PRS database regulations go before Parliament. What the draft would ask landlords for
The rules that will run the PRS database are now going through Parliament. The draft Private Rented Sector Database Regulations 2026 were laid on 9 September 2026, and were debated in a Commons Delegated Legislation Committee and in a Lords Grand Committee on Wednesday 28 October 2026.
They are still a draft. Under the Renters' Rights Act 2025, the regulations can only be made once each House of Parliament has approved them, so the dates and details below are planned, not yet in force.
Here is what the draft says, in plain English.
Where the draft is in Parliament
According to Parliament's record of the instrument:
- it was laid before both Houses on 9 September 2026
- the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments did not draw it to the special attention of either House (14 October 2026)
- the Lords Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee drew it to the special attention of the House on 20 October 2026, on the grounds that it is politically or legally important or gives rise to issues of public policy likely to be of interest to the House
- on 28 October 2026, a Commons Delegated Legislation Committee debated the draft and agreed, after a vote, that it had considered it, and a Lords Grand Committee also considered it
Those committee debates are not the final votes. Each House still needs to approve the draft before the regulations can be made, so they are not yet law.
The planned start dates
The draft would bring the database duties in region by region. These are the dates set out in regulation 1 of the draft:
| Region | Planned date |
|---|---|
| West Midlands | 15 December 2026 |
| East of England | 15 January 2027 |
| East Midlands | 15 February 2027 |
| South East | 15 March 2027 |
| Yorkshire and Humber | 15 April 2027 |
| North West | 15 May 2027 |
| North East | 15 June 2027 |
| London | 15 July 2027 |
| South West | 15 August 2027 |
For all other purposes, the draft says the regulations come into force on 15 September 2027. Which date applies to you depends on where each rented home is, not where you live. The draft extends to England and Wales but sets dates for English regions. Schedule 1 of the draft lists the councils in each region. Our West Midlands guide covers the first region.
Two kinds of entry
The draft talks about two kinds of entry: a landlord entry for you, and a dwelling entry for each home you let or plan to let. A dwelling entry cannot be made unless there is an active landlord entry first.
For a landlord entry, an individual landlord would give their name, date of birth, residential address, phone number and email address. Organisations give their details too, including a Companies House number where they have one.
For a dwelling entry, the draft lists two parts. Part 1 covers the home itself, including the address, the landlord's name and a correspondence address in England and Wales (not a PO Box), ownership type, dwelling type, number of bedrooms and whether it is currently let. Part 2 covers the tenancy and safety information, including:
- the number of occupants and households
- whether the home needs an HMO, additional or selective licence, and the licence numbers if available (our licence checker guide explains the types)
- where there is a gas supply, a copy of the gas safety record and its issue date (see our gas safety certificate guide)
- a copy of the EICR and its expiry date, or an appropriate EIC and its issue date (see EICRs explained)
- EPC information, including a copy of the most recent EPC where one had to be given to the current tenant, and whether any registered energy efficiency exemption applies
- the rent charged, how often it is paid and whether it includes any utilities
- whether the home is let furnished, part furnished or unfurnished
The 28 day rules
Several deadlines in the draft run for 28 days:
- New entry for a home that is already let. You can make the entry without the Part 2 information, but it must then be added within 28 days of the entry being made. If it is not, the draft says the dwelling entry becomes inactive.
- Home not yet let. When a tenancy starts, the Part 2 information must be added within 28 days of the tenancy beginning.
- Anything that changes. If information or documents in an active landlord or dwelling entry go out of date, the entry must be updated within 28 days. A new gas safety record or EICR is the obvious example.
Fees and yearly renewal
Under the draft, a dwelling entry cannot be made, or renewed, unless the fee has been paid. The regulations do not set the fee. In Parliament on 28 October 2026, ministers said the Government has separately announced a fee of £65 per property per year, pro rata during the initial roll-out. The draft says the amount is to be determined by the database operator by reference to the relevant costs. Check GOV.UK for the current position.
Entries would need renewing every 12 months, or they become inactive. If you add more homes later, the draft says their renewal date lines up with the renewal date of your existing dwelling entries.
Other points in the draft
- A letting agent or property manager you appoint could provide or update the tenancy and safety information for you.
- Only one active dwelling entry is allowed for each home at a time, with a limited exception when a let property is being sold and contracts have been exchanged.
- The database operator and local housing authorities would be able to verify entries, and the operator could correct errors or remove entries that do not meet the requirements.
What to do now
Nothing changes today, and the detail could still change before the regulations are made. But the draft makes one thing clear: each home will need its current gas safety record, EICR and EPC details to hand, and you will have 28 days to keep them up to date. Our guide to why the PRS database matters for possession explains why staying registered will matter, and our Renters' Rights Act timeline puts it in context.
This is general information about draft legislation, not advice about your own lettings. Check GOV.UK for the final rules and dates once the regulations are made.
Get each property's documents in one place
LandlordProof gives you one place for each property's certificate dates and documents, with email reminders before each date comes up, so your gas, electrical and EPC details are ready to enter when your region's date arrives. LandlordProof does not register you. Your first property is free, with no time limit and no card needed. Start free.
Start free →LandlordProof helps you organise your certificates, documents and reminders. Using it does not by itself meet your legal duties as a landlord, and it does not register you on the PRS database.
Sources: legislation.gov.uk, The Private Rented Sector Database Regulations 2026 (draft); UK Parliament, Statutory instrument record for the Private Rented Sector Database Regulations 2026; UK Parliament Committees, 28 October 2026 debate, Fourth Delegated Legislation Committee; Commons business papers, 28 October 2026.