DIY InventoryLetting a property in Leeds: a landlord’s guide
Licensing, certificates, deposits and the local figures for landlords letting in Leeds.
General information as at October 2026, not legal advice. Always check the council’s current scheme before letting.
Landlord licensing in Leeds
- Selective licensing: Selective licensing covers privately rented homes in parts of six wards (Burmantofts and Richmond Hill, Gipton and Harehills, Hunslet and Riverside, Beeston and Holbeck, Armley, and Farnley and Wortley) from 9 February 2026 to 8 February 2031, about 12,500 homes. Earlier schemes in Beeston and Harehills ended on 5 January 2025. Check an address on the council's map.
- Additional HMO licensing: No additional HMO licensing scheme is listed: mandatory licensing applies to HMOs with five or more people from two or more households. An Article 4 direction in the inner north-west (Headingley, Hyde Park and Woodhouse, Kirkstall, Weetwood) means converting a house to an HMO there needs planning permission.
Separately, every large HMO (5 or more people forming 2 or more households) needs a mandatory HMO licence anywhere in England. Source: Leeds City Council.
Leeds City Council: private renting and licensing
Safety certificates
- Gas Safety (CP12): every 12 months, by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
- EICR: at least every 5 years, by a qualified electrician.
- EPC: rated E or above, valid for 10 years.
- Alarms: a smoke alarm on every storey, and a carbon monoxide alarm in rooms with a fixed combustion appliance (not gas cookers).
Book a Gas Safety certificate, EICR or EPC in Leeds at a fixed price, and keep track of expiry dates in the free landlord dashboard.
Deposits and the inventory
Protect the deposit in the DPS, TDS or mydeposits within 30 days. At the end, the scheme decides any dispute on the evidence, above all the check-in compared with the check-out, so the inventory is what protects you.
What to record in Leeds homes
- Back-to-back terraces in Harehills, Beeston and Armley: check for damp on the shared walls and in cellars, and photograph bins, outside toilets and yards where there are any.
- Homes in the selective licensing areas: note the licence number and check the licence conditions on smoke alarms, gas safety and the number of occupiers.
- Student shared houses in Headingley and Hyde Park: photograph each bedroom's lock and furniture, fire doors, alarms and the kitchen appliances.
- City-centre apartments: note fob and key counts, lifts, bin and bike stores, and look for condensation around large windows.
- Stone terraces on hillsides: look for damp on walls built into the slope, and photograph steps and retaining walls.
- Homes near the Aire in Kirkstall and the city centre: look for signs of past flooding or damp in ground-floor rooms.
Homes sold in Leeds in the last 12 months
| Type | Sales | Average price |
|---|---|---|
| Semi-detached | 2,748 | £279,307 |
| Terraced | 2,388 | £211,534 |
| Detached | 1,156 | £495,512 |
| Flat or maisonette | 1,012 | £164,580 |
| Other | 223 | £1,007,538 |
HM Land Registry Price Paid Data since 27 October 2025, updated monthly. Look up any address in the free property report.
Letting in Leeds: questions
Is there selective licensing in Leeds?
Selective licensing covers privately rented homes in parts of six wards (Burmantofts and Richmond Hill, Gipton and Harehills, Hunslet and Riverside, Beeston and Holbeck, Armley, and Farnley and Wortley) from 9 February 2026 to 8 February 2031, about 12,500 homes. Earlier schemes in Beeston and Harehills ended on 5 January 2025. Check an address on the council's map. Check the council’s page before letting: schemes are renewed and changed every few years.
What certificates does a landlord need in Leeds?
A Gas Safety certificate every 12 months (where there is gas), an electrical safety report (EICR) at least every 5 years, and a valid EPC rated E or above, plus working smoke alarms on every storey and carbon monoxide alarms by fixed combustion appliances.
How long do I have to protect a deposit?
30 days from receiving it, in the DPS, TDS or mydeposits, with the prescribed information given to the tenant in the same 30 days.
Do I need an inventory as a landlord in Leeds?
It isn’t a legal requirement, but without a signed check-in record it is very hard to claim anything from the deposit at the end. With DIY Inventory you can do it yourself for £30, or send your tenant a link to do it.