Renting in Leicester: check-in and getting your deposit back

Homes to rent 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 a month (ONS, September 2026), up 0.9% on a year earlier. Source

On moving-in day

1. Before unpacking, photograph every room: a wide shot, then each item, with the date and time on every photo.
2. Photograph the meters (gas, electricity, water) and write down the readings.
3. Count the keys and fobs, and test the smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.
4. Note anything worn, marked or not working, and send it to the landlord or agent within a few days.

Things to look at 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.

Your deposit

Your landlord must protect your deposit in the DPS, TDS or mydeposits within 30 days and tell you which. At the end, deductions can only be for damage beyond fair wear and tear, cleaning back to the check-in standard, or rent owed. A dated check-in record is your best protection.

Help from the council

Tenants with disrepair, damp or safety problems in a private let can contact Leicester City Council's private sector housing team, after first reporting the problem to their landlord. Leicester City Council: private renting.

Do your check-in free Moving-in checklist