PRS Database: how to register your rental property, and by when
Short answer: every private landlord in England must register themselves and each let property on the PRS Database (“Register your rental property” on GOV.UK). It opens region by region from 15 December 2026, starting with the West Midlands, and each region has three months. The last deadline is 14 November 2027. It costs £65 per property per year, and not registering can mean a fine of up to £7,000 and no possession order on most grounds.
What is the PRS Database?
The Private Rented Sector Database is a national register of landlords and the homes they let, created by Part 2 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025. Landlords record who they are, which properties they let, and the safety certificates for each one. Councils use it to target enforcement, and some details can be made public so renters can check a landlord and property are registered. On GOV.UK the service is called Register your rental property.
It is separate from council licensing: an HMO, additional or selective licence is still needed where your council requires one, and its number goes on your register entry.
PRS Database registration dates by region
Your deadline is set by where the property is, not where you live. A London landlord with a flat in Birmingham registers that flat on the West Midlands timetable. If your properties are in several regions, each one has its own deadline — but you can register them all early in one go.
| Region | Opens | Deadline to register |
|---|---|---|
| West Midlands | 15 December 2026 | 14 March 2027 |
| East of England | 15 January 2027 | 14 April 2027 |
| East Midlands | 15 February 2027 | 14 May 2027 |
| South East | 15 March 2027 | 14 June 2027 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 15 April 2027 | 14 July 2027 |
| North West | 15 May 2027 | 14 August 2027 |
| North East | 15 June 2027 | 14 September 2027 |
| London | 15 July 2027 | 14 October 2027 |
| South West | 15 August 2027 | 14 November 2027 |
Which region is my property in?
These are England's nine standard regions. Find your property's council below; if it sits near a regional border, check the region with your council.
- West Midlands — deadline 14 March 2027
- Birmingham, Coventry, Wolverhampton, Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall, Solihull, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin
- East of England — deadline 14 April 2027
- Essex (incl. Southend and Thurrock), Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire (incl. Luton), Cambridgeshire, Peterborough, Norfolk, Suffolk
- East Midlands — deadline 14 May 2027
- Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, Leicester and Leicestershire, Derby and Derbyshire, Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire (not North or North East Lincolnshire), Rutland
- South East — deadline 14 June 2027
- Kent and Medway, Surrey, East and West Sussex (incl. Brighton and Hove), Hampshire (incl. Southampton and Portsmouth), Isle of Wight, Berkshire (incl. Reading and Slough), Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Milton Keynes
- Yorkshire and the Humber — deadline 14 July 2027
- Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield, York, Hull, West, South and North Yorkshire, East Riding of Yorkshire, North and North East Lincolnshire
- North West — deadline 14 August 2027
- Manchester and Greater Manchester, Liverpool and Merseyside, Lancashire (incl. Blackpool and Blackburn), Cheshire (incl. Warrington), Cumbria
- North East — deadline 14 September 2027
- Newcastle and Tyne and Wear, Sunderland, County Durham, Northumberland, Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, Stockton-on-Tees
- London — deadline 14 October 2027
- All 32 London boroughs and the City of London
- South West — deadline 14 November 2027
- Bristol, Bath, Somerset (incl. North Somerset), Gloucestershire (incl. South Gloucestershire), Wiltshire, Swindon, Dorset (incl. Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole), Devon (incl. Plymouth and Torbay), Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly
How much does it cost?
£65 per property per year. Each property is registered separately with its own fee, so a landlord with four lets pays £260 a year, and it renews annually. GOV.UK says the fee will be pro-rated during the rollout, so registering early shouldn't cost you more. Like other running costs of a let, it should count as an allowable expense — check with your accountant.
Who has to register — and who doesn't
- Must register: landlords of homes let on an assured or regulated tenancy in England — individuals, joint owners, limited companies and trusts. That includes HMOs and each self-contained flat in a building.
- Not yet: empty properties. For now only homes that are let, or become let during the rollout, need registering. Future legislation will require registration before a property is marketed, and registration numbers on adverts.
- Usually not covered: lodgers living in your own home (normally a licence, not an assured tenancy) and supported exempt accommodation.
- Using an agent? You still register. The landlord starts the entry and stays responsible for it; an agent can add some property details for you.
What you need to register
Gather these before you start — most landlords get stuck hunting for a certificate date or a licence number.
