A shared house in Leicester has to work for the council, the people who live there and the owner's figures. We look at all three before we agree terms.
We'll tell you plainly if a house in Leicester isn't suited to the arrangement you have in mind, and what it would take to make it work.
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.
Our HMO maintenance service in Leicester
Our maintenance team covers shared houses in Leicester and across Leicestershire, carrying out planned work, repairs and void works. We log every report and agree a priority with the owner, so safety items such as fire doors, alarms and heating are dealt with ahead of routine jobs.
For HMOs in Leicester, we keep fire alarm and emergency lighting test records, certificates and repair notes in one property file, ready if the local council inspects the house or asks for evidence that the licence conditions are being met.
- Communal area cleaning coordinated and checked
- Planned maintenance schedule built around each house
- Fire alarm and emergency lighting test records
- Void works between tenancies
- Gas Safe engineers and qualified electricians for safety work
Letting to students and sharers in Leicester
Student lets in Leicester often follow the academic year. Since 1 May 2026, Ground 4A can let a landlord of a student HMO seek possession for the summer, but only if every condition is met, including: each tenant is, or is reasonably expected to become, a full-time student; written notice was given before signing; the tenancy was signed no more than six months before move-in; the timing condition is met; and the landlord intends to re-let to students.