Do I need a landlord licence in Leicester City Council?

Leicester City Council currently operates selective licensing. Whether you need a licence depends on the property location, type, and occupancy. Use the postcode checker on this page or contact the council directly to confirm.

How much does a property licence cost in Leicester City Council?

Based on our current data, licence fees in Leicester City Council are approximately: Leicester City Council Mandatory HMO Licensing: £900 per HMO licence application. No Part A/B split publicly detailed for mandatory HMO licensing. No accreditation discount structure publicly confirmed for mandatory HMO licensing; Leicester City Council Selective Licensing Scheme One: Fee covers the entire period of the scheme (up to 9 October 2027). Part A paid upon application, Part B paid when licence is issued. The only current discount available (as of April 2024) is 10% for new owners who apply within 6 months of taking legal ownership of a property in the licensing area. All other discounts (EPC, accreditation, charity, multiple properties, Gold Leasing Scheme) expired on 9 April 2024. All introductory discounts expired on 9 April 2024. Only remaining discount: 10% for applicants who purchased a property in the licensing area and apply within 6 months of legal ownership. Previous discounts (each 10%) were for: accredited landlord association membership, registered charity status, EPC A/B/C rating, multiple property applications, Gold Leasing Scheme membership; Leicester City Council Selective Licensing Scheme Two: Same fee structure as Scheme One. Part A paid upon application, Part B paid when licence is issued. Only remaining discount: 10% for applicants who purchased a property in the licensing area and apply within 6 months of legal ownership. All introductory discounts expired on 9 April 2024. Only remaining discount: 10% for applicants who purchased a property within 6 months of legal ownership. Fees can vary and may include discounts for early applications. Always check the latest fees on the council website before applying.

Does mandatory HMO licensing apply in Leicester City Council?

Yes. Mandatory HMO licensing applies across all of England, including Leicester City Council. It covers properties with 5 or more occupiers forming 2 or more separate households. You must apply to Leicester City Council for a mandatory HMO licence if your property meets these criteria.

Enhanced research coverage

Landlord licensing in Leicester City Council

East Midlands

We currently show scheme records, official links, and supporting research for this council.

Council website

Licensing scorecard

Enhanced coverage

Our current data shows active local licensing signals. Verify the latest boundaries, dates, fees, and exemptions with the council.

Selective licensing

Active selective

Additional HMO licensing

No active additional scheme shown

Mandatory HMO licensing

Applies across England

Source confidence: High
Boundary confidence: Low
Public register: Clear searchable register (1/5)
Last reviewed: 27 March 2026
Next review due: Not scheduled
Sources recorded: 15

Open the official council source

Our current data is a research summary, not a legal record. This should be verified with the council before letting, purchasing, refinancing, or taking legal action. Mandatory HMO licensing may still apply even where no local additional or selective scheme is recorded.

Recommended next step

Verify the position with the official council source

Our current data shows an active local scheme and a clear area match. The fastest reliable next step is to confirm the current fees, dates, boundaries, and exemptions on the official council source before letting, purchasing, refinancing, or taking legal action.

Check the official council source Get a written property licensing check

What still adds uncertainty

At least one scheme uses street or custom-area boundaries, so a postcode match can only be approximate.
Mandatory HMO licensing can apply based on occupancy and households, which cannot be confirmed from a postcode alone.

Buying, refinancing, or completing conveyancing? A due diligence report pulls the licensing position together with the official routes so the risk is documented before you commit. This is an information service and is not legal advice.

Verify with the council

Our current data is based on publicly available information. Always verify the latest licensing position, scheme boundaries, fees, and exemptions with Leicester City Council.

Verify on official council licensing page Council website Report an inaccuracy

Council updates

Get updates for Leicester City Council

We will email you if Leicester City Council introduces, renews, or changes a licensing scheme. Free, occasional updates only. Always verify final requirements on the council website.

Free, occasional licensing updates only. You can unsubscribe at any time.

If you need more than the council page

This page may already answer a lot of the question. Use the paid products only if you want a quicker written summary, a more risk-focused view, or ongoing monitoring.

Property Licensing Check

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A property-specific PDF licensing report with a verification email template, current scheme fees, and a £30,000 risk context block — delivered to your inbox automatically.

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Licensing Due Diligence Report

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A more tailored, more decision-oriented, and more risk-focused review for higher-stakes property decisions.

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Alerts and monitoring

£12.99/month · Coming soon

A lighter monitoring tier for selected councils or areas, aimed at landlords and smaller investors who want ongoing updates.

