Yorkshire and the Humber
We currently show scheme records, official links, and supporting research for this council.
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This page includes the scheme records we currently hold, but council policies and boundaries can change. Treat it as a researched starting point and verify the latest position on the official council pages before acting.
Based on publicly available information, we show the licensing status we currently hold for York, highlight mandatory HMO rules, and link you to official council sources for verification where we currently have them.
Confirm the current scheme boundary, licence fee, exemptions, application route, and any recent policy changes on the council website before making decisions.
Our current data is based on publicly available information. Always verify the latest licensing position, scheme boundaries, fees, and exemptions with York.
We research council licensing information from public sources and present it as general guidance. We do not replace the council's own licensing pages or legal advice.
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This page may already answer a lot of the question. Use the paid products only if you want a quicker written summary, a more risk-focused view, or ongoing monitoring.
Property Licensing Check
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A concise written review for one property, postcode, or council situation based on current public council-source information.
Best for: Best for landlords, agents, and buyers who want written clarity quickly on one case.
Delivery: Concise report by email, usually within 2 working days
Licensing Due Diligence Report
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A more tailored, more decision-oriented, and more risk-focused review for higher-stakes property decisions.
Best for: Best for buyers, investors, agents, landlords refinancing, and conveyancers handling material decisions.
Delivery: Analyst-reviewed report with stronger risk framing
Alerts and monitoring
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A lighter monitoring tier for selected councils or areas, aimed at landlords and smaller investors who want ongoing updates.
Best for: Best for landlords and smaller investors who want ongoing updates without building their own tracking process.
Delivery: Monthly monitoring and change alerts
These options are designed to save research time, improve clarity, and support decision-making. Final reliance should still be tied back to the relevant council and, where necessary, professional advice.
Enter a postcode to see whether it appears to fall within a licensing scheme area, then verify the result with the council.
Additional HMO licensing applies across 8 designated electoral wards in York. Required for HMOs occupied by 3 or 4 people who form more than one household and share facilities. The scheme was designated on 17 August 2022 following two rounds of 10-week public consultations. Applications became available from February 2023, with the requirement to hold a licence taking effect from 1 April 2023.
The scheme was introduced because over 3,000 HMOs were identified in York but only approximately one-third were regulated under mandatory licensing. Initial inspections of unlicensed HMOs found them to be 3.61 times more likely to present fire safety hazards compared to licensed properties. The council and local landlords were in a legal dispute over the scheme before it came into force. Enforcement has included Civil Penalty Notices (CPNs) against landlords who failed to apply. Landlords are required by licence condition to complete HMO training within 18 months of licence issue or renewal. The Executive report recommending the designation was presented on 28 July 2022. The scheme covers the 8 wards with the highest concentrations of HMOs in York. Property types covered: HMOs occupied by 3 or 4 people forming more than one household who share bathrooms, toilets, and/or cooking facilities. Includes individual buildings, converted flats, and purpose-built flats (with up to 2 flats in the block, any of which are occupied as an HMO).. Exemptions or exclusions: Properties occupied by just 2 people who form 2 households buildings managed by a local housing authority, registered social landlord, police, fire and rescue authority, or health service body certain student accommodation managed by educational institutions owner-occupied properties with no more than 2 lodgers. Properties subject to mandatory HMO licensing (5+ occupants) are covered by the mandatory scheme rather than additional licensing..
Our current data shows this scheme based on public information. Always verify the latest fees, dates, and boundary wording on the official council page.
Mandatory HMO licensing applies across the entire City of York area. Required for any House in Multiple Occupation occupied by 5 or more people who form 2 or more households and share facilities such as kitchens, bathrooms, or toilets. The property must be used as the occupants' only or main residence. Properties let to students and migrant workers are treated as their only or main residence.
Operating an HMO without a licence is a criminal offence, with penalties including unlimited fines on prosecution, civil penalty fines of up to £30,000, and Rent Repayment Orders requiring repayment of up to 12 months' rent. A Section 21 notice cannot be served if a required licence is not held. Property types covered: Properties occupied by 5 or more people from 2 or more households sharing kitchen, bathroom, or toilet. Includes shared houses, bedsits, properties converted into self-contained and non-self-contained accommodation.. Exemptions or exclusions: Properties occupied by just 2 people who form 2 households buildings managed by a local housing authority, registered social landlord, police, fire and rescue authority, or health service body certain student accommodation managed by educational institutions owner-occupied properties with no more than 2 lodgers..
Our current data shows this scheme based on public information. Always verify the latest fees, dates, and boundary wording on the official council page.
These public research signals help show how recently this page was reviewed and what still needs checking before you rely on it.
Last reviewed
27 March 2026
Research confidence
High (72/100)
Sources checked
11
All key pages were successfully fetched from york.gov.uk official sources. The mandatory HMO and additional HMO licensing schemes are well-documented on official pages. The additional licensing designation date (17 August 2022), start date (1 April 2023), and end date (31 March 2028) are confirmed by multiple sources including official council pages and the Kamma third-party guide. Fees confirmed from the official HMO Licensing Fees page. No selective licensing scheme exists in York as confirmed by multiple sources. The online public register is confirmed as freely searchable. The absence of selective licensing is confirmed by the official council page, Kamma, and Legislate.tech.
All councils in England must operate mandatory HMO licensing. This applies to properties with 5 or more occupants forming 2 or more separate households, regardless of location. If your property meets these criteria, you must apply for a mandatory HMO licence from York.
Mandatory HMO licensing applies across the entire City of York area. Required for any House in Multiple Occupation occupied by 5 or more people who form 2 or more households and share facilities such as kitchens, bathrooms, or toilets. The property must be used as the occupants' only or main residence. Properties let to students and migrant workers are treated as their only or main residence.
Operating an HMO without a licence is a criminal offence, with penalties including unlimited fines on prosecution, civil penalty fines of up to £30,000, and Rent Repayment Orders requiring repayment of up to 12 months' rent. A Section 21 notice cannot be served if a required licence is not held. Property types covered: Properties occupied by 5 or more people from 2 or more households sharing kitchen, bathroom, or toilet. Includes shared houses, bedsits, properties converted into self-contained and non-self-contained accommodation.. Exemptions or exclusions: Properties occupied by just 2 people who form 2 households buildings managed by a local housing authority, registered social landlord, police, fire and rescue authority, or health service body certain student accommodation managed by educational institutions owner-occupied properties with no more than 2 lodgers..
In addition to licensing, all private landlords in England must comply with these requirements:
Use these routes to move from the York summary into the most relevant next action for your property, role, or research task.
Landlord with a standard let→
Start with a postcode if you want a property-specific route before relying on the council summary alone.
Shared occupancy or possible HMO→
Use the HMO checker if occupier numbers, households, or room-sharing could change the answer.
Check if a property has an HMO licence→
Use this if you need to check whether a property holds an HMO licence, or find the council's public HMO register.
Investor, buyer, or conveyancer→
Use the due diligence guide if this council page is part of a purchase, refinance, or pre-letting review.
Letting agent or portfolio manager→
Preview the monitoring route if you need ongoing watchlists and recurring scheme-change visibility.
Understand additional licensing rules→
Read the guide if you want the broader background on how additional HMO licensing works alongside this council page.
Need the local HMO route→
Use the additional licensing page if the real question is whether a smaller shared house needs a local licence here.
Tenant checking landlord compliance→
Use the tenant guide if you rent a property and want to check whether your landlord holds the right licence.
Important disclaimer
This tool provides general information about landlord licensing schemes in England. Results are based on publicly available data and may not reflect recent changes. This is not legal advice. Always verify licensing requirements directly with your local council before making decisions.
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