The Government has confirmed the timetable for one of the next major changes facing landlords under the Renters’ Rights Act: the much-anticipated national landlord database.
Officially called the ‘Register your rental property’ service, it will begin rolling out across England from 15 December 2026, first in the West Midlands before being introduced around the country, region by region throughout the course of 2027.
For landlords, it means another new legal responsibility to prepare for and, I’m afraid, prepare to pay for.
There’s a lot to take in on the official GOV.UK page, which you can read in full here, but for a shorter breakdown of its key points, here is what we know so far:
What is the new landlord database?
The new service will create a national record of landlords and privately rented properties in England.
Landlords of assured and regulated tenancies will eventually be required to register themselves and each property they let.
Ostensibly, the Government says the aim is to make it easier for compliant landlords to demonstrate that they are meeting their responsibilities, while giving local authorities better information to identify and tackle poor practice.
It means that at a later stage, tenants will also be able to use the service to check whether a landlord is complying with certain legal requirements – although we note that as yet exactly what information will ultimately be visible to the public has not been confirmed.
How much will it cost to register your rental property?
The Government has confirmed an annual registration fee of £65 per property – and it is important to note that ‘per property’ condition.
There will inevitably be some frustration at another annual cost being added to running a rental property. The Government argues that the fee will contribute towards operating the service and funding enforcement against landlords who fail to comply with the rules.
Landlords will of course argue back that it is a service they don’t need, didn’t ask for and won’t help, and that ultimately it is another cost that adds up on top of many other things.
When do landlords need to register?
This is where the announcement becomes slightly more complicated.
Rather than requiring every landlord in England to register at the same time, the Government is introducing the system gradually.
The first region will be the West Midlands, where the requirement begins on 15 December 2026 and landlords will have until 14 March 2027 to register.
Other regions will follow monthly:
- East of England – 15 January 2027, deadline 14 April 2027
- East Midlands – 15 February 2027, deadline 14 May 2027
- South East – 15 March 2027, deadline 14 June 2027
- Yorkshire and Humber – 15 April 2027, deadline 14 July 2027
- North West – 15 May 2027, deadline 14 August 2027
- North East – 15 June 2027, deadline 14 September 2027
- London – 15 July 2027, deadline 14 October 2027
- South West – 15 August 2027, deadline 14 November 2027
The deadline relates to where the rental property is located, rather than where the landlord lives – so on the basis that if you are reading our regular Petermans’ piece deliberately it is because you are a landlord with a property in London, the long-stop deadline you need to lock in is 14 October 2027.
Nevertheless, if you are a landlord with properties across different English regions, you will have different deadlines to look out for. For convenience and peace of mind, the Government says properties can be registered early once the service opens.
What information will landlords have to provide?
The database is about more than recording a landlord’s name and property address.
Landlords will be expected to supply personal and contact information together with details about each property, including:
- the property address and type
- number of bedrooms
- number of occupants and households
- rent
- whether utilities are included
- whether an HMO, additional or selective licence is required
- gas safety record and safety record issue date
- electrical safety documentation including copy of EICR or EIC as appropriate, as well as EICR and EIC expiry date
- EPC, or date tenancy commenced if the EPC is no longer valid; also any information pertaining to Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) exemption if the current EPC falls below minimum standard
In reality, much if not all of this should already be information that a landlord has readily available, especially if the property is professionally managed.
Nevertheless, given the breadth of information involved, it is highly recommended to get records organised well before your registration deadline arrives.
Can your letting agent register for you?
This is an important distinction, and the short answer is: no.
Your letting agent will be able to help, and the Government intends to allow agents or property managers to upload certain information and documents on behalf of landlords.
However, the landlord must start and complete the registration process and remains legally responsible for ensuring the required information is provided.
Further guidance specifically explaining what letting agents will and will not be able to do is expected before the service launches.
For managed landlords, we expect this to become another area where working closely with your agent will make the process considerably easier – but by its design it will not be something landlords can hand over completely.
Do you need to register empty rental properties?
Initially, landlords only need to register properties that are let out, or which become let during or after the regional rollout.
This will, however, change in due course.
The Government intends to eventually require unoccupied properties to be registered before they are advertised to let, with both landlords and letting agents required to include the property’s registration identifier in marketing.
As with much of this announcement, further guidance on this is still to be released, but as professional letting agents we will be keeping a particularly close eye and will report again when something changes.
Are there penalties if you don’t register your rental property on the database?
Once the registration deadline for a particular region has passed, local authorities will be able to begin enforcement action against landlords who should have registered but have not done so.
As a landlord, you will be unsurprised to learn that failure to register could result in a fine.
That alone makes this something landlords should have firmly on their radar rather than something to leave until the last minute.
Another change – but one landlords can prepare for
There is no escaping the fact that landlords have faced an extraordinary amount of regulatory change over recent years, and the Renters’ Rights Act is adding substantially to that workload.
The new database means another annual fee and another administrative obligation.
But there is also a positive way to look at it.
For responsible landlords who already maintain their properties properly and keep compliance documentation up to date, much of what the Government is asking for should already exist.
The task now is to make sure that information is complete, accurate and easily accessible before your region’s registration window arrives.
As letting agents, we will also be keeping a close eye on the further guidance promised by Government – particularly around exactly how agents can assist landlords with registration.
If we manage your property, we will continue to keep you informed as the new system develops and help you prepare for the changes as they come into force.
If you have any questions about these changes, please do not hesitate to contact us at Petermans for impartial, honest advice.