Leicester Landlord Register and the PRS Database: What's Coming in 2027

Leicester landlords currently deal with the council's existing licensing registers, but a new national system is arriving in 2027 that will require separate registration. Understanding which register does what — and when you need to act — prevents you from being caught out by a deadline you did not know existed.

Leicester's Existing Public Registers

Leicester City Council maintains public registers of licensed properties as required by the Housing Act 2004. There is an HMO register listing every property with a mandatory HMO licence, and a selective licensing register listing properties licensed under the 2022–2027 designation.

These registers are primarily administrative tools. They allow tenants, prospective tenants and the public to check whether a property is licensed. They also feed into the council's enforcement intelligence — properties that should be licensed but do not appear on the register are flagged for investigation.

As a landlord, you do not need to do anything extra to appear on these registers. When your licence is granted, the council adds the property automatically. The registers record the licence holder, the property address, the licence number, the expiry date and any conditions attached to the licence.

The National PRS Database

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 introduced the national Private Rented Sector Database — a central register that will eventually cover every private landlord and rental property in England. It is being rolled out regionally.

For Leicester and the wider East Midlands, the registration window opens on 15 February 2027 and closes on 14 May 2027. Landlords must register each occupied rental property covered by the scheme during this three-month window.

The property registration asks for details including any local licences. You can submit the registration and provide outstanding property information, including licence details, within 28 days. If your property requires a selective or HMO licence, that remains a separate local requirement; an incomplete database record may be deactivated if the missing information is not supplied within 28 days.

The Timing Crunch

Leicester's selective licensing designation is scheduled to end on 9 October 2027. The PRS Database registration deadline is 14 May 2027. If your property is in a mapped selective licensing area and you do not have a licence by February 2027, you face local licensing enforcement risk. You can still register on the national database and submit outstanding property details, including licence information, within 28 days.

For landlords who have been putting off their selective licensing application, these overlapping deadlines make 2027 the worst possible year to still be unlicensed.

What the PRS Database Changes

The database is not just a register — it creates new registration duties. Landlords must register rented properties during their region's registration period. After rollout, properties will need active landlord and property entries before they are marketed or let, and written advertisements will need the registration numbers. Failure to register can lead to a penalty of up to £7,000; knowingly or recklessly providing false or misleading information, and certain repeated or continuing breaches, can lead to penalties of up to £40,000. Landlords remain responsible for registration even if an agent helps provide tenancy or safety information. GOV.UK says some landlord and property information may be made public, but not all data will be.

For Leicester landlords who already hold a valid licence, include its details with the other property information. The annual registration fee is £65 per property and is pro-rated during rollout. If you submit the registration before you have all the property information, provide the outstanding details within 28 days.

The Landlord Licensing in Leicester guide includes a PRS Database readiness schedule alongside the local licensing process, so you can handle both obligations in the right order.

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