The Government has announced the introduction of its new ‘Register your rental property’ service for private landlords across England.
The service forms part of Phase 2 of the Renters’ Rights Act and will create a national database of privately rented properties and their landlords. This will be rolled out on a regional basis, starting with the West Midlands in December. According to the Government website, the South East will be able to register from 15th March 2027 and will have to complete registration by 14th June 2027.
What is the ‘Register your rental property’ service?
The new service is being introduced to provide a clearer picture of who is responsible for a rental property and whether the necessary requirements are being met.
Who will need to register?
The new requirements will apply to private landlords in England, whether they own a single rental property or a larger portfolio. Landlords will be required to register themselves and their rental properties, with information held on a central database.
Even if you use a letting agent, you will need to start the registration process yourself with an option for your agent to upload certain information on your behalf. At the time of publication, there is no further information on how agents will conduct these uploads.
What information will landlords need?
The exact registration process is still being finalised, but landlords should expect to provide details about themselves (contact details) and their rental properties (property, tenancy and rent information as well as health and safety information). You can read the full list on the government webpage here.
What is the cost?
There’s an annual £65 registration fee per property, and you’ll need to renew your registration each year. For the initial rollout you are only required to register your properties if they are currently under let or become let during the rollout period. As the public interface is rolled out future legislation means landlords will also be required to register any unoccupied properties before they are marketed for let.
At Finders Keepers, we are continuing to monitor the latest developments and will keep our landlords updated as more information becomes available.