See alerts and monitoring

These are information services, not legal advice. Final reliance should still be checked against council sources.

Check a postcode in Leicester City Council

Enter a postcode to see whether it appears to fall within a licensing scheme area, then verify the result with the council.

Local licensing scheme records

Selective LicensingActive

Leicester City Council Selective Licensing Scheme One

Partially covers parts of six wards: Braunstone Park and Rowley Fields, Fosse, Saffron, Spinney Hills, Stoneygate, and Westcotes. Total scheme (Scheme One and Two combined) covers approximately 8,853 properties.

Fee guide: Fee covers the entire period of the scheme (up to 9 October 2027). Part A paid upon application, Part B paid when licence is issued. The only current discount available (as of April 2024) is 10% for new owners who apply within 6 months of taking legal ownership of a property in the licensing area. All other discounts (EPC, accreditation, charity, multiple properties, Gold Leasing Scheme) expired on 9 April 2024. All introductory discounts expired on 9 April 2024. Only remaining discount: 10% for applicants who purchased a property in the licensing area and apply within 6 months of legal ownership. Previous discounts (each 10%) were for: accredited landlord association membership, registered charity status, EPC A/B/C rating, multiple property applications, Gold Leasing Scheme membership.
Discount available: All introductory discounts expired on 9 April 2024. Only remaining discount: 10% for applicants who purchased a property in the licensing area and apply within 6 months of legal ownership. Previous discounts (each 10%) were for: accredited landlord association membership, registered charity status, EPC A/B/C rating, multiple property applications, Gold Leasing Scheme membership.
Scheme period: 10 October 2022 - 9 October 2027
Typical licence term: Up to 5 years (expires 9 October 2027)
Coverage: See council website for boundaries

Apply for licence

Research notes

Scheme One is one of two concurrent selective licensing schemes in Leicester. The scheme targets areas with high concentrations of private rented properties (35% of housing stock vs 19% national average), high levels of anti-social behaviour, and poor housing conditions. Over 4,200 properties were inspected with over 10,000 hazards found; over 70% of inspected properties had at least one hazard. Three inspections are conducted during the five-year licence period, with the first before licence issuance. Penalty for unlicensed properties: unlimited court fines or civil penalties. unlicensed landlords may face possession restrictions and may face Tenants or local authorities may be able to apply for a rent repayment order. GOV.UK guidance now refers to up to two years' rent for relevant offences, but eligibility, timing and the final amount depend on the facts and tribunal decision. backdated to 10 October 2022. Property types covered: All privately rented properties in the designated areas, including small HMOs (2 or more households with up to 4 people sharing). Large HMOs (5 or more people in 2+ households) are excluded as they fall under mandatory HMO licensing. Exemptions or exclusions: Mandatory HMO properties (5+ people, 2+ households). Exemptions under the Selective Licensing of Houses (Specified Exemptions) (England) Order 2006 and Housing Act 2004, Schedule 14, including certain social housing, holiday lets, student accommodation managed by educational institutions, and other specified tenancy types.

Verify on official council page

Our current data shows this scheme based on public information. Always verify the latest fees, dates, and boundary wording on the official council page.

Selective LicensingActive

Leicester City Council Selective Licensing Scheme Two

Partially covers parts of three wards: Fosse, Stoneygate, and Westcotes. Scheme Two provides additional coverage in wards already partially covered by Scheme One.

Fee guide: Same fee structure as Scheme One. Part A paid upon application, Part B paid when licence is issued. Only remaining discount: 10% for applicants who purchased a property in the licensing area and apply within 6 months of legal ownership. All introductory discounts expired on 9 April 2024. Only remaining discount: 10% for applicants who purchased a property within 6 months of legal ownership.
Discount available: All introductory discounts expired on 9 April 2024. Only remaining discount: 10% for applicants who purchased a property within 6 months of legal ownership.
Designation date: 29 September 2022
Scheme period: 29 December 2022 - 9 October 2027
Typical licence term: Up to 5 years (expires 9 October 2027)
Coverage: See council website for boundaries

Apply for licence

Research notes

Scheme Two was designated on 29 September 2022 and came into force on 29 December 2022. The designation is set to cease on 9 October 2027 unless the Council revokes the scheme earlier under section 84 of the Housing Act 2004. Scheme Two covers additional properties in wards already partially covered by Scheme One. Same penalty regime applies as Scheme One: civil penalties, unlimited court fines, Section 21 restrictions, Tenants or local authorities may be able to apply for a rent repayment order. GOV.UK guidance now refers to up to two years' rent for relevant offences, but eligibility, timing and the final amount depend on the facts and tribunal decision. Property types covered: All privately rented properties in the designated areas, including small HMOs (2 or more households with up to 4 people sharing). Large HMOs (5 or more people in 2+ households) are excluded as they fall under mandatory HMO licensing. Exemptions or exclusions: Mandatory HMO properties (5+ people, 2+ households). Exemptions under the Selective Licensing of Houses (Specified Exemptions) (England) Order 2006 and Housing Act 2004, Schedule 14.

