DIY InventoryLetting a property in Rochdale: a landlord’s guide
Licensing, certificates, deposits and the local figures for landlords letting in Rochdale.
General information as at October 2026, not legal advice. Always check the council’s current scheme before letting.
Landlord licensing in Rochdale
- Selective licensing: No selective licensing in force; the council's landlord licensing page says it has not yet been introduced in the borough.
- Additional HMO licensing: Borough-wide additional HMO licensing for HMOs of three or four people, from 28 April 2025 to 28 April 2030; HMOs of five or more need a mandatory licence.
Separately, every large HMO (5 or more people forming 2 or more households) needs a mandatory HMO licence anywhere in England. Source: Rochdale Borough Council.
Rochdale Borough 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 Rochdale 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 Rochdale homes
- Shared houses with three or more tenants: note the HMO licence number and photograph each bedroom lock, fire doors, alarms and the shared kitchen separately.
- Victorian terraces in Deeplish, Newbold and Spotland: photograph damp at the base of walls, cellar heads, back yards and alley gates.
- Stone cottages in Littleborough and the Pennine villages: record damp in thick walls, stoves and chimneys and windows exposed to the weather.
- Flats in town-centre blocks: note fob and key counts, lifts, bin stores and fire doors.
- Post-war estate homes in Kirkholt and Langley: photograph gardens, fences, sheds and older boilers.
Homes sold in Rochdale in the last 12 months
| Type | Sales | Average price |
|---|---|---|
| Terraced | 830 | £162,893 |
| Semi-detached | 643 | £234,254 |
| Detached | 355 | £369,010 |
| Flat or maisonette | 115 | £125,517 |
| Other | 93 | £681,781 |
HM Land Registry Price Paid Data since 27 October 2025, updated monthly. Look up any address in the free property report.
Letting in Rochdale: questions
Is there selective licensing in Rochdale?
No selective licensing in force; the council's landlord licensing page says it has not yet been introduced in the borough. Check the council’s page before letting: schemes are renewed and changed every few years.
What certificates does a landlord need in Rochdale?
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 Rochdale?
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.