The PRS Database: what every landlord must register before it launches
Landlords in England have had a year to get used to assured periodic tenancies, Section 8 grounds and the new Section 13 process. The next Renters' Rights Act change is not about how you manage a tenancy at all - it is about proving who you are. From late 2026, every private landlord in England will need to register on the new Private Rented Sector (PRS) Database, the centrepiece of Phase 2 of the Act's rollout. This guide explains what it is, what you will need to register, and why getting your paperwork in order now is worth doing before your region goes live.
What the PRS Database actually is
The database is a single national record bringing together landlords, tenants and councils. For tenants, it is somewhere to check who they are renting from before signing anything. For landlords, it becomes the place you demonstrate compliance instead of repeating the same information to every council, agent and insurer separately. For councils, it is explicitly a targeting tool - the government wants local authorities to focus enforcement on the landlords most likely to be non-compliant, rather than spreading limited inspection resources thinly across everyone.
What you will need to register
Government has confirmed, subject to parliamentary approval, that registration will require at minimum:
- Your contact details as landlord, including every joint landlord where a property is owned jointly, not just the lead name
- The property's full address, its type, the number of bedrooms, and how many households or residents live there
- Whether the property is currently occupied and whether it is let furnished or unfurnished
- Confirmation of your safety paperwork - gas safety, electrical (EICR) and Energy Performance Certificate information
If your certificates and paperwork are already organised, registering should be quick. If they are scattered across old emails and a filing cabinet, use this as the prompt to sort that out before registration opens in your area.
How the rollout works
| Stage | What happens | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| Stage 1 - registration | Landlords and letting agents register themselves and each property, including paying an annual fee | From late 2026, phased region by region |
| Stage 2 - public access | Tenants and councils gain access to the data; councils use it to target enforcement | Rolls out after landlord registration opens in each region |
| Landlord Ombudsman | Every PRS landlord must join the free tenant redress scheme | Mandatory membership expected in 2028 |
Registration will carry an annual fee, though the amount is not yet confirmed - government has only said it intends the fee to be proportionate, with detail set closer to launch.
The penalty for not registering
This is not a box-ticking exercise you can quietly skip. Once your region's registration opens, letting or advertising a property that is not on the database can bring a civil penalty of up to £7,000 from your local council, rising to £40,000 or criminal prosecution for repeated breaches - the same ceiling the Act set for other housing offences from 1 May 2026. Just as importantly, an unregistered landlord is expected to struggle to get a court to grant a Section 8 possession order, even where the ground itself is sound. Registration looks set to be treated the way deposit protection already is: a gatekeeping step the court checks before it helps you.
Is this the same as the Landlord Ombudsman?
No, and the two are worth keeping apart. Both sit within Phase 2 of the Act, but on separate timelines. The database begins its regional rollout from late 2026. The Ombudsman - a free redress scheme for tenant complaints - is being built alongside it, but landlords will not have to join until the government is confident the service is ready, expected in 2028. Neither replaces any licence your property already needs; if it requires an HMO or selective licence, that duty continues alongside the database, not instead of it.
What to do now
- Locate your gas safety, EICR and EPC certificates so they are ready to confirm the moment registration opens.
- Note the details of every joint landlord on jointly owned properties - the database will ask for each name, not only the lead landlord.
- Watch GOV.UK for your region's go-live date rather than a third-party site. There is no way to register early.
- Budget for an annual fee once the government confirms the amount, expected closer to launch.
Get your compliance paperwork registration-ready
The Complete Landlord Pack includes a Landlord Compliance Calendar that already tracks your gas safety, EICR and EPC dates in one place - exactly the records the database will ask you to confirm. Sort it now and registration will be a five-minute job, not a scramble.
See the packs →Frequently asked questions
What is the PRS Database? It is a new national register, introduced under the Renters' Rights Act, where every private landlord in England must record their own details and information about each rental property, including safety certificates. It launches in phases from late 2026.
When do I need to register? Not yet - the database has not opened in any region. Rollout begins from late 2026 and continues through 2027, area by area, so your exact date depends on where your property is.
What happens if I do not register? Once it is live in your area, letting or advertising an unregistered property can lead to a civil penalty of up to £7,000, rising to £40,000 or prosecution for repeated breaches, and is expected to make it harder to obtain a possession order through the courts.
Is the Landlord Ombudsman the same thing? No. It is a separate scheme, also introduced in Phase 2, but mandatory membership is not expected until 2028, after the database is established.
This guide is general information for landlords in England, not legal advice for your specific circumstances. Check GOV.UK for the confirmed registration date and fee before your region's rollout begins.