The short answer: if you let property in England, you'll have to register yourself and every property you let on a new government database. It's called "Register your rental property", it opens on 15 December 2026, and it costs £65 per property per year. Your deadline depends on where the property is, not where you live. Birmingham landlords have until 14 March 2027. London is 14 October 2027. Miss it and your council can fine you.
What it actually is
A national register of who's letting what. The Renters' Rights Act called it the Private Rented Sector Database, which is what most of the industry still says, but the live service is called Register your rental property.
The point of it is that councils currently have no reliable way of knowing who the landlords in their area are. Now they will. Tenants will eventually be able to look landlords up too, although the government hasn't yet published exactly which details will be public.
All of this landed on 9 September 2026, when the government published the press release, the draft regulations and the landlord guidance together.
Who has to register
You do, if you let on an assured or regulated tenancy in England. One registration for you, then one for each property.
Empty properties are the exception for now. During the rollout you only register what's actually let, or what becomes let while the rollout is running. That changes later, once the public-facing side goes live, but it isn't something to worry about yet.
Supported exempt accommodation is out of scope entirely.
England only. If you also let in Scotland or Wales you're already dealing with their schemes, and nothing transfers between them.
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Agents can help, but it's still your problem. Where you agree it with them, a letting agent can upload your certificates and compliance documents. The legal duty to register stays with you, so if your agent doesn't get round to it, you're the one the council writes to.
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The dates
One region opens per month from 15 December. Each region gets three months between opening and its deadline, then councils can start enforcing.
| ~Region | Opens | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| West Midlands | 15 December 2026 | 14 March 2027 |
| East of England | 15 January 2027 | 14 April 2027 |
| East Midlands | 15 February 2027 | 14 May 2027 |
| South East | 15 March 2027 | 14 June 2027 |
| Yorkshire and Humber | 15 April 2027 | 14 July 2027 |
| North West | 15 May 2027 | 14 August 2027 |
| North East | 15 June 2027 | 14 September 2027 |
| London | 15 July 2027 | 14 October 2027 |
| South West | 15 August 2027 | 14 November 2027 |
Published by the government on 9 September 2026. Everyone letting property has to be registered by 14 November 2027.
The bit that catches people out
The deadline follows the property, not you. Live in London, let a flat in Birmingham, and you're on the West Midlands clock: 14 March 2027, four months earlier than your own region.
If your portfolio is spread out, you've got a different deadline for each property.
The way round this is to register early. From 15 December anyone can register, whatever region they're in, so you can do the whole portfolio in one go rather than logging back in nine times across the year. If you hold more than two or three properties, that's the obvious move.
What it costs
£65 per property, per year. Per property, not per landlord, and it renews annually.
Five properties, £325 a year. Ten, £650. Twenty, £1,300. Every year, with a separate renewal date sitting against each one.
One detail almost nobody has picked up: during the rollout the fee is pro-rated, so registering early doesn't cost you more than waiting. If you were holding off until your region opens to avoid paying twice, you don't need to.
What you'll need to hand over
More than most of the coverage suggests. The full schedule is published, and it's worth reading before December rather than discovering it mid-registration.
About you: name, date of birth, residential address, phone and email.
About each property: the address, ownership type, dwelling type, number of bedrooms, whether it's currently let, and the name and email of the freeholder, any superior landlord and the property manager.
About the tenancy: number of occupants, number of households, whether it's furnished, part furnished or unfurnished, and whether it needs an HMO, additional or selective licence, including the licence numbers if you have them.
About the rent: the amount, how often it's paid, and whether it includes utilities and which ones.
Compliance: a copy of the gas safety record and its issue date, the EICR or Electrical Installation Certificate and its expiry date, and the current EPC. If the EPC has expired you'll need the tenancy start date, and if it's below the minimum energy efficiency rating you'll need to say whether you hold a MEES exemption and which type.
It runs through GOV.UK One Login. You get a Landlord Registration Number, and each property gets its own Property Registration Number.
If you hold property through a company
The list is considerably longer. Alongside the organisation's name, legal entity type, address (not a PO Box), phone and email, you'll need the name, date of birth, email and phone of whoever is making the entry, plus a nominated contact for the database.
Your Companies House number covers most of it. If you don't provide one, you have to supply the names, dates of birth and addresses of every director, trustee, partner or governing body member. Trusts need the lead trustee's full details.
There's a separate set of requirements if you're registering as an attorney, executor, deputy, trustee in bankruptcy, administrator or mortgagee in possession, including certified evidence of your authority to act.
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One thing a lot of the coverage has wrong. You'll read that you can't advertise a property without your registration numbers. That rule is in the Act, but the government has confirmed it isn't being switched on for the initial rollout. It'll come later. Worth checking the date on anything you read about this, because several widely shared summaries state it as though it applies from December.
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What happens if you don't
Your council can fine you. Registration is a legal requirement, enforcement sits with local authorities, and the penalties escalate for repeat or serious breaches.
The deadline is the date enforcement can begin, not the date the service opens, so there's a three-month window in each region before councils can act.
What to do before December
Nothing opens until 15 December, but the preparation is worth doing now, particularly if you've got more than a couple of properties.
That last one is the part most landlords will underestimate. Registering twenty properties is a long afternoon. Remembering twenty separate renewal dates, every year, alongside twenty sets of gas safety and EPC dates, is a different kind of problem.
Common questions
When does it open? 15 December 2026, starting with the West Midlands. Other regions follow monthly. Everyone has to be registered by 14 November 2027.
How much is it? £65 per property per year, renewed annually.
Which deadline applies to me? Whichever region your property is in. Not where you live. A London landlord with a Birmingham flat has until 14 March 2027.
Do empty properties need registering? Not during the rollout. Only what's let, or becomes let while the rollout runs. That changes under later legislation.
Can I register before my region opens? Yes, from 15 December. If your properties are spread across regions, do them all at once.
What if I don't register? Your council can fine you, and the penalties escalate for repeat or serious breaches.
Does it cover Scotland and Wales? No, England only. They have their own schemes and nothing carries across.
This article is a general guide and not legal advice. Seek advice from a qualified professional for your circumstances.
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