Landlord licensing and compliance in Fenland
Fenland says qualifying HMOs with five or more people from at least two households need a licence. In Wisbech, confirmed Article 4 directions affect small-HMO conversions in defined central and outer ward areas. The council's displayed HMO fees have no stated fee year, so confirm the current tariff before applying.
Mandatory HMO licensing
Fenland says an HMO occupied by five or more people in at least two households sharing basic amenities needs a licence. Its guidance describes a five-year licence and sets out application documents, fire-safety information and minimum room-size requirements. The council's HMO register can be searched through Public Access.
Wisbech planning directions
Article 4 directions cover small-HMO conversions in central Wisbech, including Wisbech Riverside and Wisbech South, and outer areas including Wisbech North, Wisbech Walsoken and Waterless, and Leverington and Wisbech Rural. The council reports confirmation of the central direction in August 2025 and the outer direction in February 2026. Check its maps and guidance for the property's exact location and effective date; planning permission is distinct from a licence.
Confirm fees and other schemes
The HMO page displays £750 for a new application and £660 for renewal, but does not state the fee year. These amounts are not confirmed as the 2026/27 charges. Additional and selective licensing status, instalments, rent repayment order practice and prosecution examples were UNVERIFIED - could not confirm on council website. The council publishes a June 2026 civil-penalty policy and says its penalty process may be used where a licensable HMO has no live application.
Sources: Fenland District Council HMO licensing, Wisbech HMO Article 4 directions and June 2026 civil-penalty policy. Verify the current fees, scheme position and property-specific planning boundary with the council. Illustrative guide - scheme boundaries and dates change; general information, not legal advice.
Renewal tracked from expiry, reminders from 60 days out, proof of service to tenants logged. Knows the 2-month early-renewal rule that keeps your date fixed.
Five years goes quicker than you think. Kept remembers so you don't have to - including the 28-day duty to give tenants a copy.
Expiry tracked from the certificate details you confirm - band E is the current minimum for most domestic private lets unless exempt, and proposed changes are flagged only when they become law.
30-day protection window tracked from the day the money lands - not the tenancy date - with prescribed information logged.
Check dates and follow-up dates for time-limited permissions, stored against each tenant.
Smoke alarms every storey, CO alarms where required, checked and dated at the start of every tenancy.
A one-off duty for tenancies that existed on 1 May 2026. Who was served, when, and how - the £7,000 question, answered with a dated record.
Preparation and export support for the future official registration process - clearly marked as planned.
Selective licensing (ordinary lets): UNVERIFIED - could not confirm on council website. See the local picture above - every other duty applies exactly as it does nationwide.
Add a postcode and Kept resolves the council, location and local context automatically.
Planned preparation and export support for the government's regional PRS Database rollout.