Leeds City Council has officially expanded its Selective Licensing scheme, which does include a specific restriction regarding overseas landlords.
To be clear: the council has not banned overseas investors from owning property, but they have effectively banned them from being the named license holder.
Under the new regulations, any property within the designated selective licensing zones must have a license holder who lives in the UK.
Refusal of Overseas Applications: Leeds City Council explicitly states that applications naming a person living overseas as the license holder will be refused.
Legal Accountability: The primary reason for this is "jurisdiction." The council requires the license holder to be within the reach of UK courts so they can be held legally accountable for management standards or safety breaches.
No "Care Of" Addresses: You cannot use a PO Box or a "care of" address to bypass this; the holder must have a physical UK residential address.
If you are an overseas landlord with property in the designated areas (which now include parts of Armley, Beeston, Holbeck, Gipton, Harehills, and others), you must appoint a UK-based proxy to hold the license.
LetsLiveLeeds can act as your License Holder, and you will also benefit from a discounted License fee due to our Accreditation.
Please get in touch ASAP if you need help with this, or forward to another Landlord who may be at risk of being fined.
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