The service is the delivery of the landlord database provisions in the Renters’ Rights Act 2025. It will require landlords of assured and regulated tenancies to register themselves and each property they let.
Propertymark has long supported the principle of a national landlord and property register to help professional agents and responsible landlords demonstrate compliance and support councils to focus their resources on cases that present the greatest risk.
For the register to be a success, it is vital that councils have sufficient staff, resources and investigatory capacity to identify landlords who deliberately operate outside the law by failing to register or submitting false documents.
What landlords must do
Landlords will pay an annual registration fee of £65 for each property and must renew their registration every year. Those who fail to register risk a financial penalty.
They will need to provide information about themselves and their properties, including:
- property address, ownership type and number of bedrooms
- the landlord’s contact details and details of any superior landlord or property manager
- whether the property is currently let, the number of occupants and households, and relevant HMO, additional or selective licence details
- rent charged, payment frequency and whether utilities are included
- evidence of compliance with key health and safety requirements, including gas safety, electrical safety and energy performance information.
The official guidance confirms that landlords of supported exempt accommodation, as defined in the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023, will not need to register through the service.
For the first stage of rollout, landlords are required to register properties that are already let or become let during the rollout period. They will not yet need to register empty properties.
Read the UK Government’s full guidance for landlords →
Registration dates depend on where the property is
The deadline is based on the location of the rental property, rather than where the landlord lives. Landlords with properties in more than one region can register them all from 15 December 2026 if they choose, but must meet the deadline for each property’s region.
|
Region |
Registration period |
|
West Midlands |
1 December 2026 to 28 February 2027 |
|
East of England |
1 January 2027 to 31 March 2027 |
|
East Midlands |
1 February 2027 to 30 April 2027 |
|
South East |
1 March 2027 to 31 May 2027 |
|
Yorkshire and Humber |
1 April 2027 to 30 June 2027 |
|
North West |
1 May 2027 to 31 July 2027 |
|
North East |
1 June 2027 to 31 August 2027 |
|
London |
1 July 2027 to 30 September 2027 |
|
South West |
1 August 2027 to 31 October 2027 |
Once the deadline has passed for a region, councils will be able to begin enforcement activity.
How agents can support landlord clients
The landlord remains responsible for starting and completing registration. However, where a landlord uses a letting agent or property manager, they will be able to agree for the agent to provide certain information on their behalf.
The UK Government will issue specific guidance for letting agents and property managers before the service goes live. In the meantime, agents should begin reviewing the information and documents held for managed properties, particularly current gas safety records, electrical reports, EPCs, licence details, and tenancy information.
This is also an opportunity to ensure landlord clients understand the timetable that applies to their properties and the information they will need to provide.
Looking ahead
In a future phase, landlords will also have to register vacant properties before they, or their agent, market them to let. Landlords and letting agents will then need to include the property’s unique landlord and property identifiers in advertising. The UK Government has said it will publish further guidance before these requirements take effect.
The register will give local authorities a new source of information to support enforcement. In time, tenants will also be able to use it to check whether a landlord is meeting key legal requirements before choosing where to rent.
Letting agents have a crucial role in supporting landlords through the registration process. They can signpost clients to the service and, in time, will need to ensure registration numbers are included in property listings. Where agreed with the landlord, agents will also be able to upload health and safety information and certificates on their behalf.
While it is helpful to have the rollout dates in advance, the UK Government’s decision to limit active registration to landlords does not reflect the management arrangements used across the sector. Requiring each landlord to make a separate entry could create unnecessary delays and discourage timely action.
Letting agents will be central to making the service work in practice. We need clear guidance, as soon as possible, on what agents can and cannot do to support their landlord clients.
