The Government has announced the next phase of reforms intended to strengthen protections for private renters and improve regulation of England’s private rented sector. The reforms include a national landlord registration service.
The registration service will be introduced gradually across England. The rollout will start in the West Midlands on 15 December 2026 and extend to other regions over the following 12 months. Once a region is brought within the scheme, landlords with properties in that region will have a three-month registration period. According to the Government’s announcement, all landlords actively letting property in England will need to be registered by 14 November 2027.
The requirements will apply to landlords whose properties are already let when registration opens in the relevant area; or become occupied during the rollout period.
Registration will be mandatory. A landlord who fails to comply may face a financial penalty.
Under future legislation, landlords will be required to register unoccupied properties before marketing them for let. Letting agents and landlords will need to include registration numbers on adverts. The Government has not yet provided the complete regional rollout timetable or full operational details.
As the service develops, tenants and prospective tenants are expected to be able to check whether a landlord has registered. The intention is to give renters greater confidence that a landlord is genuine and is complying with the applicable regulatory requirements. The register should also help responsible landlords demonstrate compliance and make it more difficult for non-compliant landlords to gain a commercial advantage.
Local authorities will have access to information held through the registration service. Landlords should ensure that their property management arrangements, safety documentation, licensing position and tenancy records are in order before registration becomes mandatory in their region.
The Government also intends to change how disputes about proposed rent increases are initially determined. The detailed procedure and commencement date for this change have not yet been confirmed.
Landlords may wish to prepare for the new requirements by:
- creating a complete schedule of their rented properties;
- checking which local authority area each property falls within;
- reviewing tenancy agreements and property records;
- confirming compliance with safety, licensing and deposit protection requirements;
- ensuring that contact and ownership information is accurate and up to date;
- monitoring the publication of the regional registration timetable;
- making arrangements to register within the applicable three-month period; and
- reviewing advertising processes in anticipation of the requirement to display registration numbers
