East of England · Council licensing
Peterborough operates discretionary property licensing. Letting an unlicensed property where a scheme applies risks a civil penalty of up to £30,000 and a rent repayment order — check whether your property is covered below.
Required for any HMO let to 5 or more people forming 2+ households who share facilities. Check the council for the current fee.
No selective licensing scheme is currently in force.
Peterborough City Council operates a city-wide additional HMO licensing scheme. Formally designated on 15 October 2025 (following Cabinet decision on 2 October 2025), it came into force on 26 January 2026 and runs for 5 years until 25 January 2031. It applies to all HMOs containing 3 or 4 unrelated persons sharing a toilet, bathroom or kitchen across the entire city, plus section 257 HMOs (converted blocks of flats not meeting 1991 Building Regulations with more than a third let on shorthold tenancies). The scheme covers approximately 2,000 properties not previously requiring a licence. Licence fee £1,100 split into two parts (£588 Part A + £512 Part B). Administered by Home Safe. A consultation ran between 19 May and 31 July 2025 - 74% of tenants said HMO landlords had a negative local impact, 65% agreed additional licensing should be introduced. Enforcement period began 26 April 2026 (3 months after scheme start).
Areas: city-wide
Scheme runs until: 25 January 2031
Source: Peterborough licensing page →
A valid Gas Safety certificate (annual), an EICR (every 5 years), a valid EPC, a protected deposit, smoke & CO alarms, the Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet, and a current How to Rent guide — plus the new Section 8 possession rules since Section 21 was abolished on 1 May 2026.
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