A landlord registration service will gradually roll out in regions of England from December, the Government has said.
The register is expected to launch on December 15, starting in the West Midlands and onto other areas over 12 months.
The move is part of reforms to support private renters.
Tenants will be able to see whether their landlord or prospective landlord has signed up, giving them more confidence that a landlord is genuine and following the rules, the Government said.
The new registration service will give councils access to information to help them spot rogue landlords and take quicker action, it added.
Requirements will initially only apply to landlords with properties under let, or which become occupied during rollout.
Under future legislation, landlords will also be required to register any unoccupied properties before marketing them for let, the Government said.
Letting agents and landlords will need to include registration numbers on adverts.
HM Revenue and Customs’ (HMRC’s) Valuation Office will also become responsible for decisions on challenges to rent increases in England, which the Government said will help people resolve rent disputes more quickly.
While the reforms are developed, renters who want to challenge a rent increase must still apply to the First-tier Tribunal.
Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook said: ”By transferring responsibility for making initial rent determinations to HMRC’s Valuation Office, we will ensure that challenges to proposed rent increases are determined faster and pressure on the tribunal system is reduced, giving tenants and landlords confidence that rent disputes will continue to be resolved efficiently and effectively.
“Rollout of a national landlord registration service is an important first step toward establishing our new innovative database of private rented sector properties which will empower tenants, support responsible landlords and help councils enforce our transformative Renters’ Rights Act.”
Minister for Courts and Legal Services Sarah Sackman said: ”By ensuring rental disputes can be resolved through a new dedicated service, this will provide quicker decisions for renters and landlords while relieving future pressure on tribunals.”
The legislation to start rolling out the landlord registrations service has been laid in Parliament and subject to Parliamentary approval will come into force on December 15 2026.
Mairi MacRae, director of policy and campaigns at Shelter, said: “The Government’s new private rental sector database has the potential to increase safety and security in private renting by helping to expose the dodgy ‘fly-by-night’ landlords who swerve their responsibilities and charge over the odds for shoddy homes.”
She added: “If properly implemented, the database could be a gamechanger.
“But for it to be truly successful, the database must be made publicly available to renters as soon as possible, with details of previous rents charged at each property, so renters have the information they need to challenge unfair rent hikes.”
Ben Beadle, chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA), said: “Rather than just a list of local landlords, the database should be a genuine compliance tool that helps tenants and councils check that homes meet required standards, while enabling responsible landlords to demonstrate that they are meeting their obligations.”
He said: “There is also a real risk of duplication. In many parts of the country, landlords already pay for local licensing schemes which collect much of the same information.”
Responding to the Government’s moves on the future handling of rent disputes, Mr Beadle said: “We strongly welcome the decision for HM Revenue and Customs’ Valuation Office (VO) to take responsibility for determining challenges to rent increases.”
He said: “A quicker, specialist rent determination service should benefit both tenants and landlords while easing pressure on an already stretched tribunal system.”
Holly Williamson, chief executive of Generation Rent, said the new database “will only be as useful as the information it records”.
She added: “It’s particularly vital the database records actual rents, to help inform rent tribunal decisions, and eviction notices.”
Manjinder Kaur Atwal, director of housing law at Duncan Lewis Solicitors, said: “Giving councils and tenants better information about who is operating in the private rented sector is a positive step, but registration will only make a real difference if it leads to action against landlords who repeatedly fail to meet their obligations.”
Here are dates for the rollout, with the date the window opens followed by the deadline to register by, according to the Government:
West Midlands, December 15 2026 , March 14 2027
East of England, January 15 2027, April 14 2027
East Midlands, February 15 2027, May 14 2027
South East, March 15 2027, June 14 2027
Yorkshire and the Humber, April 15 2027, July 14 2027
North West, May 15 2027, August 14 2027
North East, June 15 2027, September 14 2027
London, July 15 2027, October 14 2027
South West, August 15 2027, November 14 2027
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