Register your rental property: what England's new landlord register means for you

From 15 December 2026, every landlord in England with an assured or regulated tenancy has to register themselves and each rented property on a new government service called Register your rental property. It opens one region at a time, and your deadline depends on where the property is, not where you live.

Here's when your region opens, what it costs, what you'll need, and why having a letting agent doesn't take the job off your hands.

When your region opens

Each region gets a three-month window to register. Once your region's window closes, letting or marketing a property without a registration is a breach.

What it costs

£65 per property per year. Registration is renewed annually, and you must keep each entry up to date, adding any changes within 28 days.

What you'll need

You register yourself once, then add each property. Have these to hand:

• Your name and contact details
• The property's address, type, ownership and number of bedrooms
• How many people and households live there
• The rent, how often it's paid, and whether bills are included
• Any licence the property needs
• Your gas safety, electrical safety and EPC details

You'll get a Landlord Registration Number for yourself and a Property Registration Number for each home. There will also be a way to register offline if you can't use the online service.

Your letting agent can't register for you

This is the part that catches out landlords with fully managed lets. You have to start and finish the registration yourself. Your agent can supply some of the property information, but the duty, and the fines, stay with you.

That makes your own records matter. If your certificates and tenancy details only live in your agent's system, getting them out takes time, and takes longer if you're in the middle of leaving. Ask for copies now. If you're switching agent, they're all on our handover checklist.

What happens if you don't register

Councils enforce the register, and the penalties climb quickly:

• A civil penalty of up to £7,000 for letting or marketing a property without a registration
• Up to £40,000, or prosecution, if the breach carries on more than 28 days after a penalty, is repeated, or involves false information
• Rent repayment orders, letting your tenant claim back rent
• No possession order from the courts while you're in breach, apart from narrow exceptions such as anti-social behaviour

What to do now

1. Find your region's dates and put them in your diary.
2. Gather your gas, electrical and EPC certificates, and check none are close to expiry.
3. Get copies of your tenancy details from your agent, rather than relying on their system.
4. If you're thinking of switching agent, read our 12-week switching plan first, so the move doesn't clash with your registration window.

Details of the service can change before your region opens, so check GOV.UK before you register. Our Renters' Rights Act guide covers the other changes since May 2026.

This guide covers England and is general information, not legal advice.