Letting a property in Westmorland and Furness: a landlord’s guide

General information as at October 2026, not legal advice. Always check the council’s current scheme before letting.

Landlord licensing in Westmorland and Furness

• Selective licensing: No selective licensing scheme.
• Additional HMO licensing: Only national mandatory HMO licensing applies at present (five or more people from two or more households). In September 2025 the council agreed in principle to extend HMO licensing in the Barrow area; no start date had been confirmed when checked.
• Fees: £534 for an HMO licence of up to five bedrooms, plus £34 for each extra room (Barrow area fee page)

Separately, every large HMO (5 or more people forming 2 or more households) needs a mandatory HMO licence anywhere in England. Source: Westmorland and Furness Council.

Westmorland and Furness 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 Westmorland and Furness 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 Westmorland and Furness homes

• Victorian terraces in Barrow: photograph damp in back kitchens, rear yards, back alleys and older sash or replacement windows.
• Stone cottages in the Lakes and Eden valley: record damp, condensation and mould, which are common in solid-walled homes in a wet climate.
• Rural homes off the gas network: note the oil tank level, solid-fuel stoves, private water supplies and septic tanks.
• Coastal homes on Walney and around Morecambe Bay: photograph metalwork, window frames and render for salt and storm damage.
• Homes in flood-hit towns such as Kendal and Appleby: check for flood damage, airbricks, flood doors and watermarks.
• Former holiday lets now let long-term: record every item of furniture and equipment, as inventories can be long.

Start your inventory free

Homes sold in Westmorland and Furness in the last 12 months

Type	Sales	Average price
Terraced	1,053	£174,011
Semi-detached	753	£259,720
Detached	605	£446,026
Flat or maisonette	242	£172,772
Other	181	£436,474

HM Land Registry Price Paid Data since 27 October 2025, updated monthly. Look up any address in the free property report.