- A GOV.UK One Login, with identity verification (photo ID).
- Your details: name, date of birth, address, phone and email. A company also needs its Companies House number and directors.
- The property: address, ownership (freehold, leasehold, share of freehold), type (detached, semi, terraced, flat), bedrooms, and any superior landlord or managing agent.
- The tenancy: whether it's let, how many people and households live there, furnished or not, and any HMO or selective licence number.
- Rent: the amount, how often it's paid, and whether bills are included (and which).
- Safety certificates: your gas safety record (issue date and the engineer's Gas Safe number), your EICR (expiry date) and your EPC — or a registered MEES exemption if it's rated F or G. Have PDFs or photos ready to upload.
If you can't register online, GOV.UK says there will be an offline route and a contact centre to help.
How to register on the PRS Database, step by step
- Sign in with GOV.UK One Login and verify your identity.
- Register yourself as a landlord (or your company). You get a landlord registration number.
- Add each property: address, ownership, type, licence, occupants, rent and bills. Each property gets its own property registration number.
- Add the safety certificates — gas safety record, EICR and EPC. If one isn't to hand, the Act allows details still outstanding to be added within a set period of no more than 28 days.
- Pay £65 for each property.
- Using a letting agent? Invite them to the property so they can keep its details up to date. You stay responsible for the entry.
After you register: updates and renewals
Registering is not a one-off job. The entry has to match the property, so a new tenancy, a rent increase, a new gas certificate or EICR, or a new licence all mean updating the register. The draft regulations give 28 days to make each update. The registration also has to be renewed every year with a new fee, or the entry lapses — and a lapsed entry counts the same as no entry.
Penalties for not registering
- Civil penalty: your council can fine you up to £7,000 for not having an active entry, or for other breaches of the register's rules.
- Criminal offence: carrying on after a penalty, a further breach within five years, or knowingly or recklessly giving false or misleading information. That means an unlimited fine on conviction, or a civil penalty of up to £40,000 instead.
- Possession: while you don't have an active entry, the court can't make a possession order on any Section 8 ground except the anti-social behaviour grounds (7A and 14). With Section 21 gone, that can matter more than the fine.
- Rent repayment orders: if you knowingly or recklessly give the register false information, tenants can apply for a rent repayment order of up to two years' rent.
Councils in each region can start enforcing once that region's deadline has passed.
Your PRS Database checklist
- Find the region and deadline for every property you let.
- Set up your GOV.UK One Login and verify your identity.
- Check each gas safety record, EICR and EPC is in date, and scan a copy.
- Note licence numbers, rent, bills, bedrooms and who lives there.
- Register each property and pay £65 per property.
- Record each registration number and its renewal date.
- Update the entry within 28 days of any change; renew every year.
How RentFig helps you register — and stay registered
The register has no API, so nothing can file it for you. What RentFig does is have every answer ready, and tell you when it changes.
- A PRS Database tab on every property. Your answers to the register's questions, in GOV.UK's order, each ready to copy and paste — with the gas, electrical and EPC certificates gathered to upload.
- What's missing, before you start. RentFig shows which answers or certificates you don't have yet, property by property.
- Changes flagged. When a rent, tenancy or certificate changes in RentFig, the tab lists what to update on the register, so you can do it within 28 days.
- Deadline and renewal reminders. RentFig emails you before your region's deadline and before each annual renewal.
- Certificate tracking. Compliance tracking reminds you before gas, EICR and EPC certificates expire — the same certificates the register asks for.
FAQ
What is the PRS Database?
The Private Rented Sector Database is a national register of private landlords and the homes they let in England, created by the Renters' Rights Act 2025. On GOV.UK the service is called "Register your rental property". Landlords register themselves and each let property, pay a fee per property and keep the details up to date. Councils use it for enforcement, and some details can be made public so renters can check a landlord and property are registered.
When do I have to register on the PRS Database?
It depends on where the property is, not where you live. Registration opens region by region from 15 December 2026, starting with the West Midlands, and each region gets three months. The first deadline is 14 March 2027 (West Midlands) and the last is 14 November 2027 (South West). London's deadline is 14 October 2027. You can register early, including all your properties at once.
How much does PRS Database registration cost?
£65 per property per year. Each property is a separate registration with its own fee, and it renews every year — so four properties cost £260 a year. GOV.UK says the fee will be pro-rated during the rollout so landlords who register early don't pay more.
