The Ultimate Guide to Renting in Leeds

So, you’re all in on Leeds. You’re eyeing up a plush apartment decorated with BoConcept furniture, with everything from a bowling alley to co-working booths and peloton bikes right down the hall. There’s even room for your dog.

We wouldn’t blame you if you never stepped outside your door! But city life is calling. There’s no point choosing to make your home at the gateway to one of the most exciting city centre’s in the North, if you’re not going to get out there and explore, right?

Welcome to our Ultimate Guide to Renting in Leeds. Everything you need to know about the urban playground on your doorstep. Where to go, what to do, what to eat and drink and how to get there. So you can live the luxe life of a local, whether you’ve been here five years or five minutes. Walking or taxi times included.

Why live in Leeds?

If you're still weighing up a move to Leeds, the city's economic credentials tend to be the first thing that surprises people. Leeds is the third largest economy outside London, home to major employers including Channel 4, Sky, and a financial and legal sector that genuinely rivals the capital. It's a city that has been quietly building a serious professional infrastructure for decades, and it shows - making it the perfect place for young professionals.

Leeds has a city centre that functions like a city centre should, with plenty of things to do, places to eat, and spots to drink, and a cost of living that makes the comparison with London feel almost unfair. The connectivity seals it. Manchester is an hour by train, and London is under two and a half hours. Leeds Bradford Airport sits a short drive to the northwest. Whether you're commuting, visiting clients, or just keeping a life that extends beyond a single postcode, Leeds is unusually well-placed for a city of its scale and character.

Right. Now the more important stuff: where to get your morning coffee.

Some of the best coffee shops in Leeds

Every day starts with coffee, right? Ditch the instant brew and head out to meet your next regular barista. Head over Whitehall Bridge into town for Sociable Folk (8 mins) on their blissful, sunny terrace. Or carry on to Wolfox (11 mins) where some seriously indulgent brunch options should set you up for the day, if not the week. South of the river, you can’t go wrong with the Holbeck branch of 92 Degrees (11 mins).

Coffee purists will love IF (16 mins) on East Parade, who source beans from their own roastery. There’s another branch on Call Lane, too. Or stalwart La Bottega Milanese (16 mins), about as close as you’ll come to the authentic Italian espresso experience this side of the Adriatic.

Foodies who want a bite with their brew can also check out cult donut slingers Doh’hut (15 mins), or bright and breezy Laynes Espresso (17 mins), founding fathers of the Leeds coffee scene with a menu heavy on veggie and vegan options.

Want to learn more? Check out our full guide to the best cafes in Leeds!

Visit a great bar in Leeds

If every day starts with a coffee, the best days end with a tipple. Luckily, the Leeds bar scene has been mixing magnificent cocktails and pouring award-winning craft beer for quite some time now. Over the river on Whitehall, The Soap Factory (9 mins) is all clean lines, leather couches and relaxed vibes, whilst Green Room (14 mins) is a totally instagrammable hotspot packed with the Leeds style set. Arguably the city’s best selection of top shelf spirits can be found at Lazy Lounge (9 mins), tucked away off Wellington Street.

If a quiet (or loud) pint is more your thing, craft pioneers Northern Monk Refectory (14 mins) are a leading light in a city famous for hops, and their spacious Holbeck taproom is a seriously beery oasis. Historic hangout The Tetley (5 mins taxi), once the HQ of the household name brewery, has recently been taken over by Kirkstall Brewery, so your quest for a pint in their wood panelled bar is safe for now.

The best live music venues in Leeds

Music runs through Leeds’ veins, with a grassroots scene that spans everything from iconic indie to homegrown electronica, and large venues that have made the city a must-stop for some of the world’s biggest acts. The First Direct Arena (7 mins taxi) spans everything from Slipknot to Simply Red, and Leeds’ O2 Academy (10 mins taxi) has the meteoricThe Last Dinner Party heading a chunky summer season.

More underground offerings can be had at Project House (13 mins), a new events space from the famous Belgrave Music Hall crew, and the iconic Brudenell Social Club (9 mins taxi) in Hyde Park.

If jazz and soul is more your idea of a tuneful night out, The Wardrobe (8 mins taxi) is where students from the neighbouring College of Music hang out, and The Domino Club (10 mins taxi) is a super cool speakeasy attracting jazz’s biggest talents.

