Tough new guidelines to ensure all houses of multiple occupation (HMO) are maintained to an acceptable standard are being pioneered by Peterborough City Council.

Currently only homes which are three or more storeys high and have five or more people making up two or more households are required to be licensed by the city council under national guidelines.

Under the new scheme, which will come into effect in three months time, houses which are two or more storeys high and have three or more people making up two or more households are required to be licensed. House shares, room-lets and bed-sits will also be included in the scheme.

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Peterborough City Council is the first local authority in the country to be given the go-ahead to launch such a scheme by the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG).

The new guidelines will initially only be enforced in Millfield and New England, where there are an above average number of incidents of overcrowding, poor housing conditions, poor management and anti-social behaviour.

Licenses issued under the current scheme will no longer be valid from Monday 6 April 2009. All existing license holders are being informed of the changes.

(CD/JM)