August finds only 23% of landlords know about the mandatory PRS database and ombudsman, with rollout from December and a £65 per-property fee putting unaware owners at risk.
Propertymark calls for local licensing to end as the PRS Database launches on 15 December, citing fees above £1,000 and weak enforcement capacity.
The NRLA warns England’s new PRS register could duplicate local licensing as the £65-per-property West Midlands rollout approaches.
The Government will launch a £65-a-year landlord registration service in the West Midlands on 15 December 2026, with English regional deadlines through November 2027.
Renters Reform Coalition has urged ministers to expand the PRS Database so it records rent levels, eviction data and stronger public access, warning the scheme could otherwise become a basic landlord register rather than a meaningful enforcement tool.
Propertymark says the planned private rented sector database could widen landlord and agent admin before the late-2026 launch unless ministers narrow the filing and update demands.
Propertymark says rental listings will need valid PRS database identifiers before they can be marketed once the scheme goes live, adding a fresh compliance step for landlords and agents.
Matthew Pennycook says letting agents will be able to file Private Rented Sector Database entries for landlords, clarifying who can handle registration before the new system goes live later this year.
NRLA warns ministers not to let the PRS Database become a route to lighter council licensing checks, saying any shift could duplicate compliance systems rather than cut landlord admin.
The government says future Private Rented Sector Database fees could help fund council enforcement, giving landlords a clearer signal on how the new regime may be paid for under the Renters Rights Act.
The government said landlords will start joining the private rented sector database from late 2026, with the ombudsman following after the first regional rollout under the next phase of the Renters’ Rights Act.
Ministers have confirmed councils will use the new Private Rented Sector Database to check landlord records and take enforcement action during the Renters’ Rights Act…
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…
The government has published its official Guide to the Renters’ Rights Act (6 November 2025), confirming the direction of travel but not the start date….
England’s landlords are bracing for sweeping regulatory changes as the Renters’ Rights Bill edges closer to becoming law-ushering in a mandatory national landlord register and…
