The Government has confirmed the next stage of the Renters' Rights Act: a national database that every landlord in England will need to register on, alongside every occupied rental property. The rollout is staggered region by region, starting in December 2026 and reaching every part of England within the following year.
Regional deadlines
Wherever you're based, the fee is £65 per property, every year. Your registration window depends on your region:
RegionCommencesDeadlineWest Midlands15 Dec 202614 Mar 2027East of England15 Jan 202714 Apr 2027East Midlands15 Feb 202714 May 2027South East15 Mar 202714 Jun 2027Yorkshire and Humber15 Apr 202714 Jul 2027North West15 May 202714 Aug 2027North East15 Jun 202714 Sep 2027London15 Jul 202714 Oct 2027South West15 Aug 202714 Nov 2027
Registration is a disclosure exercise
You don't just complete a form. You upload your gas safety record, your electrical report and your EPC. You declare occupancy, bedroom count and the rent you actually achieve.
For the first time, your council can see your compliance record in one place, without an inspection, a complaint or a request from anyone. Phase two, expected in 2028, is due to give tenants a view as well.
The register doesn't create a new standard: it makes the existing one visible.
The penalties are not administrative
Up to £7,000 civil penalty for a single breach.
Up to £40,000, or criminal prosecution, for repeat or serious breaches.
Up to £40,000 for marketing or letting a property without an active registration.
Up to £7,000 for providing false or misleading information, with prosecution available for persistent breaches.
Up to £40,000, or prosecution, for false information or repeat breaches.
Continuing or repeat database breaches sit on the Rent Repayment Order list, and RROs now run to 24 months' rent.
Breach the registration duty and you cannot obtain a possession order, except on anti-social behaviour grounds.
That last point is worth reading twice: a landlord who isn't registered, with a tenant who has stopped paying, has no route to possession at all.
What to do before your deadline
The form itself isn't the work: the real work is making sure that when you upload a certificate, it's in date, correctly addressed and matched to the tenancy it belongs to. Most portfolios carry at least one gap. It's far better to find it yourself than have a council find it for you.
Get in touch with our Compliance Experts and we'll talk you through what's needed. Not just for the Database but to for all the legislation that can create a £40k fine you might be sitting on today. Simply complete the form below and we'll be in touch, or book a 30 minute call at a time that suits you.