Can I register on the PRS Database early?
Yes. GOV.UK says you can register before your region's window, including all your properties at once, and the fee is pro-rated during the rollout so registering early shouldn't cost more. If your properties are in different regions, registering early means one job instead of several deadlines.
Which region is my property in?
The PRS Database uses England's nine standard regions, by the property's location. For example: Birmingham and Coventry are West Midlands (deadline 14 March 2027); Essex, Hertfordshire and Norfolk are East of England (14 April 2027); Nottingham and Leicester are East Midlands (14 May 2027); Kent, Surrey and Hampshire are South East (14 June 2027); Leeds and Sheffield are Yorkshire and the Humber (14 July 2027); Manchester and Liverpool are North West (14 August 2027); Newcastle and Durham are North East (14 September 2027); every London borough is London (14 October 2027); and Bristol, Devon and Cornwall are South West (14 November 2027).
What is a landlord registration number?
When you register you get a landlord registration number, and each property gets its own property registration number. Keep them: you'll need them for renewals and updates, to give to a letting agent, and — once that part of the law is switched on — on every advert for the property.
Does the PRS Database replace HMO or selective licensing?
No. Council licensing carries on as before. If your property needs an HMO, additional or selective licence you still apply to the council, and you give the licence number to the PRS Database as part of your entry.
What information do I need to register?
A GOV.UK One Login (with identity checks), your own details (name, date of birth, address, phone, email — or company details such as the Companies House number), and for each property: address, ownership type, property type, bedrooms, whether it's let, occupants and households, any HMO or selective licence, furnishing, rent and how often it's paid, whether bills are included, and your gas safety record, EICR and EPC (or a MEES exemption).
What happens if I don't register?
Your council can issue a civil penalty of up to £7,000. Carrying on after a penalty, a further breach within five years, or knowingly or recklessly giving false information is a criminal offence — an unlimited fine on conviction, or a civil penalty of up to £40,000 instead. While you don't have an active entry, the court also can't make a possession order except on the anti-social behaviour grounds (Ground 7A or Ground 14). Councils in each region can start enforcing once that region's deadline has passed.
Do I need to register if I use a letting agent?
Yes. The landlord must start the registration and stays responsible for the details being complete and correct. A letting agent or property manager can add some of the property information on your behalf, but they can't register you.
Do empty properties or lodgers need registering?
For now, only properties that are let on an assured or regulated tenancy, or become let during the rollout, must be registered. Future legislation will require a property to be registered before it is marketed. Lodgers living with you are usually on a licence rather than an assured tenancy, and supported exempt accommodation is exempt — check GOV.UK if your situation is unusual.
Does the PRS Database apply in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland?
No — it's England only. Wales has Rent Smart Wales, Scotland has its own landlord registration with each council, and Northern Ireland has its own landlord registration scheme.
Do I have to keep my PRS Database entry up to date?
Yes. The entry has to reflect the property — a new tenancy, a rent change, a new gas certificate or EICR, a new licence. The draft regulations give 28 days to update the register after a change, and the registration must be renewed (and the fee paid) every year or the entry lapses.
How does RentFig help with the PRS Database?
Every property in RentFig has a PRS Database tab. It lays out your answers to the register's questions in the same order as GOV.UK, ready to copy, gathers the gas, electrical and EPC certificates to upload, shows what's still missing, and flags changes since you last updated the register so you can make them in time. It emails you before your region's deadline and before each renewal. The tab is included on RentFig's Free plan.
Sources
- GOV.UK Housing Hub — Get ready to register (regional dates, fee, information needed)
- GOV.UK — Stronger protections and greater confidence for renters (9 September 2026 announcement)
- Renters' Rights Act 2025, Part 2 Chapter 3 (penalties, offences and the possession restriction)
Disclaimer: This guide is general information for UK landlords, not legal or financial advice. Law and practice change — always confirm the current position, and take advice on anything that matters. This is general guidance, not legal advice. The dates and fee above are from the GOV.UK Housing Hub and GOV.UK's announcement of 9 September 2026; penalties are from the Renters' Rights Act 2025. All were checked on 14 October 2026. The 28-day update rule comes from the draft regulations and could change. Always confirm the current rules on GOV.UK before relying on this page.