GUIDE
The private rented sector database, in plain English
From December 2026 every private landlord in England must register themselves and every property they let on a government database. This is what it is, when it reaches your region, and what happens if you are not on it.
Last reviewed September 2026. The rules can change. Check GOV.UK before you act on anything here.
What you have to do
Get a landlord number
You verify your identity through GOV.UK and get a Landlord Registration Number. Only you can do this. No agent can do it for you.
Register each property
Every property you let needs its own entry, with its own registration number.
Keep it accurate
Entries must be updated within 28 days of anything changing: rent, occupancy, certificates, licensing.
Pay the annual fee
£65 per property per year, payable to the database operator. It is not a fee we charge and we do not add to it.
When it reaches your region
Registration opens region by region. You have three months from the date it opens in your region to get every property on it.
If your property is in South West London, registration opens on 15 July 2027 and every property must be on the database by 14 October 2027.
Region
Registration opens
Deadline
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 the Humber
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
What happens if you are not on it
Current penalties in England, per property.
Section 21 no longer exists. Section 8 is the route to possession, and an unregistered property closes most of it off.
Marketing or letting a property that is not registered
up to £7,000
Failing to include your registration number in an advertisement
up to £7,000
Letting an entry fall out of date
up to £7,000
Continuing the breach after a penalty, or giving false or misleading information
up to £40,000
Seeking possession without a valid registration
Section 8 unavailable
What we do, and what only you can do
Only you can do this
Verify your identity through GOV.UK.
Obtain your Landlord Registration Number.
Confirm the information is correct before anything is submitted.
We can do this
Hold every compliance date and certificate the entry needs.
Prepare and submit the registration once you have confirmed it.
Keep the entry updated within the 28 day window as things change.
Registration is charged separately from management. See our fees page for what it costs.