New Landlord Registration Service: What You Need to Know Before December 2026

Compliance Update For Landlords

A new compliance requirement is being introduced if you choose to let a property under an assured or regulated tenancy in England. As part of the second stage of the reforms set out in the Renters’ Rights Act, the government is launching the new Landlord Registration Service (officially called ‘Register your rental property’), and landlords will be required to register both themselves and each of their relevant properties. The following points are important and you should take action by the relevant time.

The New Landlord Registration Service Requirements

When you allow a property to be let on an assured or regulated tenancy you will have to register both yourself and the property with the new Landlord Registration Service. There are some exceptions; landlords of supported exempt accommodation, as defined by the Supported Housing (Regulatory Supervision) Act 2023, are not required to register.

From December 2026 the fee will be £65 for each property each year and will have to be renewed annually. It can be done online, but alternative methods will be provided for landlords who need them.

Regional Rollout and Deadlines – West Midlands First

The service for registration will be rolled out gradually across England, beginning in the West Midlands on 15 December 2026. The criteria taken into account is the location of your rental property, not the place where you live. When the requirement comes into effect in your area, you will have three months in which to register before the local councils can start taking enforcement action. If you have properties in more than one region, you will be able to register all of them from 15 December 2026, provided that each property satisfies the deadline applicable to its own region.

Information You Will Need to Provide

In order to register you will need to use UK One Login. You will be required to give information about yourself and about each property, including:

• The property address, number of bedrooms and number of residents
• The amount of the rent and the method by which it is calculated.
• Evidence that health and safety standards are met, including gas safety records, electrical safety certificates (EICR or EIC) and a valid Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)

People who are organisations and those who are acting for a landlord, such as lawyers, executors or trustees, will have to give additional details regarding the organisation or their position. Even if you employ a letting agent, you are still responsible for initiating the registration procedure, though your agent can upload some of the information for you.

Organisational Landlords and Limited Companies

The registration requirement is not limited to individual landlords. If you let property through a limited company or another organisation, the company must also register through the service, in addition to the individual completing the registration on its behalf.

For organisational landlords, the information required is more extensive than for individuals. You will need to provide:

• The name of the organisation and the type of legal entity it is
• A registered address, which cannot be a PO Box, along with a telephone number and email address
• The Companies House registration number, where the organisation has one
• Where a Companies House registration number is not provided, the names, dates of birth and addresses of all directors, or other members of the governing body
• The name, date of birth, email address and telephone number of the individual completing the registration on the organisation’s behalf, and of a nominated contact within the organisation

If your company owns several properties, each dwelling still needs to be registered individually, with the £65 annual fee applying per property, not per company. If you hold your portfolio through more than one company, each company will need to be registered separately.

This is worth planning for if you are considering, or part way through, restructuring how you hold your properties, since it adds another compliance step alongside the usual tax considerations of a corporate ownership structure.

Why This Matters

At present, only properties that are currently let, or that become let during the rollout period, need to be registered. Under future legislation, landlords will also need to register unoccupied properties before marketing them for let, and adverts will need to include unique landlord and property identifiers. Local councils will use the register as an enforcement tool, and in time, tenants will be able to check a landlord’s compliance before renting.

Please note: this article explains a housing compliance requirement introduced by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government as part of the Renters’ Rights Act. It is separate from, and in addition to, your tax obligations to HMRC. Missing your registration deadline could lead to a fine and further enforcement action from your local council, so we would recommend diarising your specific regional deadline well in advance, particularly if you own properties across more than one region.

Thandi Nicholls Ltd
Creative Industries Centre
Glaisher Drive
Wolverhampton
West Midlands
WV10 9TG