What should a Peterborough lettings agent's website show to win landlords and stay compliant?
Last updated: 2 October 2026 · By CodiePi Limited
A lettings agent website in Peterborough has two jobs. It has to meet the legal display rules for letting agents in England, and it has to persuade a landlord to pick up the phone. Legally, that means a clear fees list with VAT included, the name of your client money protection scheme and your redress scheme, and a copy of your CMP certificate. Since 1 May 2026, written rental adverts must also state a specific rent. Commercially, landlords want plain service levels, honest fees, the PE areas you actually cover, and a valuation form that works on a phone.
This post is general guidance for Peterborough and Cambridgeshire lettings agents. It is not legal advice. Check the sources below, or ask a solicitor, before changing compliance wording.
In this guide
- What does the law require a lettings agent's website to show in England?
- What changed for rental adverts on 1 May 2026?
- What do Peterborough landlords look for before they call a lettings agent?
- How should landlord pages and tenant listings be split?
- Where should compliance information sit on the site?
- What usually goes wrong on lettings agent websites?
- What should a lettings website checklist include?
- How does CodiePi approach lettings agent websites?
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What does the law require a lettings agent's website to show in England?
Under section 83 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015, a letting agent with a website must publish a list of its relevant fees there. Each fee needs a plain description, the amount including tax (or how it is calculated), and, alongside the list, the names of the client money protection and redress schemes you must belong to.
The duty is short. The detail is where agents slip. The list covers landlord fees and any tenant payments still permitted under the Tenant Fees Act 2019, and each description should let the payer understand what the fee covers. "Admin fee" on its own does not. Tenant payments should say whether they apply per property or per tenant.
The Client Money Protection Schemes for Property Agents Regulations 2019 add one more duty. If you hold client money and your scheme issues a certificate, publish a copy on your website as well as in branch.
Trading Standards enforce this, and section 87 allows a penalty of up to £5,000 per breach.
Professional body logos, such as ARLA Propertymark, build trust but do not replace the statutory statements.
What changed for rental adverts on 1 May 2026?
From 1 May 2026, section 56 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 requires any written advert or written offer for a private assured tenancy in England to state a specific rent. Agents and landlords must not invite, encourage or accept offers above that stated rent. A plain "To Let" board at the property is exempt from stating the rent.
GOV.UK's guidance says written adverts include online listings, printed adverts, social posts, emails, texts and direct messages. A price range is not allowed, and neither is telling applicants about other bids to push offers up. Councils can fine up to £7,000 for rental bidding.
For your website, that means every listing template needs a single rent figure. Copy such as "offers invited" or "rent from" on residential lets should go.
The same date brought sections 33 and 34, which stop agents and landlords blocking enquiries, viewings or tenancies because someone has children or claims benefits, with narrow exceptions set out in GOV.UK's rental discrimination guidance. Remove "No DSS" and "no children" wording from listings.
Section 82 also provides for adverts to carry private rented sector database identifiers. At the time of writing it is in force only for specified purposes, so watch GOV.UK. Peterborough City Council's Renters' Rights Act page is a sensible link from your landlord hub.
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What do Peterborough landlords look for before they call a lettings agent?
Landlords want to know three things fast. What you will do for them, what it costs, and whether you cover their street. A good landlord page answers all three above the fold, then backs them up with how you handle compliance, inspections and rent collection.
Service levels come first. Whether you offer tenant find, rent collection or full management, say plainly what each includes and leaves out.
Fees come second. Link your statutory fees list from every landlord page. Landlords who have to hunt for fees tend to assume the worst.
Coverage comes third. Peterborough stock runs from PE1 terraces to newer homes in Hampton and Orton, and out to Whittlesey, March and Stamford. Say which areas you manage and which you do not.
Landlords also look for signs you will keep them out of trouble. Short notes on the Renters' Rights Act and safety certificates help, as long as each links to GOV.UK. Then the enquiry path: a rental valuation form that works on a phone and says who replies and when.
How should landlord pages and tenant listings be split?
