Documents Needed for a Selective Licence in Leicester

Leicester City Council treats an application as "duly made" under the Housing Act 2004 only after it has received and verified the required documents, declarations and Stage 1 fee. An incomplete application does not give you the statutory defence against enforcement while the council processes it. Getting your documents right before you log in saves time and protects you.

The Document Checklist

Gas Safety Certificate (CP12) — issued by a Gas Safe registered engineer, covering every gas appliance in the property. Valid for 12 months. Must be current at the time of application and supplied to the council within 28 days of any written demand during the licence term.

Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) — inspected by a qualified electrician under BS 7671 standards. Must have a "Satisfactory" rating. Valid for five years. An unsatisfactory EICR with outstanding codes (C1 or C2) will delay or prevent the licence being granted — get remedial work done and retested before applying.

Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) — minimum grade E. If the property has a grade F or G, you must either improve it or register an exemption on the national PRS Exemptions Register before applying. EPCs are valid for 10 years. You can upload the PDF or provide the GOV.UK reference URL.

Fire Safety Declaration or Fire Risk Assessment — a written confirmation that the property has mains-powered interlinked smoke alarms compliant with BS 5839-6 installed throughout. Carbon monoxide alarms must be fitted in every room containing a solid fuel, gas or oil-burning appliance. Battery-only alarms do not satisfy the requirement.

Dimensional Floor Plans — accurate room measurements in square metres, showing fire exit routes, window sizes and the location of kitchen and bathroom amenities. These do not need to be architect-drawn, but they must be to scale and clearly labelled. For HMO properties, the floor plans are how the council verifies room sizes against the statutory minimums (6.51 m² for a single bedroom, 10.22 m² for a double).

Tenancy Agreement — your current assured periodic tenancy agreement. It must include anti-social behaviour clauses, as the council requires landlords to implement ASB protocols as a licence condition.

Fit and Proper Person Declaration — completed through the council's Microsoft Forms portal and dated within three months of the application. This is a separate step from the main application.

The Order Matters

The three-month validity window on the Fit and Proper declaration creates a timing constraint. If you start gathering documents by ordering an EICR (which can take a few weeks to schedule), do the Fit and Proper declaration last — not first. A sensible sequence:

1. Commission any outstanding safety certificates (gas, electrical, fire alarms)
2. Check your EPC is current and grade E or above
3. Prepare floor plans
4. Review your tenancy agreement for ASB clauses
5. Complete the Fit and Proper Person declaration
6. Submit the application and Stage 1 fee within three months of step 5

What Happens If a Document Is Missing?

Missing documents can keep an application from being duly made. Until it is complete, do not assume that a partial submission provides statutory protection against enforcement. If you are operating without a licence in a mapped selective licensing area, you remain exposed to enforcement action, civil penalties and rent repayment order claims.

The Landlord Licensing in Leicester guide includes a pre-application certificate audit matrix with validity periods, renewal dates and a document timing planner.

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