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:
| Region | Commences | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| West Midlands | 15 Dec 2026 | 14 Mar 2027 |
| East of England | 15 Jan 2027 | 14 Apr 2027 |
| East Midlands | 15 Feb 2027 | 14 May 2027 |
| South East | 15 Mar 2027 | 14 Jun 2027 |
| Yorkshire and Humber | 15 Apr 2027 | 14 Jul 2027 |
| North West | 15 May 2027 | 14 Aug 2027 |
| North East | 15 Jun 2027 | 14 Sep 2027 |
| London | 15 Jul 2027 | 14 Oct 2027 |
| South West | 15 Aug 2027 | 14 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.
If you'd like help getting ahead of your region's deadline, use the form below and we'll talk you through what's needed.