Bradford Council vs Leeds City Council — Landlord Licensing Compared

Side-by-side comparison of selective and additional HMO licensing in Bradford Council and Leeds City Council. Reference data from each council's own pages and GOV.UK.

West Yorkshire neighbours with the most-compared landlord markets.

Bradford Council (Yorkshire and the Humber)

• Selective licensing: No scheme confirmed. Bradford Council operates mandatory HMO licensing only. No selective licensing scheme identified on the council website.
• Additional HMO licensing: No scheme confirmed. This council's HMO licensing pages describe mandatory HMO licensing only — a licence is required where a property is occupied by 5 or more people forming 2 or more households who share facilities such as a kitchen or bathroom. No additional HMO licensing scheme is described on those pages. Additional licensing can be introduced at any time, so check the council's own pages before relying on this.
• Council licensing page: https://www.bradford.gov.uk/housing/houses-in-multiple-occupation/do-i-need-a-hmo-licence/
• Council HMO page: https://www.bradford.gov.uk/housing/houses-in-multiple-occupation/apply-for-an-hmo-licence/
• Full reference page: https://letsentry.co.uk/council/bradford

Leeds City Council (Yorkshire and the Humber)

• Selective licensing: Designated areas only. Selective licensing designated 3 November 2025, effective from 9 February 2026, in parts of Armley, Beeston & Holbeck, Burmantofts & Richmond Hill, Hunslet & Riverside, Gipton & Harehills, and Farnley & Wortley wards.
• Additional HMO licensing: Status not yet verified. Not yet independently verified — check the council page.
• Council licensing page: https://www.leeds.gov.uk/housing/information-for-landlords/selective-licensing
• Council HMO page: https://www.leeds.gov.uk/housing/information-for-landlords/houses-in-multiple-occupation
• Full reference page: https://letsentry.co.uk/council/leeds

Mandatory HMO licensing applies in both areas: any HMO occupied by 5 or more people forming 2 or more households needs a licence anywhere in England.

Sources: - legislation.gov.uk — Housing Act 2004 — https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2004/34/contents - GOV.UK — House in multiple occupation (HMO) licence — https://www.gov.uk/house-in-multiple-occupation-licence

Last verified: 2026-06-28. Reference data only — always check each council's own page before applying.