Landlord Licensing Exemptions Leeds: Who Doesn't Need a Selective Licence

Who Is Exempt

Not every rented property in the designated wards needs a selective licence. The Selective Licensing of Houses (Specified Exemptions) (England) Order 2006 and Schedule 14 of the Housing Act 2004 carve out specific categories:

Family tenancies — where the tenant is a family member of the landlord. The Housing Act defines family broadly: spouses, cohabitants, parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren, siblings, uncles, aunts, nephews, nieces and step-relations. The relationship must be genuine and documented.

Resident landlord with lodgers — where the owner-occupier lives in the property and shares amenities with no more than two lodgers.

Properties managed by public bodies — local authority housing, registered social housing providers, and university-managed accommodation that operates under an approved Code of Practice (such as university-owned student halls).

Holiday lets and commercial leases — properties let solely as holiday accommodation or under commercial tenancy agreements for non-residential purposes.

Mandatory HMO licence holders — a property that already holds a mandatory HMO licence under Part 2 (five or more tenants, two or more households, shared facilities) is excluded from selective licensing by definition.

Temporary Exemption Notices

If you are selling the property, converting it to non-residential use or taking steps to end the tenancy, you can apply for a Temporary Exemption Notice (TEN) under Section 86 of the Housing Act 2004. A TEN suspends the licensing requirement for three months.

In exceptional circumstances, the Council can grant a second three-month TEN on a fresh application — but the law prohibits more than two consecutive TENs (six months total). You need documentary proof: a signed contract of sale subject to contract, a validated planning application for change of use, or a statutory declaration setting out the steps you have taken to recover vacant possession.

A TEN is not a way to delay compliance or continue letting without a licence. If the property is still tenanted at the end of six months with no active licence application, enforcement resumes.

Can a Managing Agent Apply for You?

Yes, but with important caveats. A letting agent can be named as the property manager on the application and can physically submit the form on the landlord's behalf. However, the proposed licence holder must still be the property owner (or someone with legal control of the property). The licence is granted to the licence holder, not the agent.

The agent's accreditation does not qualify the owner for the £150 LRS fee discount — that requires the licence holder's own accreditation. And appointing a managing agent does not relieve the owner of statutory liabilities under the Housing Act 2004.

Local letting agents in Leeds typically charge £150 to £350 plus VAT for handling a selective licence application, on top of the Council's own fees. Some agents fold the licensing work into a full management contract at 10%–15% of monthly rent. For a self-managing landlord with one or two properties, the cost of agent licensing assistance can exceed the annual savings of self-management.

Our Landlord Licensing in Leeds guide covers the exemption tests, the TEN application process and the full self-managed application workflow.

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