PRS Database 28-Day Update Rule: What Changes You Must Report

The Statutory Reporting Window

Section 78 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 and Regulations 8 and 9 of the published draft PRS Database Regulations 2026 set a 28-day period for updating landlord and dwelling entries. For information or documents that become out of date, the period begins on the day they become out of date; tenancy information for a property registered before it is let is due within 28 days beginning on the day the tenancy starts. This isn't optional guidance — it's a statutory duty enforced by the same civil penalty regime as non-registration.

Failing to update within 28 days exposes you to fines of up to £7,000 per breach. Repeat or deliberate non-compliance can reach £40,000 or criminal prosecution.

What Triggers the 28-Day Clock

Changes to Your Landlord Entry

• Change of personal or corporate name
• New residential address or service address
• Updated phone number or email
• Change in the named person for a company landlord

Changes to Your Dwelling Entry

• New tenancy — when you sign a tenancy with new tenants, the occupant count, household details, and tenancy start date must be updated
• Rent increase — after a Section 13 rent adjustment takes effect, log the new amount and effective date
• Occupant changes — if the number of people living in the property or the number of households changes
• Furnishing status — if a property switches between furnished, partly furnished, or unfurnished

Agent and Compliance Document Updates

• Appointing or replacing a letting agent — the new agent's details must replace the old ones within 28 days
• Terminating an agent — if you take back self-management, remove the agent from the entry
• Gas Safety Record renewal — upload the new certificate and issue date after each annual inspection
• EICR renewal — update when you get a new five-year report
• EPC changes — if you commission a new assessment after improvements, update the reference number and rating

Property Alterations

• Material changes affecting bedroom count (conversions, extensions)
• Changes to HMO licensing status — if a property moves from standard letting to HMO or vice versa, the licence details must be updated

How to Stay on Top of It

The 28-day window starts from the date of the change, not from when you happen to notice it. If a rent increase takes effect on 3 March, count 3 March as day 1: day 28 is 30 March — no extensions.

For most landlords, the practical triggers come down to a short list: the annual Gas Safety renewal, any rent changes, and tenant turnover. Setting calendar reminders for your Gas Safety anniversary date and any Section 13 notice effective dates covers the most common updates.

If you use a letting agent, they can upload updated documents and dwelling data on your behalf. But the legal duty stays with you. If the agent misses the 28-day window, the penalty hits the landlord, not the agent.

The PRS Database Registration Guide includes a 28-day update tracker log designed to sit alongside your tenancy records — every trigger mapped against its deadline, with space for confirmation dates.

See more England guides →