Landlords in Leicester deal with Leicester City Council for licensing, planning and housing standards. We keep those three in view together, so a layout that suits the licence also works for planning and building control.
You get one point of contact for the whole job, a fixed price for the agreed specification and a written programme showing when each stage happens.
HMO rules in Leicester City Council
| Rule | Leicester City Council |
|---|---|
| Mandatory HMO licence (5+ people) | In force everywhere in England |
| Additional HMO licensing | None found |
| Selective licensing | In part of the area Parts of Braunstone Park and Rowley Fields, Fosse, Westcotes, Stoneygate and Saffron, 10 October 2022 to 9 October 2027 |
| Article 4 direction for small HMOs | 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 |
Checked October 2026. Schemes change, so we confirm the position for your address before any work starts.
Leicester City Council's Article 4 direction covers several areas of the city, including Westcotes, Clarendon Park and the city centre. Whether a house in Leicester needs planning permission to become a small HMO depends on whether it is inside that boundary, which we check for the exact address. Seven or more occupants always needs planning permission. We found no additional licensing scheme in force in Leicester City Council, so the mandatory licence for five or more people is the main one to plan for.
How we handle HMO licence application work in Leicester
Licensing rules for shared houses in Leicester depend on the exact address. Mandatory licensing applies to every HMO with 5 or more occupiers, but additional or selective schemes can bring smaller houses into licensing too. We check which applies before preparing anything, so the application matches the scheme.
For landlords in Leicester and across Leicestershire, we prepare the floor plan, collect the certificates and complete the council's form. We follow the application through to a decision, help with any draft conditions and keep a note of the renewal date.
- Council application form completed and checked
- Check of mandatory, additional and selective licensing at the address
- Gas, electrical, alarm and lighting certificates collated
- Licence holder, manager and fit and proper details prepared
- Help with draft conditions, renewals and variations
Letting to students and sharers in Leicester
If the house in Leicester is let to students or sharers, up-to-date certificates, measured plans and a current fire risk assessment make any council inspection more straightforward, and they are usually asked for with a licence application.