England landlord database registration: deadlines, fee and how to prepare

The short answer

Every landlord in England who lets a home on an assured or regulated tenancy will need to register themselves and each property on the government's "Register your rental property" service, at £65 per property per year. Registration opens in the West Midlands on 15 December 2026 (deadline 14 March 2027) and rolls out region by region, and all landlords actively letting property must be registered by 14 November 2027.

Prepare each let property's details now, so registration takes minutes when your region opens.

Key facts

• The "Register your rental property" service launches on 15 December 2026 in the West Midlands and rolls out to other regions over 12 months. GOV.UK
• Once a region opens, landlords there have three months to register, and all landlords actively letting property must be registered by 14 November 2027. GOV.UK
• Landlords of assured or regulated tenancies must register themselves and each property, paying an annual £65 fee per property that is pro-rated during the rollout. Housing Hub
• Deadlines follow the property's location, not the landlord's: West Midlands properties must be registered by 14 March 2027 and South West properties by 14 November 2027. Housing Hub
• Landlords must start and finish registration themselves, although a letting agent can provide certain information on their behalf. Housing Hub
• Councils can impose a civil penalty of up to £7,000 for breaching the registration duties, or up to £40,000 for related offences such as giving false information. Renters' Rights Act 2025, s.91

When your region opens

The official timetable sets an opening date and a deadline for each region of England:

• West Midlands: opens 15 December 2026, deadline 14 March 2027
• East of England: opens 15 January 2027, deadline 14 April 2027
• East Midlands: opens 15 February 2027, deadline 14 May 2027
• South East: opens 15 March 2027, deadline 14 June 2027
• Yorkshire and the Humber: opens 15 April 2027, deadline 14 July 2027
• North West: opens 15 May 2027, deadline 14 August 2027
• North East: opens 15 June 2027, deadline 14 September 2027
• London: opens 15 July 2027, deadline 14 October 2027
• South West: opens 15 August 2027, deadline 14 November 2027

If you have properties in several regions, each one follows its own region's dates.

Who must register

If you're a landlord of an assured or regulated tenancy, you must register yourself and each of your properties. The government says the requirements initially apply only to landlords with properties under let, or which become occupied during the rollout, so empty homes are not covered at the start. Landlords of supported exempt accommodation do not need to register.

The duty comes from section 82 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025. The detailed regulations were still in draft in early October 2026, so check the live service for the final instructions when your region opens.

Fee, login and letting agents

• Fee: £65 per property per year, renewed annually. During the rollout the fee is pro-rated, so landlords who register early do not pay more.
• Login: you will need a GOV.UK One Login.
• Letting agents: you must start and end the registration yourself, but you can agree that your letting agent or property manager provides certain information on your behalf. You remain responsible for all the required information.

Penalties

Failing to register, or to keep entries up to date, can lead to a council civil penalty of up to £7,000. Related offences, such as providing false or misleading information or continuing breaches, carry penalties of up to £40,000.

What information to prepare

The Housing Hub publishes the full list of information the service asks for. Have these ready:

About you: your name, date of birth, residential address, telephone number and email address (organisations give company or charity details and a nominated contact instead).

For each property:

• the address, ownership type and dwelling type;
• the number of bedrooms and whether it is currently let;
• names and email addresses of any freeholder, superior landlord or property manager;
• the number of occupants and households;
• whether it needs an HMO, additional or selective licence, and the licence number;
• whether it is let furnished, part furnished or unfurnished;
• the rent, how often it is paid, and which utilities, if any, are included; and
• your gas safety record and its issue date, your electrical installation condition report (EICR) or certificate and its expiry date, your energy performance certificate (EPC), and any registered minimum energy efficiency (MEES) exemption.

A practical property-by-property preparation plan

1. Make a list of occupied homes

Start with every property currently let on an assured or regulated tenancy. Record its address, tenancy status and the region it sits in. Deadlines follow the property's location, not where you live, so this tells you when each registration window opens.

2. Bring core property facts into one place

For each property, review the details likely to be needed: ownership arrangement, building type, licensing position, occupancy and HMO status where applicable. Flag uncertainties rather than guessing.

3. Check tenancy and rent records

Keep a current record of the rent, payment frequency and whether bills are included. These details can change during a tenancy, so a historic tenancy agreement alone may not reflect the current position.

4. Locate supporting documents

Identify the latest relevant safety and energy documents for each property. Store the current version against the correct address, and make a note of any document you need to find, renew or clarify.

5. Set a review point for each rollout window

Put each property's regional opening date and deadline in your diary, and review the property record before the window opens. Use the live service's instructions at that point.

Keeping records ready

Good preparation is about organising information. Keep records accurate, note anything you still need to check, and store documents so you can retrieve them property by property, ready to renew each year.

For landlords who want a single working view while they prepare, Portfoliq can help organise live property, tenancy, compliance and document information. You can see how Portfoliq works and explore Portfoliq's landlord features in the context of maintaining those records. It does not replace the applicable registration service or determine what and when you must submit.

What to do next

1. List the let properties in your portfolio and the region each one is in.
2. Note each region's opening date and deadline from the official timetable.
3. Set up a GOV.UK One Login.
4. Assemble property, tenancy, rent and certificate records for each address.
5. If you use a letting agent, agree which information they will provide, remembering that you must start and end each registration.

This article is general information, not legal or compliance advice. Check the live registration service for the instructions that apply when your region opens.