Letting a property in Canterbury: a landlord’s guide

General information as at October 2026, not legal advice. Always check the council’s current scheme before letting.

Landlord licensing in Canterbury

• Selective licensing: No selective licensing scheme: none is listed on the council’s housing pages.
• Additional HMO licensing: No additional HMO licensing scheme; the council’s pages describe only national mandatory HMO licensing (five or more people from more than one household). Separately, an Article 4 direction means converting a house to a small HMO (three to six sharers) needs planning permission.
• Fees: £1,498.97 for a five-year HMO licence for up to five people, plus £86.64 for each extra person

Separately, every large HMO (5 or more people forming 2 or more households) needs a mandatory HMO licence anywhere in England. Source: Canterbury City Council.

Canterbury City Council: private renting and licensing

Safety certificates

• Gas Safety (CP12): every 12 months, by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
• EICR: at least every 5 years, by a qualified electrician.
• EPC: rated E or above, valid for 10 years.
• Alarms: a smoke alarm on every storey, and a carbon monoxide alarm in rooms with a fixed combustion appliance (not gas cookers).

Book a Gas Safety certificate, EICR or EPC in Canterbury at a fixed price, and keep track of expiry dates in the free landlord dashboard.

Deposits and the inventory

Protect the deposit in the DPS, TDS or mydeposits within 30 days. At the end, the scheme decides any dispute on the evidence, above all the check-in compared with the check-out, so the inventory is what protects you.

What to record in Canterbury homes

• Student houses near the University of Kent and Canterbury Christ Church: photograph each bedroom's lock and door, fire doors, smoke alarms and the shared kitchen separately.
• Listed and period buildings in the city centre: photograph old timber windows, uneven floors, beams and any damp in cellars.
• Seafront flats in Herne Bay and Whitstable: check window frames, balcony rails and metal fittings for salt corrosion, and walls for damp.
• Converted flats in large Victorian houses: record the communal hallway, door entry system, meters and the number of keys handed over.
• Rural cottages in the villages: photograph wood burners, oil tanks and any septic tank where there is no mains gas or drainage.
• Furnished lets: list and photograph every item of furniture, with mattress condition and fire labels.

Start your inventory free

Homes sold in Canterbury in the last 12 months

Type	Sales	Average price
Semi-detached	448	£355,307
Detached	433	£515,462
Terraced	336	£320,543
Flat or maisonette	230	£197,285
Other	59	£690,723

HM Land Registry Price Paid Data since 27 October 2025, updated monthly. Look up any address in the free property report.