Verify on official council page

Our current data shows this scheme based on public information. Always verify the latest fees, dates, and boundary wording on the official council page.

Public licensing register

Councils must keep a public register of licensed properties. How easy it is to use varies a lot between councils.

Public register found: Yes
Search method: Search online
Register usability: Clear searchable register (1/5)

HMOSelective

Appears to cover HMO and selective licences - always confirm scope on the register itself.

Register notes

Maintained under statutory obligation under the 2004 Housing Act. Available on the Leicester Open Data portal. Last processed March 19, 2026. Released under Open Government Licence v3.0, permitting reuse with attribution. Also mirrored at data.gov.uk. Contact: privatesectorhousing@leicester.gov.uk.

Open the public register

The council register and official source pages should be treated as the source of truth. Our summary is a guide to help you find and use them, not a substitute for the live register. How public registers work.

Research summary

These public research signals help show how recently this page was reviewed and what still needs checking before you rely on it.

Last reviewed

27 March 2026

Research confidence

High (72/100)

Sources checked

Research notes

Key data (fees, scheme dates, areas, exemptions, discounts, public register, enforcement) obtained from official Leicester City Council pages and confirmed by multiple sources including DASH, Kamma, LandlordZone, and council press releases. The existence of two selective licensing schemes (Scheme One October 2022, Scheme Two December 2022) is confirmed by Kamma, LandlordZone, and official designation document URLs. The fee history (£1,090 original, £1,290 from April 2024) is confirmed by the council news release and multiple landlord sources. No additional HMO licensing scheme exists as confirmed by multiple sources. HMO mandatory licensing fee of £900 confirmed from the council's HMO page.

Council contact details

Email: selectivelicensing@leicester.gov.uk
Phone: 0116 454 7133
Address: York House, 5th Floor, 91 Granby Street, Leicester, LE1 6FB

Important to verify

selective_licensing_public_register_direct_URL (referenced as publicly available but specific URL not found)
mandatory_hmo_licensing_Part_A_Part_B_fee_breakdown (single £900 total only; no split confirmed)
mandatory_hmo_licensing_contact_email (privatesectorhousing@leicester.gov.uk from open data portal, not confirmed from HMO licensing page directly)
Any recent council change that could affect the current public summary.

Supporting sources

Mandatory HMO licensing

All councils in England must operate mandatory HMO licensing. This applies to properties with 5 or more occupants forming 2 or more separate households, regardless of location. If your property meets these criteria, you must apply for a mandatory HMO licence from Leicester City Council.

Not sure whether the rules apply? Use the HMO licence checker to check whether a property may need an HMO licence, then verify the current position with Leicester City Council.

Council-specific HMO detail we currently show

Citywide mandatory licensing for all large HMOs in Leicester. Applies to any property where at least 5 tenants live, forming more than 1 household, and they share toilet, bathroom, or kitchen facilities.

Fee notes: £900 per HMO licence application. No Part A/B split publicly detailed for mandatory HMO licensing. No accreditation discount structure publicly confirmed for mandatory HMO licensing.
Typical licence term: Up to 5 years

Mandatory under Housing Act 2004 Part 2. No fixed end date as this is a statutory requirement. Required document: 'Fit and Proper Person' declaration dated within the last 3 months, submitted via https://my.leicester.gov.uk/AchieveForms/. Landlords must ensure functioning smoke alarms, clear escape routes, current gas/electrical safety checks, adequate communal areas and shared facilities, and appropriate waste storage. Penalty for non-compliance: civil penalties or unlimited court fines. Properties in Article 4 Direction areas require planning permission; Leicester usually refuses applications for new HMOs in Article 4 areas. Property types covered: All large HMOs: shared houses and flats with 5+ people from 2+ households sharing facilities. Includes properties converted into bedsits with some shared facilities, and mixed self-contained/non-self-contained accommodation. Exemptions or exclusions: Purpose-built flats in blocks of 3 or more self-contained units. Houses converted to flats meeting 1991 Building Regulations. Properties where two-thirds or more of flats are owner-occupied.

