We plan each HMO fire safety job in Leicestershire around the local council's amenity standards, which set out kitchen, bathroom and room-size requirements for shared houses.
In Leicestershire, as everywhere in England, a house with five or more people forming two or more households needs a mandatory HMO licence. Some councils go further with additional licensing or Article 4 directions, as the table shows.
HMO rules across Leicestershire's councils
| Council | Additional licensing | Selective licensing | Article 4 (small HMOs) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blaby District Council | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Charnwood Borough Council | In force Whole borough, 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2028 | In part of the area Hastings and Lemyngton wards in Loughborough, 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2028 | In part of the area Loughborough, since 12 February 2012 |
| Harborough District Council | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | In part of the area Hinckley town centre and about 36 nearby streets, since 1 May 2026 |
| Leicester City Council | None found | In part of the area Parts of Braunstone Park and Rowley Fields, Fosse, Westcotes, Stoneygate and Saffron, 10 October 2022 to 9 October 2027 | In part of the area Several areas of the city, including Westcotes, Clarendon Park and the centre, first in force 20 August 2014 and since extended |
| Melton Borough Council | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| North West Leicestershire District Council | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Oadby and Wigston Borough Council | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
Checked October 2026. Mandatory licensing for five or more people applies in every council. Schemes change, so we confirm the position for the address before work starts.
Councils in Leicestershire where we found an Article 4 direction for small HMOs in force, in all or part of their area: Charnwood Borough Council, Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council, Leicester City Council. Additional licensing applies in all or part of: Charnwood Borough Council.
How we handle HMO fire safety work in Leicestershire
We carry out HMO fire safety works in Leicestershire to a written specification taken from the fire risk assessment and the local council's HMO standards. That keeps the work proportionate, because a small two-storey house and a large three-storey one in Leicestershire rarely need the same measures.
Typical jobs in Leicestershire include fire doors with self-closers, interlinked alarms, emergency lighting and fire stopping of hidden gaps. Every job across Leicestershire ends with commissioning certificates, photos of concealed work and a logbook for routine tests.
- Fire stopping around pipes, cables, hatches and cupboards
- Emergency lighting where the escape route needs it
- Fire doors fitted with self-closers, seals and correct gaps
- Commissioning certificates, logbook and photos of concealed work
- Specification taken from the fire risk assessment and council standards