliance in a safe condition, an annual check by a Gas Safe registered engineer, the certificate produced to the council each year on request and a copy given to each tenant at the start of the tenancy with a written record that you did. Electrical safety, alarms and management conditions follow. The council aims to visit each licensed property during the licence and may ask for proof or a declaration that you meet a condition. The gas safety certificate guide and EICR guide cover the two certificates you will be asked for most; the certificate cost calculator prices both.
Penalties
Leeds states that renting out a property in the selective area without a valid application could lead to prosecution with an unlimited fine or a civil penalty of up to £40,000 per offence. The same maximum applies to an unlicensed HMO for offences from 1 May 2026, and tenants can claim a rent repayment order of up to 24 months' rent. The landlord fines guide lists every penalty; the landlord database, which reaches Yorkshire and the Humber on 15 April 2027, will record any penalty against your name.
Worked example: a Hyde Park HMO and a Harehills terrace
A landlord with a five-bed student HMO in Hyde Park and a two-bed terrace in the Harehills part of the selective area, not a Leeds Rental Standard member, pays £975 for the HMO licence and £1,100 for the selective licence, £2,075 in total. Joining the Leeds Rental Standard first would save £150 on each, £300 in all, which is worth checking against the cost of membership. Over five years the fees come to £415 a year across both properties. Add the dates to the compliance calendar and the fees to the rental yield calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How much is an HMO licence in Leeds?
£975: £635 at the first stage and £340 at the second. Leeds Rental Standard members pay £190 at the second stage, £825 in total. Fees read on the council's website on 3 October 2026; licences usually last five years.
Which areas of Leeds need a selective licence?
Parts of the Armley, Beeston and Holbeck, Burmantofts and Richmond Hill, Hunslet and Riverside, Gipton and Harehills, and Farnley and Wortley wards, from 9 February 2026. Check the exact address on the council's map, because the area covers parts of wards rather than whole wards.
How much is a selective licence in Leeds?
£1,100 online or £1,225 on paper. For applications from 26 February 2026 that is £400 (or £525 on paper) up front and £700 if granted, or £550 for Leeds Rental Standard members.
I bought a rental in the Leeds selective area. When must I apply?
Within 14 days of completing the purchase, if the property is let and not exempt.
What happens if I do not license in Leeds?
The council can prosecute, with an unlimited fine, or impose a civil penalty of up to £40,000 per offence. Tenants can also apply for a rent repayment order.
Sources
Leeds City Council: Houses in multiple occupation licensing and Selective licensing, both read 3 October 2026; the fee apportionment decision. Legislation: Housing Act 2004 section 72, Licensing of HMOs (Prescribed Description) (England) Order 2018, Mandatory Conditions of Licences Regulations 2018, Renters' Rights Act 2025 Part 4 and GOV.UK on HMO licensing; Selective Licensing of Houses (Specified Exemptions) (England) Order 2006. See the methodology.