The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025 and the government is implementing it in phases. Its introduction changes the rules for landlords and their residential tenants. Phase 2 will shortly be rolled out. This is is the requirement for private landlords to register themselves and their properties on the new central landlord database.
| Implementation timetable so far
As mentioned, the government is implementing the changes in phases.
Phase 1 started on 1 May 2026 and included many big changes including:
- abolishing Section 21 “no-fault” evictions
- fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies became assured periodic tenancies
- limiting rent increases to once a year
- banning rental bidding
- introducing new pet rights
- landlords now need a statutory ground for possession, including where they intend to sell or move into the property.
Phase 2 is coming up next from late 2026: The government is introducing a private rented sector landlord database. Following that will be the creation of a Landlord Ombudsman.
Phase 3 is expected in around 2035–2037: The Decent Homes Standard and Awaab’s Law are extended to the private rented sector.
| Phase 2: Landlord database rollout
Landlords of homes occupied under assured or regulated tenancies must sign up to what the Government describes as a ‘Register Your Property Service‘, including all existing tenancies and any signed during the roll out period.
Empty homes being marketed to let do not need to be registered at this stage. However, this will change in future when you need to provide a registration number before you can advertise your property.
It is also worth noting that agents cannot register homes on the database on behalf of landlords. Landlords must register themselves.
Registration for the private landlord database opens on 15 December 2026 and will be introduced region by region across England.
| Region | Date regulations commence | Deadline to register |
| West Midlands | 15 December 2026 | 14 March 2027 |
| East of England | 15 January 2027 | 14 April 2027 |
| East Midlands | 15 February 2027 | 14 May 2027 |
| South East | 15 March 2027 | 14 June 2027 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 15 April 2027 | 14 July 2027 |
| North West | 15 May 2027 | 14 August 2027 |
| North East | 15 June 2027 | 14 September 2027 |
| London | 15 July 2027 | 14 October 2027 |
| South West | 15 August 2027 | 14 November 2027 |
| Why the database matters
The database will give landlords one place for current guidance, compliance information and regulatory updates. The database will include:
- The address of the property
- Type of ownership (freehold, leasehold, commonhold)
- Type of property (detached, semi, terraced)
- Whether the property is licensed
- How many people live in the property and whether it’s a HMO
- The rent, whether it includes bills, and the rent frequency
- The relevant safety certificates (gas, EPC, EICR/EIC)
Tenants will have greater transparency before and during their tenancy, with clearer routes to enforce rights or escalate concerns. This includes (but is not limited to):
- checking whether a landlord and property are legally registered and verified before entering into a tenancy;
- gaining visibility into property standards, safety checks (Gas Safety, EICR and EPC energy ratings) as well as landlord compliance certificates.
- the database makes it easier for tenants to know when and how to escalate maintenance, repair or management issues to local councils or the Landlord Ombudsman.
Local authorities will be granted more reliable property and ownership data, by looking at the database. This will help them in enforcing against non-compliant landlords.
| Registration requirements
Landlords have three months to register once their region’s registration is open. The annual fee is £65 per property.
Registration will be through the gov.uk portal which will require the details for the landlord or organisation, property and tenancy information, rent details, and relevant gas, electrical, EPC and minimum energy efficiency documentation.
| Non-compliance
A landlord who advertises or lets property and is not registered on the database may face enforcement action, rent repayment orders and restrictions on obtaining possession. These include but are not limited to:
Up to £7,000: civil penalty for advertising or letting an unregistered property.
Up to £40,000 or prosecution: for repeated breaches or serious offences, including supplying fraudulent information.
Except where Ground 7A (severe anti-social or criminal behaviour) or Ground 14 (anti-social behaviour) applies, a landlord in breach of the registration duty cannot obtain a possession order. Once registration is active, advertisements to let the property must include the property’s registration number.
Practical step: landlords should identify their regional registration date, assemble the required property and safety information, and register within the three-month window.
Zoreen Aziz and the team at Levi Solicitors have acted for hundreds of residential landlords. Resolving issues on everything from landlords’ regulatory requirements, to possession actions and disrepair. If you are a landlord looking for expert legal advice and assistance, call us on 0800 988 7756 or fill in our form and we will call you back.
