England's new landlord database opens on 15 December 2026, one area at a time. Every landlord of an assured or regulated tenancy must register themselves and each property they let. Let or advertise a property before it is registered and the fine is up to £7,000.
Based on gov.uk guidance and the government's rollout announcement of 9 September 2026.
By the LetSense team · Updated
Opens
15 Dec 2026
Fee
£65 a year per property
Max penalty
Up to £7,000
Final deadline
14 Nov 2027
The Private Rented Sector (PRS) Database is a new government register of private landlords and the homes they let in England. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 created it. Registration is a legal duty, not an optional scheme.
You register through a GOV.UK service called Register your rental property. You need a GOV.UK One Login to use it.
The database has two jobs. Tenants will be able to check whether their landlord, or a landlord they are thinking of renting from, has signed up. Local councils will use it to take enforcement action against landlords who have not joined.
The database also asks for your gas, electrical and energy certificates. The government says tenants will in future be able to see whether a landlord meets key legal requirements. It will publish the list of information the public can see at a later stage.
You must register if you are the landlord of an assured or regulated tenancy in England. Most private tenancies in England are assured tenancies. The duty is on the landlord, including when a letting agent manages the property.
Let properties first
At first the requirement applies only to properties that are let, or that become occupied during the rollout.
Empty properties later
Future legislation will require landlords to register unoccupied properties before they market them for let.
Exempt
Landlords of supported exempt accommodation do not need to register.
May grow
The Act gives the government a power to extend the database to other types of tenancies and licences.
The database covers England only. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland run their own landlord registration schemes.
Registration happens at two levels. Each level gives you a unique identifier, and adverts must show both. The government press release calls these registration numbers.
Own some homes yourself and some through a company? The form asks different questions for each kind of owner. An individual landlord gives personal details. An organisation gives its company details and the people behind it.
The database opens in one area each month, over 12 months. Landlords with properties in an area have three months to sign up from the date that area opens. All landlords actively letting property must be registered by 14 November 2027.
The deadline follows the property, not you. If you live in London but your rental property is in Birmingham, you must meet the West Midlands deadline. A landlord with homes in several areas has several deadlines.
| Area | Opens | Register by |
|---|---|---|
| West Midlands | 15 Dec 2026 | 14 Mar 2027 |
| East of England | 15 Jan 2027 | 14 Apr 2027 |
| East Midlands | 15 Feb 2027 | 14 May 2027 |
| South East | 15 Mar 2027 | 14 Jun 2027 |
| Yorkshire and Humber | 15 Apr 2027 | 14 Jul 2027 |
| North West | 15 May 2027 | 14 Aug 2027 |
| North East | 15 Jun 2027 | 14 Sep 2027 |
| London | 15 Jul 2027 | 14 Oct 2027 |
| South West | 15 Aug 2027 | 14 Nov 2027 |
Not sure which area a property is in? Enter its postcode in the free deadline checker.
The government has published the information the registration asks for. Collect it before your area opens.
You, as an individual landlord
Your company or organisation
Each property
Certificates
The landlord is responsible for starting and ending the registration. You can agree with your letting agent or property manager that they provide certain information for you. You still remain responsible for providing all the required information.
Adverts change too. You and your letting agent must make sure your landlord identifier and property identifier appear on adverts for the property.
Good practice for agents: agree in writing with each landlord client who provides which information. Before you publish a listing, check that it shows both identifiers.
Local councils enforce the database. The penalties are:
Civil penalty of up to £7,000
For letting or advertising a property before it is registered on the database.
Civil penalty of up to £40,000, or prosecution
For repeated breaches, or for a serious offence such as giving fraudulent information to the database.
No possession order
A landlord in breach of the duty to register cannot get a possession order. The only exceptions are ground 7A and ground 14, which cover tenant anti-social behaviour.
The possession rule matters even if you are never fined. Register every let property before you need to serve notice.
Using your home area, not the property’s area
Each property’s deadline depends on where the property is. A London landlord with a Birmingham flat must register it by the West Midlands deadline.
Leaving it all to the letting agent
The landlord must start and end the registration. An agent can provide some information for you, but you stay responsible for all of it.
Advertising without both identifiers
Letting or advertising a property before it is registered can bring a fine of up to £7,000. Every advert needs the landlord and property identifiers.
Forgetting to renew
Registration is not once only. The £65 fee is due each year for each property.
Waiting until you need to serve notice
An unregistered landlord cannot get a possession order, except on ground 7A or ground 14. Register before a dispute starts, not after.
What is the “Register your rental property” service?
It is the name of the GOV.UK service that landlords use to register on the PRS Database. You need a GOV.UK One Login to use it.
Is my deadline set by where I live or where the property is?
Where the property is. If you live in London but your rental property is in Birmingham, you must meet the West Midlands deadline.
Do I register once, or once for each property?
Both. You register yourself as a landlord, which gives you a landlord identifier. Then you register each property you let, which gives each one a property identifier. The £65 fee is charged per property.
How much does it cost?
There is an annual £65 registration fee per property, and you must renew your registration each year.
When do I need to register?
The database opens on 15 December 2026 in the West Midlands, then one area opens each month. Landlords with properties in an area have three months to sign up. The last deadline is 14 November 2027, for the South West. See the area table above for every date.
My property is empty. Do I register it now?
Not at first. The government says the requirements initially apply only to properties that are let, or that become occupied during the rollout. Future legislation will require landlords to register unoccupied properties before they market them for let.
Can my letting agent register for me?
Not fully. The landlord is responsible for starting and ending the registration. You can agree with your letting agent or property manager that they provide certain information on your behalf, but you remain responsible for providing all the required information.
What has to go on my adverts?
Your unique landlord identifier and property identifier. Both you and your letting agent must make sure these appear on adverts for the property.
What happens if I do not register?
If you let or advertise a property before it is registered, the council can give you a civil penalty of up to £7,000. Repeated breaches, or giving fraudulent information to the database, can bring a penalty of up to £40,000 or criminal prosecution. You also cannot get a possession order, except on ground 7A or ground 14 (anti-social behaviour).
Can tenants see if I am registered?
Yes. The government says tenants will be able to see whether their landlord, or a landlord they are thinking of renting from, has signed up. It will publish the list of information the public can see at a later stage.
Can I register without going online?
The government guide to the Renters’ Rights Act says there will be alternative offline ways for registrations to be processed. It has not yet said how these will work.
Does the database cover Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland?
No. The PRS Database is for England. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland run their own landlord registration schemes.
Sources
Each property shows its area's register-by date, with reminders 90, 30 and 14 days before. A free registration pack gathers the details LetSense already holds for the form, shows what is missing, and downloads as a PDF. After you register, record both identifiers and copy them into your adverts.
Free up to 3 properties. No credit card required.