Rental property register rollout begins on 15 December 2026
The UK Government has published details of its new ‘Register your rental property’ service, which will be introduced across England in stages starting this winter.
Registration will begin in the West Midlands, with the rest of England following on a regional timetable.
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.
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.
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 15 December 2026 to 14 March 2027
East of England 15 January 2027 to 14 April 2027
East Midlands 5 February 2027 to 14 May 2027
South East 5 March 2027 to 14 June 2027
Yorkshire and Humber 15 April 2027 to 14 July 2027
North West 15 May 2027 to 14 August 2027
North East 15 June 2027 to 14 September 2027
London 15 July 2027 to 14 October 2027
South West 15 August 2027 to 14 November 2027
Once the deadline has passed for a region, councils will be able to begin enforcement activity.
The landlord remains responsible for starting and completing registration.
The UK Government will issue specific guidance for letting agents and property managers before the service goes live.
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.