Cambridge City Council vs Luton Borough Council — Landlord Licensing Compared

Side-by-side comparison of selective and additional HMO licensing in Cambridge City Council and Luton Borough Council. Reference data from each council's own pages and GOV.UK.

Two of the East of England's busiest landlord markets.

Cambridge City Council (East of England)

  • Selective licensing: No scheme confirmed. Not yet independently verified — check the council page.
  • Additional HMO licensing: No scheme confirmed. This council's HMO licensing pages describe mandatory HMO licensing only — a licence is required where a property is occupied by 5 or more people forming 2 or more households who share facilities such as a kitchen or bathroom. No additional HMO licensing scheme is described on those pages. Additional licensing can be introduced at any time, so check the council's own pages before relying on this.
  • Council licensing page: https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/guide-for-landlords
  • Council HMO page: https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/licensing-of-houses-in-multiple-occupation
  • Full reference page: https://letsentry.co.uk/council/cambridge

Luton Borough Council (East of England)

  • Selective licensing: Designated areas only. Not yet independently verified — check the council page.
  • Additional HMO licensing: Status not yet verified. Not yet independently verified — check the council page.
  • Council licensing page: https://www.luton.gov.uk/housing/private-tenants-homeowners-landlords/landlords/selective-licensing
  • Council HMO page: https://www.luton.gov.uk/housing/private-tenants-homeowners-landlords/landlords/mandatory-house-multiple-occupation-hmo-licensing/mandatory-house-multiple-occupation-hmo-licensing-costs
  • Full reference page: https://letsentry.co.uk/council/luton

Mandatory HMO licensing applies in both areas: any HMO occupied by 5 or more people forming 2 or more households needs a licence anywhere in England.

Sources: - legislation.gov.uk — Housing Act 2004 — https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2004/34/contents - GOV.UK — House in multiple occupation (HMO) licence — https://www.gov.uk/house-in-multiple-occupation-licence

Last verified: 2026-06-28. Reference data only — always check each council's own page before applying.