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East Midlands · LE1, LE2, LE3, LE4, LE5

Inventory and check-in reports in Leicester

Leicester has one of the fastest-growing private rented sectors in the country, with nearly three in ten households renting privately in 2021. The rented stock is concentrated in Victorian terraces around the centre, in areas such as Westcotes, Fosse, Highfields and Clarendon Park, in student homes near the two universities, and in converted factories and new flats in the city centre. Large interwar council-built estates such as Braunstone and Saffron and later estates at Beaumont Leys ring the city. Selective licensing applies in parts of five wards until October 2027.

Average rent£1,020£1,020 a month (ONS, September 2026), up 0.9% on a year earlier Source
Average house price£227,000£227,000 (UK HPI, August 2026, provisional), down 1.5% on a year earlier Source
Homes sold, last 12 months1,973Average price paid £268,397 (HM Land Registry)
Households renting privately29.4%29.4% of households rent privately (Census 2021), up from 22.7% in 2011: the largest rise in the East Midlands Source
Council tax£2,528.75£2,528.75 Band D (2026/27), including Leicestershire police and fire precepts Source
Landlord licensingSome areasWhat it means for you

Homes sold in Leicester in the last 12 months

TypeSalesAverage price
Terraced841£215,914
Semi-detached618£276,434
Flat or maisonette235£125,313
Detached196£416,138
Other83£796,567

HM Land Registry Price Paid Data since 27 October 2025, updated monthly. Look up any address in the free property report.

What to check at a Leicester check-in

  • Victorian terraces in Westcotes, Fosse and Highfields: check for damp at the base of walls and in rear kitchens, and photograph yards and back entries.
  • Homes in the selective licensing areas: note the licence number and check the licence conditions on smoke alarms, gas safety and the number of occupiers.
  • Student shared houses in Clarendon Park and near De Montfort University: photograph each bedroom's lock and furniture, fire doors, alarms and the kitchen.
  • Converted factories and city-centre flats: note fob and key counts, lifts, bin and bike stores, and look for condensation around large windows.
  • Interwar estate houses in Braunstone and Saffron: record the boiler, windows and doors, and the state of gardens and fencing.
  • Homes near the Soar and the canal: look for signs of past flooding or damp in ground-floor rooms.

Do it yourself in Leicester

  • No clerk to book: do it whenever you have the keys, before the tenant moves in or with them there.
  • £30 a report instead of a clerk’s fee for every check-in, inspection and check-out.
  • The check-out starts from the check-in and shows what has changed, photos side by side.
  • Prefer paper? Use the free inventory template.

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Neighbourhoods

Areas of Leicester

City centreClarendon ParkHighfieldsStoneygateWestcotes and FosseBraunstoneSaffronBelgrave and Rushey MeadEvingtonBeaumont Leys

Letting in Leicester

Licensing, safety certificates, deposits and the local figures, for landlords.

Renting in Leicester

Your check-in, getting your deposit back, and where to get help locally.

Free property report

EPC, sold prices, crime, flood risk and rental yield for any Leicester postcode.
Questions

Inventories in Leicester: questions

How much does an inventory clerk cost in Leicester?

Clerks usually charge per visit, more for bigger or furnished homes, so a check-in and a check-out together often come to a few hundred pounds. With DIY Inventory each report is £30, whatever the size, and you can do it as soon as you have the keys.

What is the average rent in Leicester?

£1,020 a month (ONS, September 2026), up 0.9% on a year earlier. Rents vary a lot by street and type of home; the free property report shows sold prices, the EPC and more for any Leicester postcode.

Do landlords need a licence in Leicester?

Selective licensing: Selective licensing covers privately rented homes in parts of Stoneygate, Westcotes, Fosse, Braunstone Park and Rowley Fields, and Saffron wards, from 10 October 2022 to 9 October 2027 (with a second designation from December 2022 adding streets left out). Check an address on the council's map. Additional HMO licensing: No additional HMO licensing scheme is listed: larger HMOs (five or more people from two or more households) need a national mandatory licence. Article 4 directions in parts of the city control new HMOs through planning. Fees: £1,290 for a selective licence, paid as £1,032 on application and £258 when the licence is issued Check the council’s own page before letting, as schemes change.

Can I do my own check-in inventory in Leicester?

Yes. Landlords, agents and tenants can do it on a phone: a photo checklist for every room, the date and time stamped on every photo, every item’s condition, and both sides sign. The PDF is ready the moment it’s signed.

Will a DIY inventory stand up in a deposit dispute?

Deposit schemes (DPS, TDS, mydeposits) decide on the evidence, above all the condition at check-in compared with check-out. Dated photos of every room, signed by both sides, are exactly that evidence.

Nearby

Nearby areas

BlabyOadby and WigstonCharnwoodHarboroughAll areas

Ready when you have the keys

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