View HMO licensing info on council website

Other compliance requirements

In addition to licensing, all private landlords in England must comply with these requirements:

Gas Safety Certificate (CP12) - renewed annually
EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) - every 5 years
EPC rating of E or above - required before letting
Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms - checked at start of tenancy
Deposit protection - within 30 days of receiving deposit
Right to Rent checks - before tenancy starts

View full compliance checklist →

Common questions about licensing in Leicester City Council

Do I need a landlord licence in Leicester City Council?: Leicester City Council currently operates selective licensing. Whether you need a licence depends on the property location, type, and occupancy. Use the postcode checker on this page or contact the council directly to confirm.
How much does a property licence cost in Leicester City Council?: Based on our current data, licence fees in Leicester City Council are approximately: Leicester City Council Mandatory HMO Licensing: £900 per HMO licence application. No Part A/B split publicly detailed for mandatory HMO licensing. No accreditation discount structure publicly confirmed for mandatory HMO licensing; Leicester City Council Selective Licensing Scheme One: Fee covers the entire period of the scheme (up to 9 October 2027). Part A paid upon application, Part B paid when licence is issued. The only current discount available (as of April 2024) is 10% for new owners who apply within 6 months of taking legal ownership of a property in the licensing area. All other discounts (EPC, accreditation, charity, multiple properties, Gold Leasing Scheme) expired on 9 April 2024. All introductory discounts expired on 9 April 2024. Only remaining discount: 10% for applicants who purchased a property in the licensing area and apply within 6 months of legal ownership. Previous discounts (each 10%) were for: accredited landlord association membership, registered charity status, EPC A/B/C rating, multiple property applications, Gold Leasing Scheme membership; Leicester City Council Selective Licensing Scheme Two: Same fee structure as Scheme One. Part A paid upon application, Part B paid when licence is issued. Only remaining discount: 10% for applicants who purchased a property in the licensing area and apply within 6 months of legal ownership. All introductory discounts expired on 9 April 2024. Only remaining discount: 10% for applicants who purchased a property within 6 months of legal ownership. Fees can vary and may include discounts for early applications. Always check the latest fees on the council website before applying.
Does mandatory HMO licensing apply in Leicester City Council?: Yes. Mandatory HMO licensing applies across all of England, including Leicester City Council. It covers properties with 5 or more occupiers forming 2 or more separate households. You must apply to Leicester City Council for a mandatory HMO licence if your property meets these criteria.
What happens if I rent without a licence in Leicester City Council?: Operating a licensable property without the correct licence can lead to enforcement action. For offences committed on or after 1 May 2026, GOV.UK guidance refers to civil penalties of up to £40,000 for relevant offences, with different treatment for breaches and for offences committed before that date. Earlier cases may still be assessed under previous rules. Tenants or local authorities may be able to apply for a rent repayment order. GOV.UK guidance now refers to up to two years' rent for relevant offences, but eligibility, timing and the final amount depend on the facts and tribunal decision. From 1 May 2026, Section 21 notices can no longer be used for existing or new private tenancies in England. Transitional rules may still matter for notices served before that date.

Still unsure? Choose the next step that fits you

Use these routes to move from the Leicester City Council summary into the most relevant next action for your property, role, or research task.

Landlord with a standard let→

Start with a postcode if you want a property-specific route before relying on the council summary alone.

Shared occupancy or possible HMO→

Use the HMO checker if occupier numbers, households, or room-sharing could change the answer.

Check if a property has an HMO licence→

Use this if you need to check whether a property holds an HMO licence, or find the council's public HMO register.

Investor, buyer, or conveyancer→

Use the due diligence guide if this council page is part of a purchase, refinance, or pre-letting review.

Letting agent or portfolio manager→

Preview the monitoring route if you need ongoing watchlists and recurring scheme-change visibility.

Understand selective licensing rules→

Read the guide if you want the broader legal background on how selective licensing works alongside this council page.

Need the area-based route→

Use the selective licensing page if the real question is whether a standard rented home sits inside a designated area.

Tenant checking landlord compliance→

Use the tenant guide if you rent a property and want to check whether your landlord holds the right licence.

Important disclaimer

This tool provides general information about landlord licensing schemes in England. Results are based on publicly available data and may not reflect recent changes. This is not legal advice. Always verify licensing requirements directly with your local council before making decisions.