PRS Database - 'Register your rental property' service launching

On 9 September 2026 the government announced that:

• a regional rollout of the landlord registration service for the Private Rented Sector (PRS) database in England will start in December 2026 (but this is not the deadline by which registration needs to be completed – see further below). The registration service will be launched as the 'Register your rental property' service.
• HMRC's Valuation Office will become responsible for decisions on challenges to rent increases in England. Currently, responsibility sits with the First-tier tribunal. The government has not confirmed a date for this change nor the details of how this will change the process.

In this article we look at the launch of the 'Register your rental property' service and the PRS database.

The key takeaway is residential landlords of assured and regulated tenancies will need to make sure they comply with the 'Register your rental property' service requirements and regional deadlines for registration.

Operators of exempt purpose built student accommodation do not grant assured tenancies so will not be caught by these measures. However, this only seeks to emphasise the importance of ensuring the requirements for the PBSA exemption are complied with and the challenges operators may face should the exemption fall away for any reason.

Background

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 (RRA) is a significant piece of legislation impacting the residential private rented sector in England. The Act received Royal Assent in October 2025 and the government published a phased implementation roadmap in November 2025. In line with the roadmap, the government's phase one measures came into force on 1 May 2026. This date saw the end of assured shorthold tenancies (ASTs) and the demise of section 21 'no fault evictions'. Assured periodic tenancies (APTs) with statutory annual rent review procedures, reformed possession grounds, anti-discrimination measures, a ban on rental bidding, strengthened enforcement measures and a tenant's right to request a pet all came into force.

The implementation roadmap outlined that the government's phase two measures would be introduced from 'late 2026', and it appears the government remains on track. Phase two covers the introduction of the PRS Database and PRS Landlord Ombudsman.

In relation to the PRS Landlord Ombudsman, the Private Landlord Redress Schemes (Approval and Designation) Regulations 2026, which sets out the framework for, and approval of a landlord redress scheme came into force on 17 September 2026.

On 9 September 2026 the government announced and laid regulations paving the way for a regional roll out of the landlord registration service for the PRS database beginning in December 2026. Residential landlords will be required to sign up and provide information through the ‘Register your rental property’ service. The relevant deadlines by which residential landlords will need to register are below. Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook notes this is an ‘important first step toward establishing our new innovative database of private rented sector properties’.

A quick recap: what is the PRS database and why is it being introduced?

In short, the PRS database will be a national database of information about residential landlords and their rental properties. Ultimately, it is intended to:

• allow tenants to make more informed choices when it comes to renting a property;
• enable landlords to demonstrate compliance with statutory requirements;
• enable councils to target enforcement activity.

The government press release which accompanies the launch notes ‘the new registration service will give councils access to information to help them spot rogue landlords and take quicker action’. 

Who needs to register and when?

Residential landlords of properties which are let with an assured periodic tenancy or regulated tenancy, or become let during the rollout period, will need to register.

Both the landlord and each dwelling must be separately registered and the entries must be ‘active’. It will not be possible to register a dwelling unless the landlord of that dwelling has an ‘active landlord entry’. The guidance notes that those that fail to register risk being fined.

Landlords of supported exempt accommodation (as set out in the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023) do not need to register.

Unoccupied properties are not yet caught by the requirement to register and further guidance will follow for unoccupied properties and prospective landlords.

It is a regional rollout. The West Midlands will launch first on 15 December 2026 with the rest of England following on a rolling basis. It is the location of the property, not the location of the landlord, which drives the registration requirement. The regions are defined in the draft regulations by local authority (for example West Midlands includes Birmingham City Council). Below are the relevant dates based on the table in the government guidance.

‘Register your rental property’ service – Registration deadlines

The guidance notes that ‘once properties in a particular region are required to be registered, you will have a 3-month window in which to do so. After this deadline, councils in this region will be able to initiate enforcement activity’. This is not set out in the draft regulations.

A GOV.UK One Login will be required to register (although offline registration will be available for those who cannot use this).

Can you register before it is compulsory for an area?

Yes – once the service launches in December the guidance states it will be possible for landlords to register before they are legally required to do so. The guidance also notes ‘if you let properties in multiple regions and would like to register these all at once, you will be able to do this’.

Different landlord entities will need to be separately registered.

Is it an annual renewal?

Yes - both landlord entries and dwelling entries will need to be renewed annually.

How much does it cost?

The government guidance confirms that there is an annual registration fee of £65 per property.

A dwelling entry cannot be made until the fee has been paid.

However, the government has stated that during the rollout ‘the fee will be adjusted (pro-rated), so that those signing up first don’t have to pay more’.

The landlord entry does not attract a fee.

What information needs to be provided and by who?

Landlords are responsible for registration of themselves and the relevant property (although an appointed letting agent or property manager can assist with the provision of certain information in relation to the property such as health and safety documents or certain details about the current letting- further guidance for letting agents and property managers is to follow).

The draft regulations also allow for third parties (such as mortgagees, receivers, administrators or liquidators) to make an application on behalf of a landlord, provided specified supporting documentation is supplied.

Details of the required information are set out in the guidance and the draft regulations.

Certain information about directors will need to be provided if a Companies House registration number is not available. Similarly, there are additional information requirements where there is a trust, which appears to include Jersey Property Unit Trusts.

It is worth noting that, in relation to the information required for the dwelling, in addition to health and safety information such as gas and electrical certificates and EPCs the landlord is also required to confirm the number of occupants, information about whether an HMO licence is required and any additional licensing. Information also needs to be provided about the amount of rent charged, frequency of payment, whether or not the rent is inclusive of utilities and whether the property is let furnished or not. If the property is leasehold, the name and an email address of the freeholder and any superior leaseholders is required. A number of BTR ownerships have a Propco/Opco lease, so the relevant details will need to be included in relation to that ownership arrangement.

In addition to the annual renewal requirements, information will also need to be kept up to date on an ongoing basis (within 28 days of information becoming out of date or, for example, there being a new letting).

Will the database be publicly available?

One of the aims of the database is to enable tenants to make more informed choices so, in time, certain information in the database will become publicly available. However, the government is yet to clarify which information will be publicly available, noting in the guidance ‘[w]e’ll publish a list of information that the public will be able to access at a later stage’.

Enforcement agencies will have access to information on the database.

Looking ahead…

This is the beginning of the rollout of the database. The Renters’ Rights Act provides that a property must not be marketed for rent unless there is both an active landlord and active dwelling entry in the database and any advertisement must include the unique database identifiers associated with the landlord and the property. The guidance note states that further legislation and guidance will follow in relation to the marketing of properties.

Local housing authorities will also be required to enter information about landlords who have been subject to banning orders and related offences and penalties.

Ultimately, the consequences of a failure to comply with provisions in relation to the PRS database may include restrictions on a landlord gaining possession and financial and criminal penalties.