Treat landlords and tenants as two separate journeys. Tenants arrive through Rightmove, Zoopla or your listings search and need accurate rents and clear applicant fees. Landlords arrive through Google, referrals or your branch and need service levels, fees and proof that you manage properly.
| Website area | Landlord journey | Tenant journey | Compliance points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main entry | Landlord services hub, rental valuation form | Property search and listings | Fees list linked from both |
| Key content | Tenant find vs full management, PE areas covered, switching agent guide | Rent, deposit, availability, viewing booking | Specific rent on every written advert (RRA 2025 s56) |
| Fees | Landlord fees with VAT included | Permitted tenant payments, per property or per tenant | CRA 2015 s83 fees list, CMP and redress statements |
| Trust signals | Scheme memberships, CMP certificate, team names | Clear viewing and referencing process | CMP certificate published on site (CMP Regulations 2019, reg 4) |
| Things to remove | Vague "from" pricing | "Offers invited", "No DSS", "no children" | RRA 2025 s33, s34 and s56 |
Sources: Consumer Rights Act 2015 s83; Renters' Rights Act 2025 s33, s34 and s56; Client Money Protection Schemes for Property Agents Regulations 2019, reg 4.
Where should compliance information sit on the site?
Put the full fees list, with your CMP and redress statements, on one dedicated page and link it from the footer of every page. Publish your CMP certificate on that page too. Then link the same page from portal listings, landlord pages and applicant pages, so nobody has to search for it.
Keep it as a live page on your lettings agent website, not a scanned PDF, so it reads well on a phone and is easy to update.
Portals matter too. When you advertise on a third-party website, section 83 requires your fees list there or a link to it on your own site. Check your portal feed carries that link.
Name your schemes precisely. "We are members of a redress scheme" is not enough. Give the scheme's name, for example The Property Ombudsman or the Property Redress Scheme, and keep it current if you move.
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What usually goes wrong on lettings agent websites?
The common problems are small and visible. Fees hidden in an old PDF, a scheme name that changed two years ago, listing templates that still say "offers invited", applicant pages with "No DSS", and a valuation form that breaks on mobile. Each one is quick to fix once someone owns the lettings agent website.
Other patterns worth checking:
- One landlord page trying to serve every town from Bourne to Huntingdon, with the same copy and a swapped place name
- A redesign that dropped old landlord URLs without redirects, losing pages that used to bring enquiries
- Team pages with no names, so a landlord cannot see who will manage the property
Few need a rebuild, just templates you can edit yourself. If yours cannot, our guide on whether a new website is still worth it for Peterborough businesses sets out how to decide.
What should a lettings website checklist include?
Use two short checklists. One covers what a landlord needs to see before enquiring. The other covers the legal display points for agents in England. Run both before any lettings agent website redesign goes live, and again whenever fees, schemes or listing templates change.
Landlord-facing checklist
- Service levels named and explained, with what each includes
- Landlord fees linked from every landlord page
- Areas you manage listed honestly, with areas you do not cover
- Rental valuation form that works on a phone and says who replies
- Named team members and branch details that match your Google Business Profile
- Plain-English Renters' Rights Act notes that link to GOV.UK or Peterborough City Council
- A clear route for landlords who want to switch agent
Compliance checklist (England)
- Full fees list on the website, each fee described, amounts including VAT
- Tenant payments marked per property or per tenant
- Statement naming your client money protection scheme, next to the fees list
- Statement naming your redress scheme, next to the fees list
- Copy of your CMP certificate published on the website
- Fees list on third-party portals, or a link to it from each advert
- A specific rent in every written advert, with no range and no bidding language
- No wording that excludes people with children or people on benefits
On a sound CMS, most of this is editing. If not, see website cost for Peterborough businesses.
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How does CodiePi approach lettings agent websites?
We start with what is true. Which services you sell, which PE areas you manage, which schemes you belong to, and whether your current lettings agent website can publish landlord pages without breaking. Scope is written. We do not promise rankings, lead volumes or enquiry numbers, and we do not write legal advice.
