Landlords with property in the East of England are second in line for the new landlord register, Register your rental property. Registration opens on 15 January 2027, and your deadline is 14 April 2027.
It costs £65 per property per year, and you don't have to wait: you can register any property from 15 December 2026. Our guide to the landlord register explains what you'll need and the penalties for missing the deadline.
Key dates
- Registration opens: 15 January 2027
- Deadline: 14 April 2027
- After the deadline: councils can start enforcing. Letting or marketing an unregistered property is a breach, and courts can't grant most possession orders until you register.
Which areas are covered
The East of England region covers Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire, including Peterborough, Luton, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock. Milton Keynes falls in the South East instead.
Your deadline follows the property, not you. If you live in London and let a house in Chelmsford, that house is due by 14 April 2027, six months before London's deadline.
Local licensing
The register asks whether your property needs a licence. Thurrock runs selective licensing in 16 of its 20 wards, including wards in Grays, Tilbury and Stanford-le-Hope, and licenses smaller HMOs across the whole borough. Luton started selective licensing in the town centre and Park Town on 1 June 2026, with additional licensing for HMOs across the town. Elsewhere in the region, check your council's website.
Your letting agent can't register for you
You have to start and finish the registration yourself. Your agent can supply property details, but the duty and the fines stay with you. If your certificates and tenancy records only live in your agent's system, ask for copies now. If you're switching agent, they're all on our handover checklist.
What to do before 15 January
- Put 15 January and 14 April 2027 in your diary.
- Check your gas safety, electrical and EPC certificates are in date.
- Ask your agent for copies of your tenancy details and certificates.
- Check with your council whether your property needs a licence.
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This guide covers England and is general information, not legal advice.