Knighton sits within Leicester City Council, which sets its own HMO standards for room sizes, kitchens and bathrooms. Our designs start from those standards, so the layout we price is designed to meet the council's licensing requirements.
We can keep a photographic record of each stage, which is useful evidence when the council inspects or a buyer's surveyor asks questions later.
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 Knighton 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.
Loft conversions for HMOs in Knighton: what we do
Plenty of houses have roof space that could hold extra bedrooms, but in Knighton we always measure the headroom first, because floor under a 1.5 m ceiling does not count towards room size. That tells you how many rooms the loft can really add.
A loft room usually creates a third storey, so we plan the protected escape route and alarm upgrades for the whole Knighton house, not just the new floor. We also check the occupant count, because seven or more residents needs planning permission anywhere in Leicestershire.
- Alarm extended and doors upgraded on lower floors
- New staircase and protected escape route
- Headroom survey and countable floor area calculation
- Structural design and building control application
- Planning and permitted development position checked first
Letting to students and sharers in Knighton
Knighton is close to a university or college campus, so students and young professionals are part of the local rental market. If that is your market, layouts with en-suites, a generous kitchen and secure bike storage are worth planning in from the start.