The Renters' Rights Act 2025 creates a mandatory Private Landlord Database for England, a centralised register of every private landlord and every privately rented property in the country, delivered through the government's Register your rental property service. The rollout was confirmed on 9 September 2026: registration opens region by region from 15 December 2026. Here is everything that has been confirmed.
Registration opens 15 December 2026 in the West Midlands and reaches every English region by 15 August 2027. Each region gets a three-month window before councils can begin enforcement, and the deadline follows the property's location, not the landlord's. Landlords who prepare now will avoid the last-minute rush for engineers and assessors.
What the database is
The Private Landlord Database is an England-wide digital register maintained by a government-appointed body. Every private landlord who lets residential property in England must register on the database and list every property they let.
The database will hold landlord identity information, property addresses, tenancy details, compliance records (gas safety, EICR, EPC), and enforcement history. Parts of the database will be publicly searchable, tenants will be able to check whether their landlord is registered and whether the property has any recorded enforcement actions.
Who must register
- Every private landlord who lets residential property in England under an assured tenancy, a regulated tenancy, or a licence to occupy.
- Landlords using letting agents, the obligation is on the landlord, not the agent. Your agent cannot register on your behalf (though they can help you prepare the information).
- Portfolio landlords, each property must be separately listed on the database.
- Corporate landlords, companies that let property must register. A named responsible person (director or company secretary) must be identified.
- Overseas landlords, if the property is in England, you must register regardless of your own location.
Registration fees
The government has confirmed that registration fees will be proportional and designed to cover the cost of running the database, not to generate revenue. The fee was confirmed on 9 September 2026: £65 per property per year, with registration opening in the West Midlands on 15 December 2026 before a regional rollout.
Penalties for non-registration
- Civil penalty of up to £40,000 for failing to register or providing false information.
- Restriction on possession orders, once the duty is live, an unregistered landlord cannot obtain a possession order except on the serious anti-social behaviour grounds. This is the most powerful enforcement mechanism: if you are not registered, in practice you cannot evict.
- Rent Repayment Orders, a tenant of an unregistered landlord can apply to the First-tier Tribunal for a Rent Repayment Order of up to 24 months' rent.
- Repeated non-compliance can result in a banning order preventing you from letting property in England.
Timeline
| Phase | Timing | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 (1 May 2026) | In force | The Act commences. The legal framework for the database is in force. |
| Rollout begins (West Midlands) | 15 December 2026 | Registration opens, deadline 14 March 2027. One further region opens each month: East of England, East Midlands, South East, Yorkshire and the Humber, North West, North East, London, South West. |
| Rollout completes (South West) | 15 August 2027 | Final region opens, deadline 14 November 2027. After each region's three-month window, councils can enforce: penalties apply and unregistered landlords cannot obtain possession orders except on the anti-social behaviour grounds. |
The PRS Ombudsman, running alongside the database
The Act also creates a compulsory PRS Ombudsman, a free complaints service for tenants who cannot resolve disputes with their landlord. Every private landlord will be required to join the Ombudsman scheme and pay an annual membership levy.
The Ombudsman is expected to launch after the database (possibly 2027-2028). The levy is expected to be modest, in line with social housing ombudsman fees (currently around £5-£10 per property per year). The Ombudsman will have the power to order compensation, require apologies, and mandate changes to landlord practices.
Our PRS Ombudsman Complaint Response Template (pre-order, £19) will be available when the scheme launches.
What to do now
- Compile your property portfolio details. For each property you let, gather: address, tenancy start date, current rent, tenant name(s), gas safety certificate date, EICR date, EPC rating and expiry.
- Check your compliance records. The database will show compliance status, make sure your gas safety certificates, EICRs, and EPCs are current. An expired certificate on the database will be visible to tenants and enforcement officers.
- Set aside the registration fee. Budget £65 per property, per year, renewable annually.
- Sign up for LetSafe updates. We will notify you as soon as the database goes live and registration opens.
- Pre-order our Registration Pack. Our Private Landlord Database Registration Pack (pre-order, £9) will include a step-by-step registration walkthrough, a property information checklist, and a compliance-document organiser.
The database is designed to protect tenants, but it also protects good landlords. A clean registration record, up-to-date compliance, and no enforcement history will distinguish you from rogue operators. Think of it as a public trust signal.