PRS database

Register Your Rental Property: The PRS Database Landlord Guide

October 2026 · 9 min read · England private rented sector

The next big deadline in a landlord's diary isn't a tax date — it's a registration date. On 15 December 2026, the government's "Register your rental property" service opens, starting the rollout of the Private Rented Sector (PRS) database created by the Renters' Rights Act. Every private landlord in England will have to register themselves and each property they let. Here's what it is, when your deadline falls, and what to get ready now.

What the PRS database is

The database is a mandatory national register of private landlords and their rental properties in England. You register yourself once (free) and receive a Landlord Registration Number; then you register each property (£65 per property per year) and receive a Property Registration Number for each one. Both numbers will eventually have to appear on adverts and listings. Councils will use the database to check compliance and target enforcement — and registration will be a precondition for getting a Section 8 possession order (except on the most serious antisocial-behaviour grounds).

In legislation it's called the Private Rented Sector Database; the public-facing service is branded "Register your rental property" on GOV.UK. Same thing.

When: the regional rollout

The rollout is regional, based on where the property is — not where you live. Each region gets a three-month window:

If your properties span several regions, you can register everything from 15 December and be done with it rather than tracking multiple windows. The government has confirmed the fee will be pro-rated during the initial rollout, so early registrants won't pay a full year's fee for a partial year.

What you'll need for each property

Registration isn't just a form with your name on it — expect to supply compliance evidence per property. Get this folder ready now:

• Identity and contact details — for the correct legal owner (individual, joint owners, limited company or LLP). Where there's more than one owner, each registers individually.
• Property details — full address, number of bedrooms, occupancy information, furnished/partly furnished/unfurnished, and the rent.
• Safety certificates — in-date Gas Safety certificate, EICR and EPC. If any of these expire before your window, renew early: you can't register a property with lapsed certificates.
• Deposit protection details — confirmation the deposit is protected.
• Licensing information — HMO licence or selective licence details where they apply.

What happens if you don't register

• Civil penalty up to £7,000 for a first breach — failure to register once your window has closed.
• Up to £40,000 for false or misleading information, or continuing/repeated breaches.
• Possession blocked: you won't be able to obtain a Section 8 possession order while unregistered (except on Grounds 7A/14 for serious antisocial behaviour).
• Advertising restrictions will follow under later legislation — unregistered properties won't be lawfully marketable.

Your get-ready checklist (do this in October/November)

1. Confirm which region each property falls in and diary the deadline.
2. Audit gas, EICR and EPC expiry dates — renew anything lapsing before your window.
3. Confirm deposit protection and prescribed information are in order per tenancy.
4. Check the legal owner name for each property (especially companies and joint ownerships).
5. Set up GOV.UK One Login if you don't have one — the service is expected to use it.
6. Budget £65 per property per year, annually renewable.

Landlords who treat registration as a ten-minute admin job in December will discover it's actually a compliance audit with a deadline. Do the audit now and December is ten minutes.

Not legal advice. This guide is general information for private landlords in England, written in October 2026. Rollout dates and operational details may change as secondary legislation lands — check GOV.UK's guide to the Renters' Rights Act before acting. This is not legal advice; take professional advice on your own circumstances.