The Private Rented Sector Database

The Private Rented Sector Database is a national register of landlords and privately rented properties in England, created under Part 2 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025. The government has confirmed it will be presented to landlords as the "Register your rental property" service.

It works in three directions at once. Councils use it as enforcement data. Tenants can check who they are renting from before they sign. The new Private Rented Sector Landlord Ombudsman will be able to see a landlord's record.

Phase 1 of the Renters' Rights Act took effect on 1 May 2026, ending fixed term assured shorthold tenancies and removing Section 21.

The database is part of Phase 2. Government has confirmed a staged, region by region rollout beginning in late 2026, with national coverage expected during 2027. Exact commencement dates for each area will be confirmed through secondary legislation.

Landlords in the North East should plan on the basis that registration becomes relevant within months, not years.

Based on the government's published implementation roadmap, registration is expected to require:

• Landlord contact details and identity information
• Details of each property let
• Core safety records for each property, specifically gas, electrical and energy performance evidence

In practice that means:

• A current Gas Safety Record (CP12), renewed annually by a Gas Safe registered engineer
• An in date Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR), renewed at least every five years
• A valid Energy Performance Certificate

The precise data fields will be confirmed through secondary legislation. The certificate requirements are already law independently of the database, so any landlord currently compliant with existing regulations is most of the way there.

The legal owner of the property is the registered landlord. Letting agents can act administratively on a landlord's behalf, but the duty to register sits with the owner. If you use an agent, the responsibility does not transfer.

The requirement applies to individual landlords, limited company landlords, partnerships and properties held in trust.

Once fully in force, a Landlord Registration Number and a Property Registration Number will be required before a property can be marketed or let. Both are expected to appear on property advertising.

Local authorities will be able to issue financial penalties of up to £7,000 for failing to register, or for providing false or misleading information.

Repeated breaches or deliberate fraud may attract penalties of up to £40,000 and can result in criminal prosecution.

An unregistered landlord also loses access to key grounds for possession. With Section 21 abolished, Section 8 is the only possession route available, so registration is not simply an administrative matter. It determines whether you can recover your property at all.

An annual fee per property is expected. Government has stated it will be proportionate and represent good value. Figures have not been confirmed and will be set closer to launch.

Registration itself is unlikely to be difficult. The problem is what happens when a landlord opens the registration process and discovers a certificate has expired, was never obtained, or cannot be located.

At that point they are competing for inspection slots with every other landlord in the region who has just discovered the same thing. Availability tightens, lead times extend, and remedial work identified during an EICR takes weeks to schedule and complete.

Landlords who assemble their evidence before the rollout reaches the North East will register in an afternoon. Landlords who wait will be booking inspections in a queue.

• Locate the current gas, electrical and EPC certificates for every property you let.
• Check every expiry date, not just the ones you remember.
• Identify any property where a certificate is missing, expired, or where an EICR returned unsatisfactory results that were never remedied.
• Book the gaps now, while availability is normal.
• Put a renewal tracking system in place so this does not recur.

This information is a general guide and reflects the position as at August 2026. It is not legal advice. Final requirements will be confirmed through secondary legislation.