The New Landlord Register: Your Deadline, the Fee and What You Have To Do
Every landlord in England has to register into the PRS database
From 15 December 2026, every private landlord in England letting under an assured or regulated tenancy must register themselves and each of their properties on the new Private Rented Sector Database. Personally, I don't relish being instantly searchable on a DB, but rules are rules.
The rollout is regional, one region a month, starting with the West Midlands. Once your region opens, you have three months to register. Your deadline is set by where the property is, not where you live. A landlord who lives in London with a rented flat in Birmingham works to the West Midlands deadline of 14 March 2027.
Related: The Complete Guide to the UK Renters' Rights Act · New Tenant Checklist for Landlords
Check your deadline
When do you need to register?
Enter the postcode of your rental property. Your deadline is set by where the property is, not where you live.
Full postcode or just the first part, both work.
See all regional deadlines
| Region | Registration opens | Deadline |
|---|
Source: GOV.UK Housing Hub, ‘Register your rental property’ service. Correct as at 30 September 2026.
What does it cost to register on the PRS database?
£65 per property, per year. You pay it each time you register a different property, and you renew annually. So A five-property portfolio is £325 a year. During the rollout the fee is pro-rated so landlords who register first do not pay more than those who register later.
Pro tip: Registration fees are a deductible business expense. Keep the receipts with your other compliance costs. It is a running cost of letting, so budget for it the same way you budget for gas safety checks and insurance.
What you need to have ready to register
You will need a GOV.UK One Login to use the service. Set that up before your window opens rather than on the day.
For yourself: name, date of birth, residential address, phone number and email. Organisational landlords need more, including the legal entity type, a non-PO Box address, Companies House number where applicable, and director or trustee details where it is not.
For each property: the address, ownership type, dwelling type, number of bedrooms, whether it is currently let, and the number of occupants and households. You will also need to say whether it is furnished, partly furnished or unfurnished, what rent you charge and how often, and whether that rent includes any utilities.
And this one catches people out: you need the name and email address of the freeholder, any superior landlord, and the property manager. Most landlords do not have those to hand.
You will need to upload your compliance certificates: the gas safety record, the EICR or Electrical Installation Certificate, and the EPC plus their respective issue dates. If your EPC has expired you will need the current tenancy start date. If the EPC is below the minimum rating you will need to say whether a MEES exemption is registered.
Pro tip: Check your certificate expiry dates now. Where renewals are close, get them done before you register so the record you upload has a full year to run.
Pro tip: If you let in more than one region, you can register the whole portfolio from 15 December 2026 rather than returning to the service nine times.
Can your letting agent register for you?
That isn't entirely clear yet. It appears you still have to start the registration yourself. Your agent can upload certain information on your behalf, and the government will publish guidance for agents before launch, but the legal responsibility for providing complete and accurate information stays with you.
What happens if you do not register for the PRS database?
After your regional deadline passes, your council can begin enforcement in your area. The government has confirmed you risk a fine. The bigger consequence is that an unregistered landlord cannot obtain a possession order, other than on the anti-social behaviour grounds.
There is also a future requirement worth knowing about now. In the initial rollout you only need to register properties that are currently let, or that become let during the rollout period. Later legislation will require you to register unoccupied properties before you or your agent market them, and to display your landlord and property identifiers on adverts. The government will publish guidance ahead of that change.
Do not leave registration too late, if a certificate has lapsed or you cannot track down the freeholder's email, you want time to fix it.
Who needs to register on the PRS Database?
The register covers England only. Landlords in Wales register with Rent Smart Wales instead.
Landlords of supported exempt accommodation as defined in the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023 are outside the service. If you think that might apply to you, check Section 12 of that Act.
Getting ready Now
Registration is mostly an exercise in producing documents you are already legally required to hold. If your compliance is current and your paperwork is organised, it is a short job. If it is not, then start getting sorted now!
Use the time before your region opens as a compliance audit. Pull your gas, electrical and EPC certificates together. Check the dates. Track down the freeholder and property manager contact details. Set up your GOV.UK One Login. Then register early and move on.
Letting with confidence starts with knowing your tenant. Husmus open-banking assessments give you bias-free, audit-ready referencing, and our insurance products keep you covered from day one. Find out how it works →
Source: GOV.UK Housing Hub, 'Register your rental property' service, correct as at 30 September 2026. This guide does not constitute legal advice. Seek independent legal guidance for your specific situation.