Leicester Selective Licensing: What Landlords Need to Know in 2026

Leicester City Council's selective licensing scheme caught thousands of landlords off guard when it launched in October 2022. Five years on, the scheme still runs until 9 October 2027, and plenty of landlords in the affected wards still aren't sure whether their property falls inside the boundary or what to do about it.

Which Properties Does Selective Licensing Cover?

Selective licensing in Leicester operates under Part 3 of the Housing Act 2004. It applies to every privately rented property inside mapped sections of five wards: Braunstone Park & Rowley Fields, Fosse, Westcotes, Stoneygate and Saffron. That includes single-family lets, couples, single occupants and small HMOs with two to four sharers.

The scheme does not cover the whole ward in every case. Boundaries run down specific streets and can split individual address ranges. Properties on the same street can fall on opposite sides of the boundary. The reliable ways to check are Leicester City Council's Aurora mapping tool and the designation schedule attached to the council notice.

Leicester does not run an additional HMO licensing scheme. If your property is a small shared house with three or four tenants, it falls under selective licensing (not additional licensing) provided it sits inside a mapped selective licensing area. Outside those areas, a property with fewer than five occupants currently needs no local licence.

How Much Does It Cost?

The total selective licensing fee is £1,290 per property, split into two stages. Stage 1 costs £1,032, payable when you submit the application. This covers processing, background checks and your initial property inspection. Stage 2 is £258, invoiced when the council is ready to grant the licence.

There is a discount for newly acquired properties: if you bought the property within the previous six months (verified by HM Land Registry title), you qualify for a reduced fee. The current fee guidance does not list a bulk discount for portfolios or separate discounts for NRLA membership or DASH accreditation; check with the council if those apply to you.

The Stage 1 fee is non-refundable if you withdraw the application, sell the property or have planning permission refused. It can be refunded if the council confirms that no licence is required, including where the property is outside the designated boundary, or if you submitted a duplicate application.

What Does the Application Involve?

Applications go through Leicester City Council's online portal at 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. Before you start the application, you need to complete a Fit and Proper Person declaration through a separate Microsoft Forms link. This declaration must be dated within three months of your application, so timing matters — complete it too early and you will need to redo it.

You will need to upload a current gas safety certificate (CP12), an Electrical Installation Condition Report with a satisfactory rating, an Energy Performance Certificate at grade E or above, a fire safety declaration with evidence of mains-powered interlinked smoke alarms, dimensional floor plans and a copy of your tenancy agreement.

If you need help with the portal, Leicester City Council offers application assistance sessions by appointment on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:00 to 14:45. Book by emailing [email protected].

What Happens After the Licence Is Granted?

The licence runs for up to five years, though the council can issue shorter terms where compliance history is patchy or planning status is unresolved. The licence is tied to a named holder for a specific property — it cannot be transferred. If you sell the property, the licence ends at completion and the new owner must apply from scratch.

Once licensed, you must maintain all safety certificates, manage anti-social behaviour through the protocols set out in your licence conditions, keep waste storage in order and cooperate with council inspections. The council typically inspects licensed properties at least once during the five-year term.

The selective licensing designation itself is scheduled to end on 9 October 2027. Leicester City Council will review the scheme in October 2027. Separately, the national PRS Database registration window for the East Midlands runs from 15 February to 14 May 2027. Property registration includes any local licence details; outstanding information can be provided within 28 days after registration.

What Are the Penalties for Not Having a Licence?

Operating an unlicensed property in a selective licensing area is a criminal offence under Section 95 of the Housing Act 2004. Leicester City Council can prosecute in the magistrates' court (unlimited fine) or issue a civil penalty notice of up to £40,000 per offence committed on or after 1 May 2026; the previous maximum was £30,000. For an offence committed on or after 1 May 2026, tenants or the local housing authority may apply to the First-tier Tribunal for a rent repayment order covering up to 24 months of rent.

Having an application pending does provide a statutory defence, but only if the application was duly made — meaning required documents and declarations were received and verified and the Stage 1 fee was paid. Submitting an incomplete application does not protect you.

For the full step-by-step process covering boundary checks, document preparation, fee staging and licence conditions, the Landlord Licensing in Leicester guide walks you through every stage from first check to licence grant.

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