On a lettings site that usually means three jobs. Separate the landlord and tenant journeys. Build one live fees and compliance page. Rewrite listing templates so every written advert carries a specific rent.
Search follows the site. Once landlord pages are live, SEO for Peterborough and your profile can support them, and our Google Business Profile guide for Peterborough estate agents applies to lettings branches too.
CodiePi is based at 11 Carpenters Way, Doddington, March PE15 0RZ. We serve Peterborough and the wider catchment from there, with no city-centre office. For site work, see web design for Peterborough, or book a call with your current URL and the areas you cover.
Lettings agent website FAQs
Does a lettings agent website have to show fees?
Yes, for letting agents in England with a website. Section 83 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 requires a list of relevant fees on the site, each with a clear description and an amount including tax, or how it is calculated. Statements naming your client money protection and redress schemes sit alongside the list. Trading Standards can impose a penalty of up to £5,000 under section 87.
Do I need to put my CMP certificate on my website?
If you hold client money and your scheme issues a certificate, regulation 4 of the Client Money Protection Schemes for Property Agents Regulations 2019 says you must publish a copy on your website. You must also display it in branch and give a free copy to anyone who reasonably asks. Putting it on the same page as your fees list keeps everything in one place.
Can rental adverts still say "offers invited"?
Not for assured tenancies in England. Since 1 May 2026, section 56 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 requires written adverts and offers to state a specific rent, and bans inviting, encouraging or accepting offers above it. GOV.UK confirms a price range is not allowed, and councils can fine up to £7,000 for rental bidding. A "To Let" board at the property is not a written advert.
Should landlord pages and property listings be separate?
Usually, yes. On a lettings agent website, landlords want service levels, fees, coverage and evidence that you manage well. Tenants want accurate rents, availability and a clear application process. Separate landlord pages also give search engines a clearer page to show for landlord searches, while listings stay focused on tenants. Link the two only where it helps, such as from a listing to your fees page.
How many area pages should a Peterborough lettings agent have?
Only as many as you can make genuinely useful. A page for each area you actively manage, with real detail about the stock and how you cover it, is worth having. A page for every PE postcode with the same copy is not, and Google's spam policies warn against doorway pages. Start with your core areas and add more when you have something specific to say.
Is this legal advice?
No. This post is general guidance on how a lettings agent website can present information. Laws change and circumstances differ, so check the primary sources below. For specific questions, speak to your redress scheme, a professional body such as ARLA Propertymark, or a solicitor. CodiePi builds and optimises websites. We do not give legal advice.
Sources
- Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 83 (duty of letting agents to publicise fees): https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2015/15/section/83
- Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 87 (enforcement and penalties): https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2015/15/section/87
- Client Money Protection Schemes for Property Agents Regulations 2019, regulation 4: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/386/regulation/4
- Renters' Rights Act 2025, section 56 (stating rent and rental bidding): https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2025/26/section/56
- Renters' Rights Act 2025, section 34 (benefits status): https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2025/26/section/34
- GOV.UK, Assured periodic tenancies: rental bidding: https://www.gov.uk/assured-periodic-tenancies-tenants/rental-bidding
- GOV.UK, Rental discrimination under the Renters' Rights Act 2025: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rental-discrimination-under-the-renters-rights-act-2025/rental-discrimination-under-the-renters-rights-act-2025
- GOV.UK, Tenant Fees Act amended by the Renters' Rights Act 2025: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tenant-fees-act-amended-by-the-renters-rights-act-2025
- Business Companion, Landlords, letting agents and property management: https://www.businesscompanion.info/en/quick-guides/services/landlords-letting-agents-and-property-management
- Peterborough City Council, Renters' Rights Act: https://www.peterborough.gov.uk/regulatory-services/housing-standards/renters-rights-act
- Propertymark, Professional standards: https://www.propertymark.co.uk/professional-standards.html
- Google Search Central, Spam policies for Google web search: https://developers.google.com/search/docs/essentials/spam-policies
- Renters' Rights Act 2025, section 33: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2025/26/section/33
- Renters' Rights Act 2025, section 82: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2025/26/section/82