Private Rented Sector Database: When Landlords Must Register in England

What the PRS Database Is

The Private Rented Sector Database is a national registration system for landlords in England, created under Part 2 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025. Landlords of assured or regulated tenancies must register themselves and each property on the official service, except for supported exempt accommodation.

This is not the same as local council licensing. It is a separate national requirement that sits alongside existing HMO and selective licensing schemes. Registration on your local council's selective licensing register does not satisfy the PRS Database requirement, and vice versa.

When It Opens

The PRS Database launches in a phased regional rollout. Registration starts in the West Midlands on 15 December 2026, then opens monthly in the East of England (15 January 2027), East Midlands (15 February), South East (15 March), Yorkshire and Humber (15 April), North West (15 May), North East (15 June), London (15 July) and South West (15 August). Each region has a three-month registration window, with the final deadline on 14 November 2027.

The Housing Hub has published the full regional schedule. The service accepts registrations from 15 December 2026, so you can register before your region's legal deadline. You must meet the deadline for the region where each property is located.

What You Will Need to Register

The registration scope covers both the landlord and each individual property:

Landlord details:

• Name and date of birth
• Residential address
• Telephone number and email address

Per-property details:

• Full address of the rental property
• Dwelling type, ownership type, bedroom count and whether it is currently let
• Compliance certificates (gas safety, EICR, EPC)
• Rent and payment frequency, furnishing status, and any required HMO or selective licence details

The current Housing Hub checklist asks for the relevant gas safety record, electrical safety report or certificate, and EPC details. It does not list proof of deposit protection as a registration document.

Registration Fees

The annual fee is £65 per property, payable for each property registration and renewable each year. During the rollout, the fee will be pro-rated so landlords registering earlier do not pay more.

Penalties for Not Registering

The penalties mirror other Renters' Rights Act enforcement:

• Marketing or letting an unregistered property: civil penalty of up to £7,000 for an initial breach
• Persistent non-compliance: civil penalty of up to £40,000
• Possession notice restriction: Landlords will not be able to serve valid Section 8 Form 3A possession notices for properties that are not registered on the database
• Rent Repayment Orders: Non-registration is expected to be an RRO-eligible offence

The possession notice restriction is the sharpest consequence. It means that failing to register does not just risk a fine — it prevents you from using the legal system to recover your property through Section 8 proceedings.

How This Differs from Local Licensing

Landlords often confuse the PRS Database with local council licensing schemes. They are separate systems with different legal bases:

If your property is in an area with selective licensing (such as parts of Newham, Manchester, or Tower Hamlets), you will need both: the local licence and the national database registration. One does not replace the other.

What to Do Now

Registration is not open yet for most regions, so there is no action to take today beyond preparation:

1. Gather your compliance documents. Make sure your gas safety certificate, EICR, and EPC are current and on file. If any are due for renewal, get them done now rather than scrambling when the registration portal opens.
2. Note your local licensing status. Know whether your property is in an area with selective or additional HMO licensing, and whether your local licence is current.
3. Watch for the regional schedule. The government will publish which regions open when. Check GOV.UK for updates as the December 2026 Stage 1 launch approaches.

Our Renters' Rights Act guide for landlords in England tracks all three phases of implementation — including the PRS Database and the Landlord Ombudsman — with the dates and action steps as they are confirmed.

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