Landlord guide for York

Landlord licensing and compliance reference for York (City of York Council, Yorkshire; population ~210,000).

Licensing position

York operates the standard mandatory 5+ person HMO licensing and Article 4 Directions in specific wards.

• Mandatory HMO licensing for 5+ person HMOs (UK-wide).
• Article 4 Direction restricts new HMO conversions in specific wards near the universities.
• No city-wide additional or selective licensing scheme currently in force.
• Short-term let activity is increasingly scrutinised — check current planning rules.

Local notes

• University of York + York St John drive HMO demand.
• Strong tourism market pushes some landlords toward STL conversions.

Indicative York PRS rent (2025) ~£1,150/month for a 2-bed.

Council licensing page: https://www.york.gov.uk/HMOLicensing

Reference data only — always confirm the current scheme on the council's own page.