The government has given Peterborough Council the green light for its new selective licensing scheme, covering 40% of the city’s private rental properties.

The scheme will operate in areas where there are high levels of privately rented accommodation in the following wards: Bretton, Central, East, Fletton and Stanground, Fletton and Woodston, North, Orton Waterville, Park, Paston and Walton, and Stanground South. Landlords can check the council's map.

Unlike Peterborough’s previous selective licensing scheme – which ran between 2016 and 2021 - landlords will need to apply directly to Home Safe, which will manage the application process on behalf of the council. The portal is due to go live on 11th March.

Full committed

Councillor Peter Hiller (pictured), cabinet member for housing, growth and regeneration, says the authority is fully committed to working with landlords, the majority of whom provide decent, well-managed and well-maintained accommodation, to ensure that tenants are living in the best possible conditions.

He adds: “The introduction of selective licensing will help enhance the work we already do with landlords operating in the private rented sector. It will allow us to have a more active role in ensuring all private tenants can live in housing that is safe, of high standard, appropriately managed and offers appropriate tenancy protection.”

The cost of a licence will be £608 if an application is made in the first 30 days of the scheme going live, and £908 for the remainder of its five-year life.

The council also plans to run a consultation into additional licensing early next year, to cover all HMOs containing three or four people.

Pic credit: Shutterstock/chrisdorney