DIY InventoryLetting a property in Leicester: a landlord’s guide
Licensing, certificates, deposits and the local figures for landlords letting in Leicester.
General information as at October 2026, not legal advice. Always check the council’s current scheme before letting.
Landlord licensing 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
Separately, every large HMO (5 or more people forming 2 or more households) needs a mandatory HMO licence anywhere in England. Source: Leicester City Council.
Leicester City Council: private renting and licensing
Safety certificates
- Gas Safety (CP12): every 12 months, by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
- EICR: at least every 5 years, by a qualified electrician.
- EPC: rated E or above, valid for 10 years.
- Alarms: a smoke alarm on every storey, and a carbon monoxide alarm in rooms with a fixed combustion appliance (not gas cookers).
Book a Gas Safety certificate, EICR or EPC in Leicester at a fixed price, and keep track of expiry dates in the free landlord dashboard.
Deposits and the inventory
Protect the deposit in the DPS, TDS or mydeposits within 30 days. At the end, the scheme decides any dispute on the evidence, above all the check-in compared with the check-out, so the inventory is what protects you.
What to record in Leicester homes
- 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.
Homes sold in Leicester in the last 12 months
| Type | Sales | Average price |
|---|---|---|
| Terraced | 841 | £215,914 |
| Semi-detached | 618 | £276,434 |
| Flat or maisonette | 235 | £125,313 |
| Detached | 196 | £416,138 |
| Other | 83 | £796,567 |
HM Land Registry Price Paid Data since 27 October 2025, updated monthly. Look up any address in the free property report.
Letting in Leicester: questions
Is there selective licensing in Leicester?
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. Check the council’s page before letting: schemes are renewed and changed every few years.
What certificates does a landlord need in Leicester?
A Gas Safety certificate every 12 months (where there is gas), an electrical safety report (EICR) at least every 5 years, and a valid EPC rated E or above, plus working smoke alarms on every storey and carbon monoxide alarms by fixed combustion appliances.
How long do I have to protect a deposit?
30 days from receiving it, in the DPS, TDS or mydeposits, with the prescribed information given to the tenant in the same 30 days.
Do I need an inventory as a landlord in Leicester?
It isn’t a legal requirement, but without a signed check-in record it is very hard to claim anything from the deposit at the end. With DIY Inventory you can do it yourself for £30, or send your tenant a link to do it.