Leicester will see a new selective licensing scheme covering 3 areas of the city. The first area covers parts of Westcotes, Fosse, Braunstone Park and Rowley Fields wards. The second will cover Stoneygate and the third will cover part of Saffron ward.

The council says the scheme is to help safeguard tenants and identify rogue landlords in the three areas. As the scheme covers less than 20% of the city's geographical area and fewer than 20% of the city's private rented sector it will not need approval from the DLUHC secretary of state.

More than 1,100 people took part in the public consultation (required, by law, to be carried out before a licensing scheme can be designated) which ended in February 2022 and approval for the scheme was signed off at a full council meeting on July 7th.

Assistant city mayor for housing, Cllr. Elly Cutkelvin, said "Supported by a robust enforcement policy, actions to improve standards in the private rented sector encourage sustainable communities and promotes good health and wellbeing."

The scheme will go live in October 2022 with licence fees set at £1,090 (but a range of discounts are available) and the council says that it is "part of a broader wide ranging programme [of] work under Leicester's first ever private rented sector strategy [launched in November 2021] and sets out plans to support both tenants and landlords in the private sector.