Every landlord letting on an assured tenancy in England will soon need an entry on a national register, and London's deadline is 14 October 2027. Much of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 took effect on 1 May this year; the register is one of its larger practical changes still to come. The government confirmed the timetable in September, and the service, called "Register your rental property", opens on 15 December 2026, with the West Midlands first in line. London is eighth.
For a landlord with one flat in Marylebone or a portfolio across west London, nothing has to be done this year. Registration opens to landlords across England from 15 December and early registration is allowed, but the London deadline is a year away. There is, however, a good deal to get in order before then, and some of it takes longer than people expect.
The timetable, and where London sits
The rollout runs region by region over about a year, and each region gets three months from its start date to register. The government's published schedule puts the West Midlands first (from 15 December 2026, deadline 14 March 2027), followed monthly by the East of England, the East Midlands, the South East, Yorkshire and the Humber, the North West and the North East. London's regulations commence on 15 July 2027, with a registration deadline of 14 October 2027. The South West is last, with a deadline of 14 November 2027.
The fee is £65 per property, payable each year, and fees are pro-rated during the rollout so that early registrants do not overpay. The regional dates are set out in the Private Rented Sector Database Regulations 2026, which the government published on 9 September.
What registration involves
The duty sits with the landlord, not the agent. Government guidance says a letting agent can upload certain information on the landlord's behalf, but the landlord must start and complete the registration and remains responsible for its accuracy. For each property, the service asks for:
- the landlord's details, whether an individual or an organisation;
- the dwelling: address, type, number of bedrooms and ownership;
- the tenancy: whether it is occupied and, where relevant, HMO licensing status;
- the rent: amount, frequency and whether utilities are included;
- safety and energy records: the gas safety record, the electrical installation condition report, the energy performance certificate, and any minimum energy efficiency exemption.
That last group is where delays tend to arise. If a gas certificate has lapsed, an electrical report is older than its five-year cycle, or an EPC has expired, it is better to find out in the spring than in October 2027.
At first, registration covers occupied properties. The guidance says later legislation will require unoccupied properties to be registered before they are marketed, and landlord and property identifiers to appear on adverts. The Act already provides for both in section 82.
What happens if a landlord does not register
Enforcement falls to local councils. Under section 91 of the Act, a council may impose a financial penalty of up to £7,000 for a breach of the registration and advertising duties in section 82. The ceiling rises to £40,000 for the offences in section 92, which include knowingly or recklessly providing false or misleading information, continuing a breach more than 28 days after a penalty, and a further breach within five years of a previous one.
The consequence that matters most in practice is in section 90. A court may not make a possession order while the landlord is in breach of the duty to hold active landlord and property entries on the database, unless the claim relies on Ground 7A or Ground 14, the anti-social behaviour grounds. With section 21 abolished, every possession claim now runs through the statutory grounds; an unregistered landlord would find most of them closed until the entries are put right.
Lettings the register may not reach
The Act defines the landlords covered by reference to assured tenancies under the Housing Act 1988 and regulated tenancies under the Rent Act 1977, and the government's guidance is framed the same way. A letting where the annual rent exceeds £100,000 cannot be an assured tenancy, and neither can a letting to a company. On the face of the definitions, those lettings appear to sit outside the register, which matters in prime London, where both are common. The position of any particular tenancy should be checked with a solicitor rather than assumed.
The market it arrives in
The register arrives in a firm lettings market, although the indices differ on how firm. LonRes's figures for July to September, published on 6 October, show rents up 6.3% on the year in prime central London and 2.5% across prime London. Knight Frank's index, published on 5 October, puts prime central London rents up 1.3% on the year, with 5.6 prospective tenants for every available property, the highest ratio in four years. LonRes records agreed lets; Knight Frank tracks a valuation index. Both describe a market in which well-presented, compliant property lets.
A sensible order of work before next summer: gather the certificates for every property, check which tenancies are assured and which are not, agree with your agent who will upload what, and set a reminder for 15 July 2027.
Dolce Vita handles lettings and sales across the UK from Mayfair, and helps clients buying abroad through partner agencies. If you would like your rent and compliance position reviewed, Request a lettings valuation; we acknowledge the same working day and return a written valuation within 24 to 48 hours.
Chris Dawson, Co-Founder
Sources: MHCLG, "Get ready to register", Housing Hub (gov.uk campaign site), updated 10 September 2026. MHCLG, "Stronger protections and greater confidence for renters", gov.uk, 9 September 2026. NRLA, "Register your rental property service" guide (October 2026). Propertymark, "Rental property register rollout begins on 15 December 2026", 9 September 2026. Renters' Rights Act 2025, sections 63, 82, 90, 91 and 92 (legislation.gov.uk). Housing Act 1988, section 1 and Schedule 1. LonRes, "London property sales: summer 2026 standouts", 6 October 2026. Knight Frank prime London figures to September 2026, published 5 October 2026 (via Property Industry Eye, 5 October 2026).