Peterborough HMO Licence Fees: Part A and Part B Breakdown

Every Fee Across All Three Schemes

Peterborough City Council structures all property licensing fees into two parts, following European Services Directive case law. Part A covers application processing — identity verification, document validation, and administrative review. Part B covers compliance monitoring, property inspections, and ongoing scheme enforcement. Both parts are mandatory; you can't skip Part B and keep your licence.

Here's the full breakdown:

Selective licensing (single-family lets in designated wards):

• Total: £908
• Part A: £538 (paid at application submission)
• Part B: £370 (invoiced at draft licence stage, due within 7 days)

Additional HMO licensing (3–4 occupants from 2+ households sharing facilities, city-wide):

• Total: £1,100
• Part A: £588 (paid at application submission)
• Part B: £512 (invoiced at draft licence stage, due within 7 days)

Mandatory HMO licensing (5+ occupants from 2+ households sharing facilities, city-wide):

• Total: £1,100
• Part A: £367 (paid at application submission)
• Part B: £733 (also paid at application submission)

Additional and mandatory licences both cost £1,100 total, but the split and payment timing differ: mandatory HMO applicants pay both parts when they submit the Council application.

When You Pay Each Part

Part A is due when you submit your application through the relevant online route. For Selective and Additional licences, Home Safe gives applicants 28 days from starting an application to complete and submit it; the application is not duly made until required documents and Part A are submitted. For a Mandatory HMO licence, the Council requires both fee parts with the online application.

For Selective and Additional licences, Part B is invoiced when the draft licence is issued and is due within 7 days. Mandatory HMO applicants pay Part B with Part A at submission.

No Discounts, No Pro-Rating

Peterborough offers no early-bird discounts, landlord association reductions, or portfolio rates. Every property pays the full fixed fee regardless of how many other properties you own.

Fees under the time-limited schemes are also not pro-rated. A selective licence granted in 2028 still expires on 10 March 2029 — the same date as one granted in 2024 — but costs the same £908. The same applies to additional HMO licences, which all expire on 25 January 2031. Mandatory HMO licences run for five years from the application date.

Refund Rules

Part A is non-refundable in almost all circumstances. If your application is refused, withdrawn, or cancelled because planning permission is denied, the Council keeps the Part A fee to cover processing costs.

If a licence is refused or otherwise not issued, only Part B is eligible for a refund. Home Safe also allows refunds when the property did not need a licence at application or the application was a duplicate; its published rules exclude refunds for refused planning permission, sale, or unused licence time.

If you sell the property or convert it back to single-family use mid-term, neither fee is refunded or transferable to the new owner.

Other Costs to Budget For

Beyond the licence fee itself, you'll need current compliance documents before you can apply:

• Gas safety certificate (annual, from a Gas Safe registered engineer)
• EICR (valid 5 years, must show a Satisfactory rating)
• EPC (minimum Grade E unless you've registered a PRS exemption)
• Fire risk assessment (mandatory for HMOs)
• PAT testing for landlord-supplied electrical appliances over 1 year old

The Council also offers discretionary pre-application advice at £190 plus VAT for the first two hours, then £95 per hour plus VAT — useful if you're unsure which scheme applies, but far more expensive per hour than working through the process with the Peterborough Landlord Licensing Guide.

A temporary exemption notice, if you need one while taking steps to sell or convert the property, costs a flat £150.

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