Under new legislation, if you are a landlord letting property in England, you will soon need to register it. From 15 December 2026, private landlords with tenants in place will need to register themselves and each rental property on the government’s new Register your rental property service. The annual registration fee is £65 per property. The registration deadline is based on where your rental property is located, rather than where you live. Each region has its own deadline, with Birmingham’s on 14 March 2027, followed by Manchester on 14 August 2027 and London on 14 October 2027. This guide explains the dates, what you need and how to register in good time.
Summary
- The service opens 15 December 2026 and rolls out region by region until 14 November 2027.
- The fee is £65 per property per year, reduced during the rollout (registering on 15 December 2026 costs £5.34 for the first year, per GOV.UK’s own example).
- Registering on time and keeping your details accurate keeps things simple. Penalties can apply if a property isn’t registered (up to £7,000) or if false or misleading information is given (up to £40,000).
What is the ‘Register your rental property’ service?
It is the national register of private landlords and rental properties created by the Renters’ Rights Act, known in the Act as the Private Rented Sector Database. This is the second phase of the Act, following the tenancy reforms that started on 1 May 2026 (see our Renters’ Rights Act FAQ).
The service is run by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. You sign in with a GOV.UK One Login, and a paper application is available if you do not have digital access. Although your details are not public for now, the government has mentioned that some information may become viewable in future. Landlord and property registration numbers will also become mandatory in property adverts, but only once that rule comes into force.
When is your deadline?
Each region gets a three-month window. You must register occupied properties by your region’s end date.
| City | Region | Window opens | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| 伯明翰 | West Midlands | 15 December 2026 | 14 March 2027 |
| Brighton, Oxford, Reading and Southampton | South East | 15 March 2027 | 14 June 2027 |
| York, Sheffield and Leeds | Yorkshire and Humberside | 15 April 2027 | 14 July 2027 |
| Manchester, Salford, Trafford and Liverpool | North West | 15 May 2027 | 14 August 2027 |
| 倫敦 | 倫敦 | 15 July 2027 | 14 October 2027 |
Your deadline follows where the rental property is located, rather than your home address. For example, if you live in Hong Kong and own a flat in Birmingham, you are on the West Midlands timetable, so you will need to register your property between 15 December 2026 and 14 March 2027. Good news for overseas landlords and investors with homes in more than one city: you don’t have to wait for each region to open. From 15 December you can register all your properties in one go.
During the rollout you only need to register properties that are let, or that become let in that period. In future, empty properties will need to be registered before they are marketed. No start date has been announced for this yet.
What you need to register
To register a property you will need:
- property details, such as the address, number of bedrooms and current rental status
- a correspondence address in England or Wales
- contact details for any managing agent, superior landlord or freeholder
After paying the fee and receiving a rental property number, you will also be asked for:
- your gas safety certificate (if the property has gas)
- your electrical safety certificate
- your Energy Performance Certificate (worth checking against the new energy-efficiency standards)
- tenancy information, including the rent
- any licences, such as an HMO licence
You don’t need everything ready on day one. You can add these details when you register, or come back within 28 days to finish. We recommend completing your registration within that time, as an incomplete registration may be deactivated. The same 28 days applies to updates, so when a certificate is renewed, it’s a quick job to upload the new one.
Can your letting agent do it for you?
Yes, but the landlord still has an important role. The landlord must start the registration and remains legally responsible for it. Once you have the property registration number and the property is let, your letting or managing agent can supply the tenancy and safety information. If Complete manages your property and you don’t already have this information to hand, you can download it from your owner portal.
Joint owners must each register, with one of them registering the property and inviting the others. Companies, trusts and other organisations register as organisation landlords.
Find out more about our services here: Complete Services for Landlords
Fees and staying compliant
The registration fee is £65 per property per year, with no VAT, and it is tax-deductible. If you have more than one property, they all renew on the same date each year, 12 months after you registered your first one. During the rollout, the first payment is reduced, because no landlord is charged for days before 15 November 2027.
The rules are straightforward: register on time and keep your details accurate. If a property isn’t registered, your local council can issue a fine of up to £7,000. A higher penalty of up to £40,000 applies only where false information is knowingly or recklessly given, or in cases of repeated breaches. In those cases, tenants may also be able to claim back rent through a Rent Repayment Order once their region’s window has opened.
How to get ready now
- Set up a GOV.UK One Login
- Check every gas, electrical and EPC certificate is in date
- Note the region and deadline for each property
- Agree with any joint owners who will register the property
- If you use an agent, agree who supplies which information
How can Complete support landlords?
If Complete manages your property, we can handle much of the detail for you, if you would like, for a service fee. Once you’ve started your registration and have your property registration number, our team can:
- upload the tenancy details and rent for each property on your behalf
- upload your gas safety, electrical safety and EPC certificates
We will remind you when each property is due, according to its regional deadline (if you have more than one).
Not with us yet? Explore our services for landlords, see our landlord fees, or if you’re not happy with your current agent, book a free, no-obligation appraisal with our team.
Disclaimer: This article is general information based on GOV.UK guidance published 29 October 2026 and is not legal or tax advice. Rules and dates can change, so check GOV.UK before acting.
