DIY InventoryLetting a property in Manchester: a landlord’s guide
Licensing, certificates, deposits and the local figures for landlords letting in Manchester.
General information as at October 2026, not legal advice. Always check the council’s current scheme before letting.
Landlord licensing in Manchester
- Selective licensing: Selective licensing covers privately rented homes on designated streets in parts of the city, including areas of Cheetham, Crumpsall and Moss Side added from 24 February 2025. Check an address on the council's selective licensing pages.
- Additional HMO licensing: No additional HMO licensing scheme: HMOs with five or more people from two or more households need the national mandatory licence, and smaller shared houses need a licence only inside a selective licensing area.
Separately, every large HMO (5 or more people forming 2 or more households) needs a mandatory HMO licence anywhere in England. Source: Manchester City Council.
Manchester 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 Manchester 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 Manchester homes
- Student houses in Fallowfield and Withington: photograph every bedroom lock, fire doors, smoke and heat alarms, and the shared kitchen and bathroom.
- City-centre apartments: record fob, key, post-box and parking counts, photograph balconies, and note any mould around windows.
- Victorian terraces in Levenshulme, Longsight and Moss Side: photograph back yards, alley gates, gutters and any damp on rear walls.
- Converted mills and warehouses in Ancoats: note exposed brickwork, large windows and their seals, and communal areas.
- Homes on selective licensing streets: photograph the licence and check it shows the right address and expiry date.
Homes sold in Manchester in the last 12 months
| Type | Sales | Average price |
|---|---|---|
| Flat or maisonette | 1,386 | £229,232 |
| Terraced | 1,339 | £263,053 |
| Semi-detached | 1,076 | £349,540 |
| Detached | 139 | £472,995 |
| Other | 136 | £2,693,993 |
HM Land Registry Price Paid Data since 27 October 2025, updated monthly. Look up any address in the free property report.
Letting in Manchester: questions
Is there selective licensing in Manchester?
Selective licensing covers privately rented homes on designated streets in parts of the city, including areas of Cheetham, Crumpsall and Moss Side added from 24 February 2025. Check an address on the council's selective licensing pages. Check the council’s page before letting: schemes are renewed and changed every few years.
What certificates does a landlord need in Manchester?
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 Manchester?
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.