Does Leicester Have Additional HMO Licensing?

Landlords who search for Leicester's additional HMO licensing scheme come up empty because the council does not currently operate one. Leicester City Council does not currently have an additional licensing scheme under Part 2, Section 56 of the Housing Act 2004. This causes genuine confusion for landlords with small shared houses who know their property is some kind of HMO but cannot work out which licence they need.

What Additional Licensing Is (and Why Leicester Doesn't Have It)

Additional HMO licensing is a discretionary power that allows councils to extend mandatory HMO licensing to smaller houses in multiple occupation — typically properties with three or four occupants from two or more households who share amenities. Some councils across England use it to capture small HMOs that fall below the five-person threshold for mandatory licensing.

Leicester City Council does not currently operate this scheme. Small shared houses inside the mapped selective licensing areas in Braunstone Park & Rowley Fields, Fosse, Westcotes, Stoneygate and Saffron fall under selective licensing, not additional licensing.

What This Means for Small Shared Houses

If your property has three or four tenants from separate households sharing a kitchen or bathroom, here is what applies:

Inside the mapped selective licensing areas: You need a selective licence (£1,290 total). The selective scheme covers all privately rented properties in the designated areas, including small HMOs.

Outside the mapped areas: You currently need no local property licence. The property must still comply with national HMO management regulations and housing standards, but there is no licensing fee to pay.

Five or more occupants from two or more households, anywhere in Leicester: You need a mandatory HMO licence (£900), regardless of ward.

Why This Matters

The practical difference is cost and process. A selective licence costs £1,290 and is split across two payment stages. A mandatory HMO licence costs £900 paid upfront. Both go through the same online portal and require the same core documents (gas safety certificate, EICR, EPC, fire safety, floor plans, tenancy agreement, Fit and Proper Person declaration).

The distinction also matters for compliance checkers and postcode tools. Several national platforms list Leicester as having additional licensing because their databases confuse the selective scheme's coverage of small HMOs with a formal additional licensing designation. They are not the same thing. If you rely on an automated checker, verify the answer against the council directly.

The Landlord Licensing in Leicester guide includes a decision flowchart that takes you from occupant count and property location to the exact licence type you need.

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