Landlord register in England: key dates, £65 fee and penalties

If you’re a landlord in England, a new registration requirement is on its way.

From December 2026, the Government will begin rolling out its new Register Your Rental Property service. This forms part of the Private Rented Sector Database created by the Renters’ Rights Act 2025.

If you’re the landlord of an assured or regulated tenancy, you’ll need to register yourself and each property you let. You’ll also have to pay an annual fee, provide information about your properties and tenancies and keep your records up to date.

The Government has now published a regional timetable, together with details of the information you’ll need to provide. You’ll find this below.

Note: the regulations setting out the details were laid before Parliament on 9th September 2026. At the time of writing, they still require Parliamentary approval.

What is the landlord register in England?

The Private Rented Sector Database will create a national record of private landlords and rental properties in England.

The service landlords will use is called Register Your Rental Property.

The Government believes that the database will help councils identify landlords and properties that don’t comply with the rules. As the register grows, it’ll become simple for tenants to check whether landlords and properties meet key legal requirements.

Who needs to register?

You’ll need to register if you’re the landlord of an assured or regulated tenancy.

You won’t need to register a property if it is classed as supported exempt accommodation under the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023. This generally covers certain types of supported housing where tenants receive care, support or supervision as part of their accommodation.

When do you need to register?

The landlord register will be introduced region by region from 15th December 2026.

Your deadline depends on where your rental property is located, rather than where you live.

For example, if you live in London but own a rental property in Birmingham, that property falls under the West Midlands timetable.

Here are the Government’s registration dates:

You don’t have to wait for your region’s start date. Once the service opens on 15th December 2026, you’ll be able to register properties in other parts of England early.

That could be useful if you have properties in several regions and would rather deal with them together.

How much will landlord registration cost

The annual registration fee will be £65 per property.

So, if you own one qualifying rental property, you’ll pay £65 a year. A portfolio of five properties will cost £325 a year.

You’ll need to renew your registration annually.

During the initial regional rollout, the Government says fees will be adjusted on a pro-rata basis. This is designed to stop landlords who register early paying more simply because their first registration period is longer.

What information will you need to provide?

You’ll need a GOV.UK One Login if you register online. Offline registration will also be available.

If you’re an individual landlord, you’ll need to provide basic personal information including:

• Your name
• Date of birth
• Residential address
• Telephone number
• Email address

Companies, trusts, charities and other organisations will have to provide additional information about the organisation and the people responsible for it.

You’ll then need to create an entry for each rental property.

The information required includes the property address, type of ownership, type of dwelling, number of bedrooms and whether it is currently let.

You’ll also need to provide details about the tenancy, including:

• The number of occupants and households
• Whether the property needs an HMO, additional or selective licence
• Whether it is furnished, partly furnished or unfurnished
• The rent charged and how often it is paid
• Whether any utilities are included in the rent

If there’s a freeholder, superior landlord or property manager, you may also need to provide their details.

What certificates will you need?

The database will also record information about some of your existing safety and energy obligations.

Where applicable, you’ll be asked for:

• Your gas safety record and its issue date
• Your Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR), or an appropriate Electrical Installation Certificate
• EPC information
• Details of any registered Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards exemption.

The Government says landlords will need to upload the relevant gas, electrical and energy performance documents.

If your records are scattered across emails, filing cabinets and different letting agents, it’s worth gathering them before your registration window opens.

How long will you have to complete the information?

You’ll be able to create a property entry before supplying all the required property information.

However, you’ll then have 28 days to complete it.

Once you’re registered, you’ll also be responsible for keeping the information current.

If relevant property information changes, you’ll generally need to update the database within 28 days. This could apply when you get a new gas safety record or EICR, change the rent or have a change in the number of people occupying the property.

Registration therefore isn’t a one-off job. As well as renewing each year, you’ll need to update the record when things change.

Can your letting agent register for you?

Not completely.

If you use a letting agent or property manager, they’ll be able to provide some information on your behalf.

However, the Government says you must start and finish the registration process yourself. You’ll also remain responsible for ensuring you provide all required information.

Further guidance for agents and property managers is due before the service launches.

It would be sensible to speak to your agent in advance so you both know who will be supplying each part of the information.

Do you need to register an empty property?

Not yet.

During the first stage of the rollout, you’ll need to register properties that are already let or become let.

The Government plans to extend the rules later so that an unoccupied property has to be registered before you or your agent advertises it for rent.

When that happens, property adverts will also have to include the relevant landlord and property registration numbers.

No date has yet been announced for this part of the scheme.

What happens if you don’t register?

The Renters’ Rights Act gives councils powers to enforce the database requirements.

Breaches of the rules can lead to civil penalties of up to £7,000.

More serious offences can lead to a civil penalty of up to £40,000 as an alternative to prosecution. These include knowingly or recklessly providing false or misleading information and certain continuing or repeat breaches.

A tenant may also be able to apply for a rent repayment order in some circumstances.

Failing to register could also prevent you from obtaining a possession order.

Once the new rules are in force, if you let a property on an assured tenancy and don’t have active database entries for both yourself and the property, the court won’t normally be able to grant a possession order. The exceptions are Grounds 7A and 14, which deal with serious criminal and anti-social behaviour.

You’ll be able to put this right by registering, so non-compliance won’t permanently prevent you from recovering possession. But you may have to bring your registration up to date before the court can grant an order.

What should you do now?

You can’t register until the service opens on 15th December 2026, but you can get your records ready.

Start by checking which registration deadline applies to each of your properties. If you have a portfolio spread across England, you may have several different regional deadlines.

You can then check that you have the information you’re likely to need. In particular, make sure you can easily find current gas, electrical and EPC documents, licensing information and tenancy details.

If you use a letting agent, ask how they plan to support landlords with the new registration process.

You should also remember that the landlord register is only one part of the Renters’ Rights reforms. Landlords have already had to deal with major changes to tenancy rules and the requirement to provide certain existing tenants with a Renters’ Rights information sheet.

Keep your property finances up to date too

The landlord register is a legal and property-management requirement rather than a tax measure. If you’re unsure whether the rules apply to a particular property or tenancy, you may need advice from a solicitor or letting professional.

At the same time, many landlords are also having to change the way they keep their financial records.

Making Tax Digital for Income Tax is being phased in from April 2026 and is bringing more landlords into digital record keeping and quarterly reporting.

If you’d like help with the financial side of your property portfolio, THP can help. Our landlord accounting service includes specialist landlord software as part of our Platinum Accounting Service, together with help with your property accounts, Self Assessment and tax planning.

Please get in touch if you’d like to talk to us.