The National Residential Landlords Association has said landlords will not be able to register portfolios in one batch when the new private rented sector database begins its regional rollout in December.
The fresh clarification, published on 1 October after an NRLA webinar attended by more than 4,000 landlords, says registrations and payments will have to be completed individually. The association also says a letting agent can upload some information, but the landlord must start and finish the registration process.
Portfolio owners now have a practical workload to plan before their area joins the rollout. A flat £65 annual charge per property is one cost; the time needed to enter records, make separate payments and check submitted information could become the more immediate issue for landlords with several lets or HMOs.
Database rollout starts in December
The NRLA noted the regional rollout starts in December 2026. Its answer to members’ questions repeats that the fee is £65 per property each year, rather than a charge per landlord or per room. A six-bedroom HMO and a one-bedroom flat would therefore each carry the same flat registration fee.
The clarification adds detail to Landlord Knowledge’s report on the £65 landlord register fee and 15 December rollout. It is not a new national start date for every landlord: the database will be introduced by region, so owners need to establish when their own area is called.
No bulk upload or payment route at present
According to the NRLA’s 1 October database FAQ, there is currently no facility for bulk uploads or bulk payments. That means a landlord with multiple properties should not assume that one portfolio spreadsheet, one payment or one agent instruction will complete registration across the portfolio.
The association says agents will be able to upload key material including safety certificates, tenancy details and additional or selective-licensing information. But it says the landlord must initiate and complete the process. Company landlords can use an organisation’s address, telephone number and email address, provided the address is not a PO Box.
This follows Landlord Knowledge’s coverage of NRLA concerns that the register could overlap with local licensing. The new FAQ gives a more operational picture: landlords with licences, certificates and tenancy records held across different systems should allow time to reconcile them before their regional window opens.
What landlords should prepare
The database is part of the Renters’ Rights Act’s second phase. The NRLA says tenants will eventually be able to see some information once the public-facing element launches, although the precise information available will be limited. Its FAQ does not set out a bulk-registration timetable, so the absence of that option should be treated as the present position, not a permanent design decision.
Landlords should also separate confirmed requirements from working assumptions. The £65 fee and regional rollout are established points, while individual timing and the final practical route for each property will depend on the rollout programme. Keeping evidence of current licences, gas and electrical checks, EPCs, tenancy information and contact details in one place should make an individual registration easier to complete.
What this means for landlords
- If you own several rentals: budget for separate registrations and payments rather than a single portfolio submission.
- If an agent manages the property: agree early who will assemble documents, while remembering that the landlord must begin and finish registration.
- Bottom line: check the regional timetable and organise property records before the December rollout reaches your area.
Editor’s view
The fee has attracted most attention, but the process may prove just as important for portfolio landlords. A staged rollout gives owners time to organise records, yet it also leaves little excuse for last-minute gaps once an area is called.
Author: Editorial Team – UK landlord & buy-to-let news, policy, and finance
Published: 02 October 2026
Sources: National Residential Landlords Association
Related reading: Government sets £65 landlord register fee from 15 December
📘 Renters’ Rights Act: Complete Landlord Guide
Everything you need to know about the new rules – 1 May 2026
