The registration service, called “Register Your Rental Property”, will begin in the West Midlands on 15 December 2026 and is expected to be rolled out across England over approximately 12 months. Landlords will generally be given a three-month registration period once the service opens in their area. For properties that are already being rented out, all landlords in England are expected to complete registration by 14 November 2027.

During the initial rollout, the main focus will be on properties that are already let, or where a tenancy begins during the registration period for that area. In a later phase, vacant properties will also need to be registered before they are advertised for rent, and landlords or letting agents will be required to include registration numbers in rental advertisements.

This article is based on government information available as of September 2026.
Further details, including the registration process, information that will be made public and renewal requirements, are expected to be clarified through regulations and government guidance.

Who will manage the Private Rented Sector Database?

The Private Rented Sector Database is a national database for privately rented homes in England established under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025.

Under the legislation, the database operator will be the Secretary of State or an organisation appointed by the Secretary of State. In other words, this is not a privately operated registration service, but a government-backed system that will be managed and overseen under the statutory framework.

Local authorities will also be able to use information held in the database. This will help councils identify who is renting out properties in their area and, where necessary, carry out investigations and enforcement action.

The government’s three main objectives

To improve transparency for tenants

The database is intended to make it easier for tenants to check whether a landlord and rental property are properly registered and whether legal obligations are being met.

Once public search functions are introduced, tenants and prospective tenants are expected to be able to check whether a landlord and property are correctly registered.

To make legal compliance clearer for landlords

The database is also intended to act as a “one-stop shop” where landlords can check up-to-date information about legislation, housing standards, safety requirements and other obligations, while also helping responsible landlords demonstrate compliance.

Rules affecting rented property can change over time. By bringing relevant compliance information together in one place, the system is intended to help landlords understand their responsibilities and respond appropriately.

To make local authority monitoring and enforcement more effective

Local authorities will be better able to identify which properties are being rented and who is responsible for them.

Using the information held in the database, councils will be able to check compliance with safety and legal requirements and focus enforcement resources on landlords or properties where problems are identified.

What information will landlords need to register?

As of September 2026, some of the detailed registration requirements are still expected to be set out in further regulations.

The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 establishes a system under which landlords and the properties they rent out must be registered on the database, together with the required information. Based on current government and local authority guidance, landlords should expect to prepare information and documents such as the following:

  • Landlord information
    Name, contact details and other required information. Where a property has joint landlords, information relating to the other landlords will also be required.

  • Property information
    Address, property type, number of bedrooms, occupancy status and other basic details needed to identify the rental property.

  • Safety and compliance information and documents
    Information or documents such as the Gas Safety Certificate, Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) and Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR), which help demonstrate that the property meets relevant legal and safety requirements.

The final list of required information, and details of which information will be publicly accessible, are expected to be clarified in future regulations and government guidance.

Landlords should therefore consider checking now that documents such as the Gas Safety Certificate, EPC and EICR are valid and up to date, and keep them organised for each property.

What will be issued after registration?

Once registered, both the landlord and the rental property will be given a Unique Identifier.

In a later phase of the scheme, landlords will be required to complete the relevant registration before a vacant property is advertised for rent. Landlords and letting agents will also be required to include the relevant registration numbers in written rental advertisements.

For example, rental advertising may eventually include registration details in a format such as:


                    London SW3 – 2 Bedroom Flat
                    Rent: £2,800 pcm
                    Landlord Registration: XXXXXXX
                    Property Registration: XXXXXXX

It is more accurate to understand the system as assigning separate identifiers to the landlord and the property, rather than issuing a single generic “PRS Registration Number”.

There will be a registration fee

Registration will not be free of charge, and landlords will be required to pay a registration fee.

As of September 2026, several local authorities are advising that the registration fee is expected to be £65 per property per year.

The detailed registration and payment process is expected to be confirmed as the service opens in each area.

What happens if a landlord does not register?

Registration will not be optional once the requirement applies in a particular area.

The database is therefore more than an administrative formality. It will become one of the basic requirements for legally operating a private rented property in England.

If a landlord or rental property is not registered when registration is required, or if an unregistered property is advertised once the advertising requirement applies, the local authority may impose a civil penalty of up to £7,000.

More serious breaches, including repeated non-compliance or providing false information to the database, may lead to a civil penalty of up to £40,000 or criminal prosecution.

This means that failure to register does not automatically result in criminal prosecution. The level of enforcement will depend on the nature and seriousness of the breach and whether the landlord has repeatedly failed to comply.

Failure to register may also affect possession proceedings

Failure to comply with the Private Rented Sector Database requirements may affect more than financial penalties. It may also restrict a landlord’s ability to recover possession of a property.

The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 includes provisions that may prevent a court from making certain possession orders where the landlord has not complied with the required database registration obligations.

There are exceptions for some possession grounds, including certain cases involving anti-social behaviour.

Registration may therefore become important not only for day-to-day compliance, but also where a landlord later needs to regain possession of the property through the proper legal process.

What landlords can do now

The scheme will be introduced region by region, so not every landlord will need to register on 15 December 2026.

Landlords should monitor the registration start date for the area where their property is located and consider preparing the following information and documents in advance:

  • Check the landlord’s name and contact details
  • Organise information for all joint landlords, where applicable
  • Confirm the address and basic details of each rental property
  • Check that the Gas Safety Certificate is valid
  • Check that the EPC is valid
  • Check the EICR and other electrical safety documentation
  • Keep safety certificates and property records together in one place
  • Check the registration start date and deadline for the area where the property is located

Keeping property information and compliance documents organised in advance should make it easier to complete the registration process once detailed government guidance is published.

Rollout timetable

The “Register Your Rental Property” service will begin in the West Midlands on 15 December 2026.

It is then expected to be introduced across the rest of England over approximately 12 months. Once a region enters the scheme, landlords will generally have around three months to complete registration.

The government expects all landlords who are actively renting out property in England to be registered by 14 November 2027.

In a later phase, vacant properties will also need to be registered before they are advertised for rent, and landlords or letting agents will be required to include registration numbers in rental advertisements.

As the detailed rules and registration process are still being developed, landlords should continue to check the latest information from GOV.UK and their local authority.

Important information

This article is based on information available as of September 2026. The implementation timetable, registration requirements and other details may be updated or expanded. Landlords should check the latest information on GOV.UK and with the relevant local authority before taking action.