Register your rental property: what GOV.UK's new guidance says for landlords
The government has published its first detailed guidance for landlords on the PRS database. On 29 October 2026, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government published Register your rental property service: guidance for landlords on GOV.UK, alongside separate guidance for letting agents and property managers. "Register your rental property" is the name the government is using for the PRS database service.
The guidance applies to England. Here is what it says, in plain English, and where the rules behind it stand in Parliament.
Where the rules stand in Parliament
The guidance was published while the draft Private Rented Sector Database Regulations 2026 are still before Parliament. According to Parliament's record of the instrument, as checked on 30 October 2026:
- a Commons Delegated Legislation Committee and a Lords Grand Committee both considered the draft on 28 October 2026
- neither House has yet approved it, and it has not been made
- a Lords approval motion is scheduled for 4 November 2026
In the 28 October debates, ministers described the 15 December roll-out as following, or subject to, parliamentary approval. So treat the dates and details below as the government's published plan, and check GOV.UK for any change.
Who needs to register
GOV.UK says that if you are a private landlord renting out a property in England that is currently occupied by tenants on an assured or regulated tenancy, you must register. That includes organisations that act as private landlords. Tenancies within the meaning of supported exempt accommodation in section 12 of the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023 do not need to be registered.
A few points from the guidance that are easy to miss:
- Joint landlords. Each landlord must register. One registers the property and invites the others. If you own part of a rental property and are entitled to possession of it, you must register as a joint landlord, even if you are not named on the tenancy agreement.
- Partnerships. Members of English business partnerships who rent out property together register as individuals. Limited liability partnerships and Scottish partnerships register as organisations.
- HMOs. If a property has an HMO licence, you do one registration for the whole property, not one per room.
- Occupied homes first. GOV.UK's guidance for landlords (29 October 2026) says: "During the rollout, 15 December 2026 to 14 November 2027, you will only have to register properties that are currently under let, or which become let during this period." GOV.UK says unoccupied properties will need registering before they are marketed in the future.
You register using GOV.UK One Login, and there will be a paper-based application if you do not have digital access.
The regional registration periods
GOV.UK's guidance for landlords (29 October 2026) says each region has a registration period, for example West Midlands from 15 December 2026 to 14 March 2027. These dates depend on the regulations being approved by Parliament. GOV.UK's table of regional periods is:
| Region | Start date | End date (before midnight) |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Humberside | 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 |
The region depends on where each property is, not where you live. The guidance says you can register properties before their region's start date, so a landlord with homes in several regions can register them all at once, as long as none is registered after its region's end date. Our West Midlands guide covers the first region.
What you provide, and the 28 day rule
To register a property, GOV.UK says you provide the property details (for example address, number of bedrooms and current rental status), a correspondence address in England or Wales, and contact details for any managing agents, superior landlords and freeholders. You then pay and receive a property registration number.
You are then asked for further information, including:
- evidence of a gas safety certificate, if the property has a gas supply (see our gas safety certificate guide)
- evidence of an electrical safety certificate (see EICRs explained)
- evidence of an Energy Performance Certificate
- information about the tenancy, including the rent
- any licences, such as an HMO licence
You can give this at the same time, or within 28 days. If outstanding information is not provided within 28 days, GOV.UK says the property registration may be deactivated, which may put you in breach of the requirement to have an active registration for a let property. After that, you must update anything that changes or expires within 28 days, such as a replaced gas safety certificate or a change in rent.
Letting agents can help, but the duty stays with you
You must start each property registration and pay for it. Once you have the registration number and the property is occupied, you can ask your letting agent or property manager to provide the tenancy and safety information through a link the service sends them. GOV.UK says you remain responsible for the property record being completed within 28 days, even if you delegate it.
The fee
GOV.UK's guidance for landlords, published on 29 October 2026, says the annual service fee is £65 per property, pro-rated during the roll-out.
GOV.UK's guidance adds that you will not be charged for your landlord registration or for updates to your records, and that all your properties share one renewal date, a year from when you registered your first property. Check GOV.UK for the current position, including how the fee is worked out.
Penalties
The guidance says you may face penalties of up to £7,000 for failing to register yourself and your property, and up to £40,000 for knowingly or recklessly providing false or misleading information, or for continuing or repeated breaches of certain requirements. It also says tenants will be able to apply for rent repayment orders in those false information and repeated breach cases, once the registration period for their area has opened. Our guide to the Renters' Rights Act breaches that can cost up to £7,000 has more on council fines.
What to do now
Nothing has to be registered today. A few sensible steps while the rules finish going through Parliament:
- Find your region and dates in the table above, for each property you let.
- Gather each property's gas, electrical and EPC documents and check the expiry dates, so you can provide them within 28 days.
- Agree with any joint owners and your agent who will start each registration and who will keep it updated.
Our PRS database readiness checklist covers the details to get ready.
This is general information about government guidance and draft legislation, not legal advice about your own lettings. Check GOV.UK for the final rules and dates.
Get each property's documents ready 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. Add your first property and 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: GOV.UK, Register your rental property service: guidance for landlords (MHCLG, 29 October 2026); GOV.UK, Register your rental property service: guidance for letting agents and property managers (MHCLG, 29 October 2026); UK Parliament, Statutory instrument record for the Private Rented Sector Database Regulations 2026; House of Lords Business, order paper for 4 November 2026, approval motion; legislation.gov.uk, The Private Rented Sector Database Regulations 2026 (draft); Hansard, Commons Delegated Legislation Committee, Draft Private Rented Sector Database Regulations 2026 (28 October 2026); Hansard, Lords Grand Committee, Private Rented Sector Database Regulations 2026 (28 October 2026).