Fri 11 Sep 2026

The New Rental Property Register: What Every Landlord Needs to Know

If you rent out a property in England, there is a big change on the way. From 15 December 2026, the government is launching a new online service called "Register your rental property". It will roll out region by region, and every landlord will eventually need to sign up.

It might sound like a lot to take in, so we have broken down what the service is, when you need to register, and what information you will need to have ready.

Why is this happening?

The new register comes from the Renters' Rights Act 2025, which brought in a wide set of changes for landlords and tenants across England. You can read more about the wider changes in our guide to the Renters' Rights Act 2025.

Registering your property lets you show that you are following the rules. It also gives councils a better way to spot landlords who are not meeting their legal duties, and in time, it will let tenants check whether a property is compliant before they agree to rent it.

When do I need to register?

The service will not launch everywhere at once. Instead, it is rolling out region by region across England, starting in the West Midlands. This staggered approach is designed to stop the system becoming overloaded on day one.

Once the service goes live in your region, you will have a three month window to register. After that deadline, councils will be able to take enforcement action against landlords who have not signed up.

Your deadline depends on where your property is, not where you live. So if you live in London but rent out a flat in Birmingham, you need to register by the West Midlands deadline, not the London one.

Here are the regional dates:

Region	Date regulations start	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 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

If you own properties in more than one region, you can register them all at the same time from 15 December 2026, as long as you meet the earliest deadline that applies to you.

For now, you only need to register properties that are currently let out, or that become let out during the rollout period. If a property is empty, you do not need to register it yet. Once the next stage of the service launches, you will also need to register empty properties before you or your letting agent advertise them, and your unique landlord and property ID numbers will need to appear on the advert itself. The government has said it will publish more guidance on this before it becomes a requirement.

What information will I need to provide?

You will need details about yourself, your property, and the tenancy. Here is a quick summary of the main things to have ready.

Category	What you will need
About you	Your name, date of birth, address, phone number and email address (or your organisation's details if you are a company or charity)
About the property	The address, type of dwelling, number of bedrooms and whether it is currently let
About the tenancy	Number of occupants, number of households, and whether it needs an HMO or selective licence
About the rent	How much rent is charged, how often, and whether utilities are included
Health and safety	Gas safety record (if applicable), Electrical Installation Condition Report or certificate, and a valid Energy Performance Certificate

If you own the property through a company, trust or charity, you will need some extra details, such as your Companies House or charity number, and the names of directors or trustees where a registration number is not available.

If someone else is registering on your behalf, for example under a power of attorney or as the executor of an estate, you will need to show evidence of that authority as part of the registration.

Do I have to do this myself if I use a letting agent?

Yes, at least to start with. As the landlord, you are responsible for beginning and ending the registration. You can agree with your letting agent that they upload certain information on your behalf, but the legal responsibility for making sure everything is correct stays with you. Separate guidance for letting agents is due to be published before the service launches.

What does it cost?

Registering a property costs £65 a year. This covers one property, so if you let out several homes, you will need to pay the fee for each one separately.

The government says the fee has been set to cover the cost of running the service, and to help fund enforcement against landlords who break the rules. In return, you get access to information that can help you understand your legal duties and prove that you are meeting them.

How will I be supported?

The government is running a communications campaign to make sure landlords know about their regional deadline. New GOV.UK guidance will also be published to help you use the service step by step, and once it is live, a dedicated contact centre will be available if you need help registering or renewing.

Frequently asked questions

1) When can I register my property?

You can register from 15 December 2026 onwards, but your actual deadline depends on your property's region. Check the table above to find your date. You can also register early if you want to get it out of the way, even if your region's deadline has not started yet.

2) Can I register properties in different regions at the same time?

Yes. You are free to register whenever suits you from 15 December 2026, as long as you register each property before its own regional deadline.

3) Can my letting agent register my property for me?

Your letting agent can help by providing some of the information, but you as the landlord must start and finish the registration process yourself. Guidance for agents will be published closer to launch.

4) What happens if I miss my deadline?

Once your region's three month window has closed, your local council can begin enforcement action against unregistered properties, which could include a fine.

A quick note on landlord duties more widely

Registering your property is one part of a bigger picture. Landlords in England already have a set of legal duties around repairs, safety checks and paperwork, covered in detail in Shelter's guide to private landlord responsibilities. It is worth checking you are up to date on these alongside getting ready for the new register.

If you are a landlord in Essex and would like help getting your property ready for the new rules, our team is happy to talk you through what it means for you.