Landlords in England will have to register their rental properties under a new national scheme launching in December, the government has announced today.
The new “Register your rental property” service will launch on 15 December 2026. The West Midlands will become the first region to adopt the system.
The government will then roll it out across England over the following 12 months.
Registration will become a legal requirement for landlords when their area joins the scheme. Those who fail to comply risk a fine.
Landlords will have three months to register once the government brings their region into the system.
All landlords actively letting property in England must have registered by 14 November 2027.
Registration will cost £65 per property annually, with landlords required to renew each year. Those who fail to register may face financial penalties.
What letting agents need to know
The initial requirements will apply to landlords with properties already let. They will also cover properties that become occupied during the rollout.
Further legislation will extend the system to vacant rental properties.
Under those plans, landlords will need to register an unoccupied property before advertising it for rent.
Crucially for the agency sector, landlords and letting agents will also have to display registration numbers on property adverts.
The government eventually plans to give tenants access to registration information. Prospective tenants will then be able to check whether a landlord has registered.
Councils will also gain access to the information. Ministers say this will help local authorities identify non-compliant landlords and take enforcement action more quickly.
The registration service forms the first stage of the government’s planned national database of private rented sector properties.
Housing minister Matthew Pennycook said: “Rollout of a national landlord registration service is an important first step toward establishing our new innovative database of private rented sector properties which will empower tenants, support responsible landlords and help councils enforce our transformative Renters’ Rights Act.”
Rent challenges also changing
The government has also announced a significant change to the way tenants challenge rent increases.
HMRC’s Valuation Office will take responsibility for initial decisions on rent increase challenges in England.
Currently, tenants who want to challenge an increase must apply to the First-tier Tribunal.
That system will remain in place while the government develops the new service.
The government said tenants who challenge an increase will not have to pay the higher rent until the Tribunal reaches its final decision.
Pennycook said: “By transferring responsibility for making initial rent determinations to HMRC’s Valuation Office, we will ensure that challenges to proposed rent increases are determined faster and pressure on the tribunal system is reduced, giving tenants and landlords confidence that rent disputes will continue to be resolved efficiently and effectively.”
Financial Secretary to the Treasury James Murray said the future service would use the Valuation Office’s existing rental sector expertise.
He said: “This is an important step towards helping to deliver a modern, digital-first service that works for both tenants and landlords, creating a system that is transparent, accountable and fair.”
The changes form part of the next phase of the Renters’ Rights Act reforms.
Comments (1)
Just say you dont want private landlords anymore. Give all the properties to large corporate landlords like Blackrock… that’ll go well.