Treat yourself at the best lunch spots in Leeds

It might be the case that you’re never more than a few minutes away from a supermarket meal deal, but in Leeds you’re also never more than a few minutes away from… whatever the opposite of that bland boxed sandwich is! And if there’s anywhere that takes the challenge seriously, it’s Things In Bread (15 mins), sister venue to Doh’hut. The things? Kick-ass, freshly prepared fillings. The bread? Epic. There are plenty of decent options round the corner at Kirkgate Market Food Hall (10 min taxi) too, including mackerel baps, chilli paneer wraps and unbeatable bánh mì.

If there’s time in your day to sit and enjoy a proper plate, then Leeds’ variety of asian-influenced lunch spots is a great call. Little Bao Boy (18 mins) steam up pillowy bow buns from their residency at North Brewing Co. taproom on Sovereign Square, and Mommy Thai (19 mins) on Boar Lane serve a knockout Pad Thai. But Indian street food from Bundobust (17 mins) is perhaps the pick of the bunch.

After a drink as well? We have a guide to the best pubs in Leeds city centre to visit.

Places to eat in central Leeds

Nothing in the cupboard? Meal prep run out of steam? It’s dinner time, and Leeds really eats. If you need something to grab before a night in with Netflix, BOOM Food Co (5 mins) is just the takeout you’re looking for. Head by earlier in the day for the best bakes and cakes around. Nearby is trendy basement venue Mans Market (9 mins), where classic meets modern chinese.

Good Luck Club (7 mins) on Wellington Place is a safe bet for your next fave local eatery, offering a New York brasserie influenced night and day menu in a casual setting. Down on Water Lane, Bomba Paella (11 mins) is something of a Leeds hidden gem. Guess what they do? Top marks. Delicious, authentic paella… and tapas too. You can even get a paella kit to take home!

Getting around Leeds: transport & commute guide

A quick scan of our recs will show you that Leeds is a totally walkable city! There’s not much of the city centre you can’t reach in 20 minutes on foot, whether you’re venturing down the picturesque Leeds Liverpool Canal (3 mins), or scooting down Whitehall Road right into the heart of the action.

Leeds Train Station (13 mins) is at your beck and call, with routes out to trendy suburbs like Kirkstall and Horsforth, or further on to Skipton, Otley and the Dales. Buses into the city centre stop at Globe Road (2 mins), where you can catch another route from the station or Leeds Bus Station towards… anywhere! The trendy bars and restaurants of Chapel Allerton (7, 2, 36), one of Europe’s biggest green city spaces Roundhay Park (2, 3, 13) or the cricket and rugby at Headingley Stadium (1, 28). Leeds is also home to a new Beryl bike hire scheme, Leeds City Bikes (4 mins) with a docking station a few minutes down Whitehall Road.

If you’ve got a few minutes to spare on your commute, it’s certainly worth a wander through the Monk Bridge Viaduct Garden (7 mins), a beautiful redevelopment of a once-abandoned industrial space now home to an elevated park and pathways.

There’s so many great places to visit in Leeds, and UNCLE Leeds is central to them all - making it the perfect base to live, work and love living in Leeds.

Reasons why you should rent with UNCLE

Location alone not enough to convince you? If you’re not convinced, have a look at some of the amazing amenities you get at UNCLE Leeds.

• Pet-friendly apartments: Dogs, cats and everything in between are welcome at UNCLE Leeds. Because a home that doesn't have room for your pet isn't really a home.
• BoConcept furniture and Bosch appliances: Every apartment comes fully furnished with BoConcept pieces and fitted with Bosch appliances throughout.
• Bowling alley: A full bowling alley, on-site, available to residents. It's the kind of amenity that sounds like a boast until you've used it on a Tuesday evening and realised you never want to live anywhere else.
• Cinema room: A dedicated screening room for when the sofa and a laptop just won't do. Book it for a film night, a big match, or anything worth watching on a proper screen.
• Secure car parking & bike storage: Whether you drive, cycle, or both, your vehicle is looked after. Secure parking and dedicated bike storage are available on-site.

Want to know more? Check out the floor plans of our UNCLE Leeds flats.

It’s a chance to live flexibly too, because we’ve taken the ‘lord’ out of landlord. Transparent prices with no mysterious ‘extras’, with clear contracts to match. Renting run by humans, for humans, whether you stay one year, two or even ten.

You can get all of this as part of living at UNCLE Leeds - with apartments starting from just £1,015 for a studio. Book a viewing of an UNCLE Leeds apartment today.