Peterborough City Council has released figures showing the impact of its Selective Licensing scheme, delivered in partnership with Home Safe.

In the first 18 months since the scheme launched in March 2024, more than 3,000 property inspections have taken place across designated areas of the city. These inspections uncovered over 17,000 health and safety hazards, including serious issues such as damp and mould, electrical faults and fire safety failings.

While many properties appeared compliant on paper, inspections revealed problems that may otherwise have gone unnoticed. Almost half of homes inspected contained at least one significant hazard, and fewer than one in ten were entirely hazard-free.

Encouragingly, landlords have responded positively. Over 90% of hazards have already been resolved within agreed timescales. In the small number of cases where landlords failed to act, Home Safe referred matters back to the council for enforcement.

Councillor Christian Hogg, Cabinet Member for Housing and Regulatory Services, said: "Selective Licensing was introduced to help raise standards across the private rented sector in Peterborough, tying in with our key goal of creating strong and sustainable communities. I am delighted that the scheme is helping us to achieve this aim and would like to thank everyone involved, including council and Home Safe officers as well as landlords themselves.

“The fact that so many issues have been identified and resolved in a short space of time shows that the scheme is working effectively. It also demonstrates that such an initiative was needed, helping tenants in the affected areas to enjoy a better standard of living.”

Mike Brook, Scheme Manager at Home Safe, added:

These findings highlight just how important inspections are in raising housing standards. While many properties look compliant on paper, inspections have revealed risks in nine out of ten homes. The encouraging response from landlords shows the scheme is working, hazards are being tackled, and homes are becoming safer for tenants across Peterborough.

All licensed properties will be inspected again during the five-year licensing period to ensure standards continue to be met.

You can read the full press release on the Peterborough City Council website