Landlords in England will begin registering their rental properties with a new national database from 15 December, with registration costing £65 per property each year.
The government’s ‘Register your rental property’ service will initially launch in the West Midlands before being rolled out region by region across England over the following 12 months.
Registration will be a legal requirement under the next phase of the Renters’ Rights Act reforms, with landlords risking financial penalties if they fail to comply.
All landlords actively letting properties will need to be registered by 14 November 2027, while letting agents will eventually be required to include registration numbers on property adverts.
REGIONAL ROLLOUT
Landlords will have three months to register once the service is introduced in their region.
The West Midlands will have the first deadline on 14 March 2027, followed by the East of England on 14 April, East Midlands on 14 May, South East on 14 June, Yorkshire and the Humber on 14 July, North West on 14 August and North East on 14 September.
London landlords will have until 14 October, with the South West completing the rollout on 14 November 2027.
Landlords will be required to provide information about themselves, their properties and tenancies alongside rental and health and safety information, including gas and electrical safety certificates and EPC data.
Initially, the requirements will apply to properties already let or which become occupied during the rollout. Under future legislation, landlords will also have to register empty properties before marketing them for rent.
Tenants will eventually be able to check whether their existing or prospective landlord is registered, while councils will be given access to information intended to help them identify non-compliant landlords and take enforcement action.
RENT DISPUTE CHANGES
The government has also announced plans to transfer responsibility for initial decisions on challenges to rent increases from the First-tier Tribunal to HMRC’s Valuation Office.
Until the new system is introduced, tenants challenging a rent increase will continue to apply to the First-tier Tribunal and will not have to pay the higher rent until a final decision has been made.
Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook says the changes are designed to speed up rent determinations and reduce pressure on the tribunal system.
AGENT CONCERNS
Propertymark has welcomed advance notice of the registration timetable but says the decision to limit active registration to landlords fails to reflect how many rental properties are managed.
Timothy Douglas, Head of Policy and Campaigns at Propertymark, says: “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.”
“The success of the register will depend heavily on the detail.”
Allison Thompson, Chief Lettings Officer, LRG, says: “We support the principle of a national landlord register. Greater transparency should give tenants confidence that their landlord is legitimate and compliant while allowing responsible landlords to demonstrate the standards they already maintain.
“It should also make it easier for councils to identify those who are not meeting their obligations.
“But the success of the register will depend heavily on the detail. Landlords will be required to provide a substantial amount of information and documentation and at present we do not have complete guidance on how letting agents will be able to support them.
“For landlords with larger portfolios in particular, a system which relies heavily on manual input could create a considerable administrative burden, in addition to a cost burden. We would like to see the process designed so that agents can play a meaningful role and ultimately for it to integrate more effectively with the systems the industry already uses.”
‘LANDLORDS NEED CLARITY’
And she adds: “Privacy is another important consideration. The database will necessarily contain significant personal and property information, so landlords need clarity about exactly what will be visible to tenants and the wider public, what will remain private and how that information will be protected. I do wonder whether all of the information requested, such as a date of birth, is relevant for this purpose.
“The principle is a good one and the regional rollout gives the industry time to prepare. The priority now must be getting the practical detail right so that the register improves standards without creating unnecessary complexity for the landlords who are already doing the right thing.”
‘INCREASED PEACE OF MIND’
Isobel Thomson, CEO of safeagent, the UK’s largest not-for-profit accreditation scheme for lettings and management agents, says: “safeagent welcomes the Government’s clarification on the timeline for the rollout of the new Landlord Register, which should be helpful in giving tenants increased peace of mind about the property they are renting.
“It could also provide an excellent source of information not just for tenants but also for enforcement authorities if it is utilised properly and integrated into other compliance mechanisms that exist.
“We look forward to the publication of the guidance for lettings agents regarding information they will be able to provide on behalf of the landlord in due course.”
