How to Apply for a Selective Licence in Leicester: Step-by-Step

Applying for a selective licence in Leicester is straightforward if you have everything ready beforehand. Where landlords run into trouble is starting the online application before they have gathered the right documents — or missing the timing requirement on the Fit and Proper Person declaration.

Before You Start: The Fit and Proper Declaration

Leicester City Council requires a separate Fit and Proper Person declaration before you can submit the licence application itself. This is completed through a dedicated Microsoft Forms portal, not through the main licensing portal.

The critical rule: the declaration must be dated within three months of your licence application submission. If you complete the declaration in January but do not submit the application until May, the declaration has expired and you will need to redo it.

The council assesses whether the proposed licence holder and property manager have unspent convictions involving fraud, dishonesty, violence, drugs or sexual offences, findings of unlawful discrimination, or previous housing-related convictions or civil penalties. A basic DBS certificate is not automatically required for standard selective applications, but the council can request one if background checks raise concerns.

Gathering Your Documents

Have these ready before you log into the portal:

• Gas Safety Certificate (CP12) — from a Gas Safe registered engineer, valid for 12 months
• Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) — satisfactory rating, valid for five years
• Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) — minimum grade E (unless registered on the PRS Exemptions Register)
• Fire safety declaration or Fire Risk Assessment — confirming mains-powered interlinked smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms in rooms with combustion appliances
• Dimensional floor plans — accurate room measurements in square metres, fire exit routes, window sizes and amenity locations
• Tenancy agreement — your current assured periodic tenancy agreement, including anti-social behaviour clauses
• Fit and Proper Person declaration receipt — the confirmation from the Microsoft Forms submission, dated within three months

Upload all documents as PDFs or high-resolution scans. The application is not legally "duly made" until all documents are received and the Stage 1 fee is paid. An incomplete submission does not give you the statutory defence against enforcement while the council processes the application.

The Online Portal

The application is submitted through regulatory.leicester.gov.uk. The council does not issue numbered paper application forms; paper-based processing can be arranged for formal accessibility accommodations through the Private Sector Housing team. The portal asks for property details, occupancy information, applicant details, managing agent information (if applicable) and document uploads.

You must also notify all interested parties — mortgage lenders, joint freeholders, leaseholders and managing agents — before submitting. Where a property is owned by multiple people, one primary owner acts as the named licence holder and co-owners are listed as interested parties.

If you are a non-UK resident or the property is held through an offshore company, a UK-based managing agent must be appointed as the designated licence holder or manager.

Payment

The Stage 1 fee of £1,032 is payable at the point of submission through the council's payment gateway. The application will not be processed without payment. This fee is non-refundable if you withdraw, sell the property or have planning permission refused.

Stage 2 (£258) is invoiced later, once the council has completed its assessment and the licence is ready to be granted.

Application Assistance

If you are struggling with the portal, the council's Private Sector Housing team offers application assistance sessions by appointment on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 10:00 and 14:45. Book by emailing [email protected].

The Landlord Licensing in Leicester guide includes a pre-application document checklist and step-by-step portal walkthrough, so you can prepare everything offline before you log in.

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