Large number of Leeds HMO Properties require new HMO Licences

What to do if your Leeds HMO Licence is due to expire?

As the first phase of the HMO licencing comes to an end, Leeds City Council HMO Team will be writing to all Landlords operating a licensable HMO property approximately 12 weeks prior to the expiry of their current HMO Licence.

Please note that the property will NOT have a valid licence in place on the expiry date of your HMO licence. It is very important that Landlords re-apply for their HMO licence prior to the expiry of their current licence as properties without a new licence will be visited. A tenanted licensable property operated without a valid HMO licence in place could lead to prosecution and a fine of up to £20,000.

We recommend that our Landlords are proactive in applying for a new licence considering the large number of landlords who will be applying for a new HMO Licence this summer.

You will be required to complete a brand new licence application for each licensable property as there are no provisions for HMO Licence renewals. The application must include an updated property floor plan.

We recommend that Landlords leave ample time to renew their HMO licence so that any queries or property enhancements can be carried out prior to their application.

If you do not intend to renew your licence, potentially for example, you may be renovating the property into accommodation with just 4 bedrooms, then you must inform the HMO team by writing, otherwise it will be assumed that a new licence is required. Contact details for the Leeds HMO Team can be found below. The team are extremely helpful and will provide answers to any queries regarding your application.

Landlords with large portfolios may prefer to space out their applications for ease, as well as spacing out the licence fees, bearing in mind there are no restrictions on how early you can apply for your new HMO licence.

How to apply for a new licence?

You can download the application form for the Leeds HMO Licence using this link Leeds HMO Licence Application Form. You must fill out the application as if it was a brand new application. A property floor plan is also required.

As it is solely the Landlords responsibility to provide the HMO licence application, for peace of mind, if posting your application, we recommend landlords make a copy of their application prior to posting and ensure that they receive an acknowledgement of their completed application from Leeds City Council.

HMO Licence Fees

New HMO Licence fees are now in place. The new licence fees are £700.14 for a licenced HMO property with 5-6 occupants; this is reduced to £583.45 for accredited landlords confirmed as members of the Leeds Landlord Accreditation Scheme. The fee for properties with 7-8 occupants is £908.96 (reduced to £749.27 for members of the LLAS).

Please note you must have a valid membership in place at the time of applying for your new HMO licence to be able to receive your fee discount.

You will be invoiced by Leeds City Council shortly after the application has been received.

A full scale of fees for properties with 9 or more applicants can be found using the link Leeds HMO Licence Fees

As well as the HMO fee savings, there are a whole host of other benefits associated with joining the scheme. For more information relating to the Leeds Landlords Accreditation Scheme please see the link on the Leeds City Council Website Leeds Landlord Accreditation scheme or visit their website using the contact details below.

Useful Contact Information

Leeds HMO Licence Team – 0113 247 6248 or visit their website LCC HMO Licences

Leeds landlord Accreditation Scheme – 0844 8871406 or visit their Website LLAS

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