Council licensing report

Landlord licensing in York

York runs at least one local property licensing scheme. Some rules apply to the whole council. Others apply only to listed streets, wards, or mapped areas, so the postcode alone does not always give a yes-or-no answer.

What landlords need to know

Status

York

Additional HMO

Mandatory HMO (national)

Selective licensing: None listed
Additional HMO licensing: 1 active
Mandatory HMO licensing: Applies nationally
Local scheme coverage: Listed streets or areas
Active local schemes: 1 active scheme
Last checked: 22 May 2026

Selective licensing in York

Who is covered, fees, dates and exemptions.

HMO licensing in York

Mandatory and additional HMO rules with thresholds.

Check a postcode and address in York

Enter the postcode to confirm the council, then pick the address. If a scheme uses a street list, we check the selected street against it and give a direct yes or no.

Local schemes in York

York additional HMO licensing 2023 to 2028

Additional HMO licensing · active · Listed wards · 1 Apr 2023 to 31 Mar 2028

Coverage: Listed wards
Fee: £1,524

York additional HMO licensing applies to HMOs occupied by 3 or 4 people in Clifton, Fishergate, Fulford and Heslington, Guildhall, Heworth, Hull Road, Micklegate and Osbaldwick and Derwent wards.

Show the 8 wards covered by this scheme

Clifton, Fishergate, Fulford and Heslington, Guildhall, Heworth, Hull Road, Micklegate, Osbaldwick and Derwent.

How each scheme is scoped in York

A property licensing scheme is not the same everywhere. A council can designate the whole borough, a handful of wards, a list of streets, or a boundary drawn on a map. Whichever option York chose changes how confident you can be from the postcode alone.

York additional HMO licensing 2023 to 2028

This scheme covers 8 named wards. The postcode confirms the council, but the address has to fall inside one of those wards before the licence applies.

Common rental setups in York

The right licence depends on who lives in the property, how the household is structured, and where the property sits in the council area. These are the situations we see most often, with what York's current rules say about each.

Single tenant in a flat or studio

No licence needed

One adult renting a self-contained flat or a studio with their own kitchen and bathroom.

No landlord licence is needed under current York rules. Mandatory HMO licensing does not apply because this is one household.

Couple renting a whole house

No licence needed

Two people from one household renting an entire house on one tenancy.

No landlord licence is needed under current York rules. Mandatory HMO licensing does not apply because this is one household.

Family renting a whole house

No licence needed

Parents and dependent children from one household renting an entire house.

No landlord licence is needed under current York rules. Mandatory HMO licensing does not apply because this is one household.

Three sharers from different households

Licence needed

Three friends or three unrelated tenants on a joint tenancy, sharing a kitchen and bathroom.

Needs an additional HMO licence if the address is inside York's scheme area. Mandatory HMO licensing only kicks in at five or more occupiers, so this property is not in scope of the national rule.

Four sharers from different households

Licence needed

Four unrelated tenants sharing a kitchen and bathroom.

Needs an additional HMO licence if the address is inside York's scheme area. Mandatory HMO licensing only kicks in at five or more occupiers, so this property is not in scope of the national rule.

Five or more sharers from different households

Licence needed

Five or more unrelated tenants sharing a kitchen and bathroom.

Needs a mandatory HMO licence anywhere in England. The five-or-more, two-or-more-households test is national, not council-specific. York's additional HMO scheme can add conditions on top inside the designated area.

Lodger with a live-in landlord

No licence needed

Owner-occupier letting a room to one or two lodgers in their own home.

Letting to a lodger while you live in the property is exempt from HMO licensing in most cases. Selective licensing exemptions also normally cover owner-occupier lets.

Student house of five

Licence needed

Five students from at least two households sharing a converted house.

Buying a property in York

A property licence does not transfer when a property changes hands. If you buy a let property that needs a licence under York's rules, the existing licence ends and you need to apply for a new one in your own name. The seller's solicitor should disclose any existing licence and any open enforcement notices.

For conveyancing in York, ask three things before exchange. First, is the property inside any current selective or additional HMO scheme area. Second, is there an active licence in the seller's name and on what conditions. Third, has the council issued a civil penalty, banning order or rent repayment order against the seller in the last six years.

Owner-occupiers buying to live in the property do not need a licence. The rules only apply when a property is rented out.

Talk to York directly

Anything on this page that you cannot find an answer to, the council's licensing team can confirm in minutes.

Email the licensing team

[email protected]

Phone the licensing team

01904 552300

Apply for a licence

Application form on York's website

Public licence register

Search licensed properties in York

Official licensing page

York council guidance