Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) licensing

Find out whether you need an HMO licence for your property and how to apply.

You will need to apply for a licence if:

• you rent a property to five or more people, and
• your tenants do not all belong to the same family or household, and
• your tenants share a toilet, bathroom, living room or kitchen

Apply for an HMO licence

Complete our HMO application (PDF 706KB) and post it to us at:

Your licence will be issued as soon as possible from the date we receive your form. This could take longer if your application is incomplete or you delay paying your fee.

If we have any questions about your application or we need to undertake a pre-licence inspection, we will contact you.

Once your application is approved, we will send you a draft licence. We will wait 16 days before we issue you with a final licence. This will give you the opportunity to question the conditions we have put on your licence. Licences usually last for 5 years.

Proposed licence holder

The Act requires that the proposed licence holder is, out of all the persons reasonably available to be the licence holder, the most appropriate person to be the licence holder and that they are also a fit and proper person.

A person who also has control of the property and takes responsibility for it is assumed to be a more appropriate person to be the licence holder than a person who does not have control, unless the contrary is shown.

The proposed licence holder should have adequate financial means to manage the property and undertake their responsibilities as a licence holder.

People who are the subject of a current banning order served under section 16 of the Housing and Planning Act 2016 will not be considered a fit and proper person. Applications that identify a banned person for the role of licence holder will be refused by the council.

Similarly applications that identify a person who live overseas for the role of licence holder will be refused.

Licence conditions

Your HMO licence will contain a number of conditions, including:

• attendance on the HMO licence training course External link
  
• fire safety regulations
  
• kitchen facilities requirements
  
• property heating requirements
  
• bathroom facilities requirements
  

You should read the conditions supplied with your licence to make sure that you comply with them within the timescales. If you do not comply with your licence conditions, you will be breaking the law.

Read the HMO advisory notes to find out what you need to do to meet our conditions.

Renew your HMO licence

If you already have an HMO licence, you can renew it online. You should apply to renew your licence no more than 3 months before it expires to give us time to process your application.

Complete our HMO renewal application (PDF 485KB) and post it to us at:

Cost

The licence fee is payable in two parts.

We will send you details of how to make your payment online once we have received your application or renewal form.

Pay online

Once you have completed your application or renewal form and received your reference number, you can make a payment online.

Making changes to a licence

If you want to make any changes to your licence you need to contact us before the changes take place. Email hmo.team@leeds.gov.uk explaining what changes you want to be made.

If you sell your property before your licence expires, the new landlord must make a new application.

You will not be able to claim back any money for your licence.

Check if a property is licensed

We keep a register of all properties that have a HMO licence, including the name of the landlord on Data Mill North.

If you live in an HMO and your landlord is renting it out without an HMO licence you will be able to reclaim the rent you have paid them external link.