Landlords in England will soon have a new registration requirement to prepare for. As the government continues implementing the Renters’ Rights Act, it is planning to introduce the Private Rented Sector Database, commonly referred to as the PRS Database, with the first stage of its rollout expected in late 2026.
The service will officially be known as “Register your rental property”, despite the legislation referring to it as the Private Rented Sector Database. It will contain information about landlords and most privately rented properties in England.
What is the PRS database?
The PRS Database was introduced by Part 2 of the Renters’ Rights Act and will become compulsory for most landlords and rental properties. According to the government’s Implementation Roadmap, the Database will start rolling out by the end of 2026.
Once the Database is fully in force, landlords and letting agents will not be able to market or advertise a residential property unless there are valid entries for both the landlord and the property. These will include a Landlord Registration Number and a Property Registration Number.
Landlords will also have an ongoing responsibility to keep their entries active and up to date.
How will landlords register?
The government has been beta-testing the Database with landlords to gain experience of how the registration process works. Suzanne Smith personally tested the “Register your rental property” service in June and July 2026, registering herself and one of her rental properties.
Her experience provides an insight into what landlords may be asked to do when the service begins its first wave of rollout. The information and documentation requested during the beta-testing are likely to form the basis of what landlords will need to provide, although these requirements remain subject to review because the service is still being tested.
For landlords preparing for the new system, understanding the registration process and the information that may be required will therefore be important as the rollout approaches.
What happens if landlords do not register?
The requirements will carry financial penalties for landlords who fail to comply. Once the Database is fully in force, a local council will be able to issue a civil penalty of up to £7,000 for a single breach.
The penalty can rise to £40,000 where a landlord provides false or misleading information to the Database. It can also increase to £40,000 for a continuing breach involving the letting of a property without active entries for both the landlord and the property.
With the Database expected to begin rolling out by the end of 2026, landlords should familiarise themselves with the new registration requirements and prepare for the introduction of the “Register your rental property” service.
Source: Suzanne Smith — based on her experience of the PRS Database beta-testing in June and July 2026.
