Government plans for England’s new Private Rented Sector (PRS) Database are still missing key details, particularly the ‘required information’ landlords will have to submit before they can legally let a home. With the system due to roll out from late 2026, uncertainty is growing over how intrusive the regime could become and how it will affect compliance, enforcement and day-to-day operations for landlords.
PRS database requirements and landlord obligations
Under the Renters’ Rights Act, every landlord will have to register both themselves and their properties with the PRS database. Registration will come with a fee, and failure to comply could lead to penalties of up to £7,000 for a first offence and £40,000 for repeat breaches. Crucially, an unregistered property cannot be legally let or advertised, and eviction action will be blocked if the property lacks a valid database number.
Each rental listing will also need to display a unique property identifier, effectively giving tenants access to a central profile before they even book a viewing. Ministers say the database will provide transparency and support better enforcement, but have yet to confirm the exact data points landlords must supply. Safety certificates (gas, electric), deposit protection status and ownership details are expected to form the basic layer of required information.
The database will also replace the limited-access Rogue Landlords Database, making “certain details relating to offences viewable to tenants and prospective tenants”. This raises immediate concerns about the public interpretation of enforcement history and the potential for reputational damage even where issues have been resolved.
Landlord regulation challenges: marketing history and rent rules
One major uncertainty is how far the Government intends to go on property marketing records. Officials have floated the inclusion of a rental property’s marketing history – when it was advertised, at what rent, and when the tenancy began. Such information would be valuable for local authorities tackling unlawful rent increases, especially as annual rent rises will soon be capped at one per calendar year and limited to the ‘market rate’, with rent review clauses banned.
Tribunals determining rent fairness would also benefit from seeing the original advertised rent and any subsequent increases. It is therefore difficult to imagine these elements being excluded from the database.
Marketing data is also expected to play a central role in policing new eviction restrictions. Landlords who claim possession on grounds such as selling the property, moving in themselves or housing a relative will face a 12-month ban on re-letting. Advertising the property again within that window could trigger enforcement action, fines or tribunal claims. A clear digital audit trail of the last marketing date will make it far easier for councils to investigate.
Private rented sector enforcement and unintended consequences
The Renters’ Rights Act also strengthens tenants’ ability to pursue Rent Repayment Orders (RROs), including claims worth two years’ rent where landlords unlawfully re-let a property after a prohibited eviction. With the PRS database acting as a central evidence source, councils and legal representatives will have unprecedented visibility over landlord activity.
A likely side-effect is the growth of claims-handling firms looking to capitalise on the enlarged RRO market. Observers already expect more aggressive case-finding as the database makes it significantly easier to identify potential breaches. For compliant landlords, this raises questions about data security, context and the risk of misinterpretation.
Although the Government insists it wants to balance transparency with landlord privacy, the extent of public access remains politically contentious. Publishing property-level information, enforcement actions and marketing history could expose landlords to claims of disproportionate scrutiny at a time when regulatory burdens and operating costs are already rising.
Editor’s view
The PRS database has the potential to modernise enforcement, but without clarity on data scope and privacy safeguards it risks deepening distrust between landlords and policymakers. Good operators should not be grouped with genuine offenders, yet the current proposals blur that line. The next six months will be crucial: will ministers refine the system to focus on serious non-compliance, or allow a blunt transparency tool to reshape the sector in unintended ways?
Author: Editorial team – UK landlord & buy-to-let news, policy, and finance.
Published: 17 December 2025
Sources: Government Renters’ Rights Act briefings; DLUHC statements; enforcement guidance; tribunal process documents
Related reading: Landlords face tighter scrutiny as ombudsman and PRS database loom
