The landlord database and ombudsman: when you must register
The Private Rented Sector Database opens region by region from 15 December 2026, and the landlord ombudsman follows. Every landlord in England will need an entry for each property before letting or advertising it.
England. Checked against the law on 29 September 2026. Information, not legal advice.
The database
The Renters' Rights Act creates a national Private Rented Sector Database. Every landlord and every let property in England must be registered. The fee is £65 per property per year (pro rata during the roll-out); the landlord's own entry is free.
It opens one region a month, and each region has about three months to register:
| Region | Opens |
|---|---|
| West Midlands | 15 December 2026 |
| East of England | 15 January 2027 |
| East Midlands | 15 February 2027 |
| South East | 15 March 2027 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 15 April 2027 |
| North West | 15 May 2027 |
| North East | 15 June 2027 |
| London | 15 July 2027 |
| South West | 15 August 2027 |
Every let home must be registered by 14 November 2027.
You will need: your name and contact details; each home's address, type, bedrooms and owner; and for an occupied home, within 28 days, who lives there, any licence, the gas safety record, the electrical report, the EPC and the rent. Changes must be updated within 28 days, and the registration number goes on adverts. Councils use the database for enforcement; tenants can look a landlord up.
The ombudsman
A single Private Rented Sector Landlord Ombudsman that every landlord must join. Tenants complain there for free; decisions bind the landlord (apologies, repairs, compensation up to £25,000). It follows the database: who will run it has not been announced, and membership is expected to become compulsory in 2028.
Penalties
Letting without a database entry: a civil penalty from the council of up to £7,000, and up to £40,000 for a repeat breach or for giving false information. Rent repayment orders can also apply.
How LevelMoves helps
It records your region's start date, reminds you before it, stores your registration reference on each property, and keeps the certificate evidence the registration will ask for in one place.
Questions landlords ask
When do I have to register on the landlord database?
It opens region by region: West Midlands 15 December 2026, East of England 15 January 2027, East Midlands 15 February, South East 15 March, Yorkshire and the Humber 15 April, North West 15 May, North East 15 June, London 15 July and South West 15 August 2027. Every let home must be registered by 14 November 2027.
Is there a fee for the PRS database?
Yes: £65 per property per year, charged pro rata during the roll-out. The landlord's own entry is free.
Do I have to join the ombudsman if I only have one property?
Yes. Membership is required for every private landlord in England once the scheme is switched on, however many properties you let.
More guides
What changed for landlords on 1 May 2026
The Renters' Rights Act came into force in England on 1 May 2026. Section 21 is gone, every tenancy is now periodic, and rent rises follow one procedure. Here is what a self-managing landlord actually has to do differently.
The assured periodic tenancy explained
Every private tenancy in England is now an assured periodic tenancy. What that is, how it starts, how it ends, and what your agreement can and cannot say.
How to raise the rent (once a year, section 13)
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Deposits: the cap, the 30 days and the prescribed information
A tenancy deposit in England is capped at five weeks' rent, must be protected in a government-approved scheme within 30 days, and the tenant must get the prescribed information. Miss any of that and you face a penalty of up to three times the deposit.
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