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What’s changing / The new landlord register opens region by region

What’s changing · 15 December 2026

The new landlord register opens region by region

England's landlord register is planned to open on 15 December 2026, one region a month. The last deadline is 14 November 2027. The rules are still in draft.

Checked against the law 12 October 2026.

Draft law

Draft rules are before Parliament. They’re not law until both Houses approve them.

For: Private landlords in England with a home that is let

Listen to this article· about 6 minutes

What's changing

England is getting a register of private landlords and the homes they let. Its official name is the Private Rented Sector Database, and the government's online service is called "Register your rental property". It comes from the Renters' Rights Act 2025. Once it's in force, you'll need to be on it yourself, and so will every home you let (Renters' Rights Act 2025, s.82).

The government plans to open it one region at a time, a month apart, starting in the West Midlands on 15 December 2026.

Is it law yet?

Not yet. The detailed rules are still a draft. They were put before Parliament on 9 September 2026. They only become law if both the House of Commons and the House of Lords vote to approve them. As of 12 October 2026, neither House had voted on them, and they had not been made into law.

There's a second step too. The part of the Act that creates the register has not been switched on yet. The government says a separate set of rules will do that, and none has been made so far.

What this means for you: today there's no duty to register and no fine for not registering. The dates below are the government's plan, and they could still change. It's sensible to plan around them, and we'll update this page when Parliament votes.

When

Each region opens on the 15th of its month. The government says you then have three months to register, so each deadline falls on the 14th, three months later.

  • West Midlands opens on 15 December 2026. Register by 14 March 2027.
  • East of England opens on 15 January 2027. Register by 14 April 2027.
  • East Midlands opens on 15 February 2027. Register by 14 May 2027.
  • South East opens on 15 March 2027. Register by 14 June 2027.
  • Yorkshire and Humber opens on 15 April 2027. Register by 14 July 2027.
  • North West opens on 15 May 2027. Register by 14 August 2027.
  • North East opens on 15 June 2027. Register by 14 September 2027.
  • London opens on 15 July 2027. Register by 14 October 2027.
  • South West opens on 15 August 2027. Register by 14 November 2027.

You don't have to wait for your region. GOV.UK says you can register any home from 15 December 2026, wherever it is.

Why the opening date matters

The government says the opening date is when you're legally required to register. The deadline is the point after which councils in that region can start taking action.

That matters if you might need to ask a court to give you a home back. Once the law is fully in force, a court can't usually do that while you or the home isn't on the register. The only exceptions are cases about antisocial behaviour or crime (Renters' Rights Act 2025, s.90). The rules that will switch the register on haven't been published, so we don't yet know exactly how they'll treat those three months. If a court case is possible, registering early is the safe choice.

Who it affects

You'll need to register if you're a landlord in England with a home let on an assured tenancy or an older regulated tenancy. Assured tenancies include what used to be called assured shorthold tenancies. Social housing isn't covered (Renters' Rights Act 2025, s.63). Some supported housing is also left out: for example refuges, and homes provided by a housing association, charity or similar body that also gives the people living there care or support (draft Private Rented Sector Database Regulations 2026, reg 3). If you let a home yourself to a tenant who gets support from a charity or the council, you still need to register it.

If you let a home jointly with someone else, you each register yourselves. The home itself is registered once.

For now, the government says you only need to register homes that are let, or that become let during the rollout. Empty homes will need registering before they're advertised, but that needs further law, and the government says it will give guidance first.

Your deadline depends on where the home is, not where you live. The government's own example: if you live in London and let a home in Birmingham, you follow the West Midlands deadline. If you let homes in more than one region, each home has its own deadline.

Each region is made up of named council areas, as they stood on 15 December 2026 (draft regulations, Schedule 1). If you're not sure which region a home is in, look up its council in our A to Z of councils.

What to do

Find your home's region and deadline on the deadline page of this website.

Then get ready. To register online, you'll need a GOV.UK One Login. If you use a letting agent, you still need to start the registration yourself. Your agent can then add some of the details for you. The service will also ask you to upload your safety papers: your electrical safety report, your gas safety record if the home has gas, and your energy certificate if you had to give your tenant one. The government says there will be other ways to register for people who can't do it online.

Our article on registering explains what it involves, what it costs, and the yearly renewal.

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Sources

Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we’ll check it. This is general information, not legal advice.