Let your house to York council

Q: Does York council work with private landlords?

Yes. York runs "YorHome" (a mix of leasing, guaranteed rent and incentives). Term: minimum 12-month assured shorthold tenancy; fifth consecutive year letting with YorHome is fee-free. Rent: set as close to the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates as possible. Source: the council's own page, checked 2026-09-28.

What York offers private landlords who want the council as their tenant or their letting agent, in the council's own words, with the page to apply on.

Yes. York runs "YorHome".

YorHome is the council's not-for-profit property letting agency; tenants are referred by the Housing Options team. The council also runs a separate Private Rented Scheme that replaces a cash deposit with a written bond. Contact yorhome@york.gov.uk, 01904 555700.

SchemeYorHomeTypea mix of leasing, guaranteed rent and incentivesTermminimum 12-month assured shorthold tenancy; fifth consecutive year letting with YorHome is fee-freeRentset as close to the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates as possibleIncentivesFor eligible landlords 12 months rent up front and grants to improve your property; £500 cash bonus for signing a minimum 12-month AST; full standard management fee of 9% with no other fees; 13 rent payments a year, paid every 4 weeks.What they wantHigh quality properties that meet our agreed set of standards, with current safety certificates, an Energy Performance Certificate and building insurance.Council pagewww.york.gov.uk/YorHomeLandlordsChecked2026-09-28

New: How council schemes compare, what you give up, and a ready-to-send email to your council

How these schemes work

Councils have a duty to house people they accept as homeless and a shortage of their own stock, so many lease or manage private landlords' houses instead. The common shapes are a lease of three to five years where the council becomes your tenant and pays rent whether the house is occupied or not, a management arrangement where the council lets and looks after it for you, or a one-off incentive (a cash payment, a deposit guarantee, rent in advance) for taking a council-nominated tenant on a normal tenancy. Terms, rent levels and what they want vary by council and change with demand, so treat every page here as a pointer to the council's own page, not a quote.

Before you sign

Check the same things you would for any let: whether the address is inside an HMO Article 4 area if the council plans to house more than one household, which licensing applies, and what the LHA rate is, since many schemes pay at or just under it. The free HMO Article 4 checker tests any postcode; Kerbio shows all three on the Rightmove listing before you buy.

See this on every Rightmove listing.Kerbio puts the Article 4 answer, licensing, the council's HMO register and sold prices on the Rightmove, Zoopla or OnTheMarket page itself. Free for 7 days, then £39 a month.

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Source: York council, read 2026-09-28. Schemes open and close with demand; confirm with the council before relying on any figure.