Peterborough City Council’s new Selective Licensing scheme, which covers 10 of the city’s wards and was launched in March, has received over 7,000 applications with over 1,750 draft licences issued and over 500 final licences issued to landlords operating private rented sector properties in the city.

After initial concerns expressed over the complexity of the application process by some landlords during the public consultation phase of the scheme proposal, the council, working with Home Safe as its scheme delivery partner, utilised a more “straightforward” application system and a licence management portal to make application submission and compliance management easier for landlords and the Local Authority. Additional support was also needed to be provided to a significant number of landlords, as over 45% of applications submitted contained either incorrect information or expired property certificates. Home Safe will also be carrying out two inspection programmes as part of the scheme, covering all rented properties in the designation.

With the first programme of property inspections due to commence this September, the council says that the licensing initiative requires PRS landlords to prove that their properties meet the required standards. The council also adds that it expects the remaining draft licences to be issued by the end of October with all final licences issued by the end of November.

Cllr. Amjad Iqbal, Deputy Leader of the council, said “We’re delighted with the initial response to Selective Licensing which shows that the vast majority of landlords in the designated areas are committed to providing good quality housing for their tenants. As a council, we are fully committed to working with partners and landlords to improve accommodation standards across the city. This ties in with our key priority of creating strong and sustainable communities, which is vitally important for the wellbeing of Peterborough residents.”

Mike Brook, Scheme Manager at Home Safe said “We’re pleased to see that the online process is proving effective with the average time to complete an application taking just a matter of minutes.”

Carl Agar, Home Safe's Chief Executive, added that Home Safe are “pleased to offer our extensive licensing expertise to help Peterborough City Council deliver the best possible licensing scheme and improve housing standards for tenants.”

As a direct delivery partner, Home Safe works with Local Authorities to support the administration of their licensing schemes, offering them a range of services to ensure they can deliver the most efficient scheme possible and target their resources at the areas that need it the most. Comprising former Local Authority officers and private rented sector experts, Home Safe’s team combines regulatory expertise with technology to improve licensing processes for Local Authorities and landlords ensuring a better outcome for tenants.

It is an offence to operate a residential rental property without a licence in a designated area with landlords of unlicensed properties risking a penalty of up to £30,000 (or an unlimited fine if the case goes to court), as well as being ordered to repay up to 12 months rent, Cllr. Iqbal also encouraged “anyone who hasn’t yet applied for the scheme to get in touch with us as soon as possible.” The council adds that action against landlords of unlicensed properties will be “a huge focus for the council in the coming months with prosecution cases already under consideration.”