Is Your Property Affected?

The new designation covers parts of multiple wards, including:

• Armley
• Beeston & Holbeck
• Burmantofts & Richmond Hill
• Farnley & Wortley
• Gipton & Harehills
• Hunslet & Riverside

If your property is privately rented and falls within the designated boundary, then you are likely required to apply for a  licence unless a specific statutory exemption applies.

⚠️ Important: boundaries vary steet by street, not just by ward name, so landlords should always check official council maps rather than relying on general area descriptions.

If you are inside the designation and renting without a licence once the scheme is live, you are operating unlawfully.

What Is Selective Licensing and Why Is Leeds Expanding It?

Selective licensing is a legal power under the Housing Act 2004 that allows councils to require all private landlords in designated areas to apply for a licence.

Leeds City Council says the scheme is being introduced to improve:

• Poor property conditions
• Inadequate management practices
• Tenant safety risks
• Wider neighbourhood issues linked to poorly managed rentals
  
  

Unlike HMO licensing, this scheme applies to single-family rentals as well as shared houses if they fall within the designated area..

So if your property is in the area, licensing is not optional.

When Does the Scheme Start and How Long Will It Last?

According to the official designation notice:

• The scheme comes into force on 9 February 2026
  
  
• It will run for five years unless revoked earlier
  
  

That means this is not a short-term policy change. For affected landlords, licensing and compliance will be part of normal operations for the rest of the decade.

What Happens If You Don’t Have a Licence?

Letting a property that requires a licence without holding one can lead to:

• Civil penalties of up to £30,000 per offence
• Rent Repayment Orders requiring repayment of up to 12 months’ rent
• Restrictions on serving valid eviction notices
• Possible prosecution in serious cases
  

And enforcement does not rely on mass inspections alone. It often starts with:

• Tenant complaints
• Neighbour reports
• Routine data checks by the council
  

In other words, hoping not to be noticed is not a strategy.

The Mistake Most Landlords Make: Thinking the Licence Is the Hard Part

Many landlords focus on the application form and the licence fee.

That’s the easy bit.

Licences come with ongoing conditions, which typically include:

• Valid gas and electrical safety certificates
• Fire safety measures and completed fire risk actions
• Property condition and repair standards
• Proper management procedures and record keeping
  
  

Councils don’t just issue licences and move on. They inspect, audit and follow up on licence conditions to ensure they are being maintained..

Where landlords usually get into trouble is not the application, it’s failing ongoing compliance after the licence is granted.

Missed safety checks, unresolved fire actions, or poor records can all become enforcement issues even if the licence itself is in place.

What Landlords Should Do Now

If you own or manage rental property in Leeds, the sensible next steps are:

1. Check whether your property is inside the designated area
2. Confirm whether a licence is required or whether an exemption applies
3. Review whether you currently meet compliance standards
4. Put systems in place to manage compliance long-term

Waiting until enforcement starts is the most expensive way to find out if you are compliant or not.

Need Help Complying? 

At Yuno, we help landlords and managing agents manage ongoing property compliance, not just one-off applications.

Our compliance platform service is  designed to:

• Track safety certificates and renewal dates
• Manage fire risk assessment actions
• Record inspections and remedial works
• Maintain audit trails for enforcement checks
  
  

Instead of panicking when the council requests documents, everything is already in one place ready to send.

Licensing doesn’t reduce your compliance responsibility as a landlord it increases the need for you to understand how to remain compliant at all times.
The only way to help ensure this is by using a system just like ours that allows you to keep on top of the ever changing regulations.

If you want to understand whether your property is affected and what you need to have in place to reach compliance, Yuno can help you assess your current compliance position and get you up to the correct standard required by the council.

👉 Speak To A Licensing Expert to avoid enforcement risk.