DIY InventoryLetting a property in Nottingham: a landlord’s guide
Licensing, certificates, deposits and the local figures for landlords letting in Nottingham.
General information as at October 2026, not legal advice. Always check the council’s current scheme before letting.
Landlord licensing in Nottingham
- Selective licensing: Selective licensing covers most of the city (about 30,000 privately rented homes in wards including Aspley, Basford, Castle, Meadows, Radford, Sherwood and St Ann's) from 1 December 2023 to 30 November 2028; the council's postcode checker shows whether a home is inside it. It follows a first scheme that ran from 2018 to 2023.
- Additional HMO licensing: Citywide additional HMO licensing since January 2024: HMOs of three or more unrelated people forming two or more households need a licence, as well as the larger HMOs under mandatory licensing.
- Fees: £1,607 for a standard additional HMO licence (up to 9 bedrooms, from April 2026), £1,210 for landlords accredited under the Nottingham Rental Standard, paid in two parts
Separately, every large HMO (5 or more people forming 2 or more households) needs a mandatory HMO licence anywhere in England. Source: Nottingham City Council.
Nottingham 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 Nottingham 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 Nottingham homes
- Student HMOs in Lenton and Radford: photograph each bedroom lock, fire doors and closers, alarms and the shared kitchen and bathroom separately, and note the HMO licence number.
- Selective licensing: check the property's licence and photograph smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, as these are licence conditions.
- Victorian houses split into flats in the Arboretum and Forest Fields: record communal hallways, meter cupboards and the key count for each door.
- Lace Market warehouse conversions and city-centre blocks: note fob counts, intercom, parking and bike stores, and any exposed brick or timber.
- Terraces with small back yards: photograph damp at the base of walls, yard gates and where the bins are kept.
- Inter-war homes in Aspley and Bilborough: photograph gardens, fences, sheds and older boilers.
Homes sold in Nottingham in the last 12 months
| Type | Sales | Average price |
|---|---|---|
| Terraced | 920 | £180,981 |
| Semi-detached | 782 | £219,240 |
| Detached | 336 | £340,625 |
| Flat or maisonette | 316 | £135,683 |
| Other | 105 | £971,414 |
HM Land Registry Price Paid Data since 27 October 2025, updated monthly. Look up any address in the free property report.
Letting in Nottingham: questions
Is there selective licensing in Nottingham?
Selective licensing covers most of the city (about 30,000 privately rented homes in wards including Aspley, Basford, Castle, Meadows, Radford, Sherwood and St Ann's) from 1 December 2023 to 30 November 2028; the council's postcode checker shows whether a home is inside it. It follows a first scheme that ran from 2018 to 2023. Check the council’s page before letting: schemes are renewed and changed every few years.
What certificates does a landlord need in Nottingham?
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 Nottingham?
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.