Fit and Proper Person Test for Leicester Landlords

The Fit and Proper Person declaration is a mandatory step before you can submit a selective licensing application in Leicester. It is also one of the easiest steps to get wrong, because the declaration has a three-month validity window that catches landlords who prepare too far in advance.

How It Works

The declaration is completed through a dedicated Microsoft Forms portal, separate from the main licensing application. You fill in details about your background, criminal history and any previous enforcement action related to housing. The council then assesses whether you are a suitable person to hold the licence.

The crucial detail: the declaration must be dated within three months immediately before you submit your licensing application. If you complete it on 1 March, your application must be submitted by 31 May. Miss that window and you need to complete a new declaration before the council will accept the application.

What the Council Checks

Leicester City Council evaluates whether the proposed licence holder and property manager have:

• Unspent convictions involving fraud, dishonesty, violence, drugs or sexual offences
• Findings of unlawful discrimination under equality legislation
• Previous convictions or civil penalties under housing, landlord or tenant law

A basic DBS certificate is not automatically required for standard selective licensing applications. However, the council reserves the right to request one if background checks flag compliance concerns or if there is a history of enforcement action against the applicant.

Who Needs to Complete It?

The licence holder is typically the person receiving the rack rent — usually the property owner. If an offshore company or non-UK resident owns the property, a UK-based managing agent must be appointed as the designated licence holder or manager, and that person must pass the Fit and Proper test.

Joint owners nominate one primary owner as the named licence holder, with co-owners listed as interested parties. If a managing agent handles the day-to-day management of the property, they must also satisfy the Fit and Proper standard.

Common Mistakes

Submitting the declaration too early is the most frequent problem. Landlords who gather all their documents over several months — gas safety certificate, EICR, EPC — often complete the Fit and Proper form at the start of the process. By the time they are ready to submit the licensing application, the three-month window has expired.

Confusing the declaration with a DBS check is another. The declaration is a self-reported form with legal consequences for false statements — it is not a criminal record check. The council verifies the information independently and can request a DBS certificate if anything raises concerns.

Forgetting the managing agent — if you use an agent, they need to pass the test too. An agent who has previous housing-related enforcement history can prevent the licence from being granted.

The Landlord Licensing in Leicester guide includes a document timing planner that ensures your Fit and Proper declaration, certificates and application all align within the required windows.

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