Here’s how much the PRS database will cost landlords

The government has revealed when landlords will have to register their properties on the new PRS database, and how much it will cost.

As part of the second phase of the Renters’ Rights Act rollout, landlords with assured or regulated tenancies will have to register all their let properties using the new ‘Register your rental property’ service. This only covers properties that are already let or become let after the database opens – unoccupied properties don’t need to be registered.

Registration will roll out region by region, starting with the West Midlands on 15 December, and landlords will have three months to register properties.  

Rollout dates are based on the location of the property, not where the landlord lives, so a landlord with a property in Birmingham will have to register it by 14 March 2027 even if they live in London.  

However, landlords will also be able to register their properties in any region when the database opens on 15 December. The phased rollout is just to manage demand.

Registration in all regions will be finished by 14 November 2027.

How much will it cost?

£65 per property per year.

This will be pro-rated during the rollout so that landlords who sign up earlier don’t have to pay more.

According to the government, the money raised will cover the costs of running the database and help fund local councils’ private rented sector enforcement. Landlords will also get access to information to help them comply with the rules.

There’s also a cost to failing to register. Local authorities will be able to fine landlords up to £7,000 for failing to register, rising to £40,000 for repeated breaches.

What information needs to be uploaded to the database?

Landlords will need to provide personal and contact information. The information needed depends on whether they own the property as an individual or an organisation.

They will also need to provide data on the property, including the dwelling type, number of occupants, rent charged, and health and safety information such as a gas safety record.  

Agents will be able to upload certain information on landlords’ behalf, and the government says more details on that are coming soon. However, the landlord will always have to start the registration process themselves.

You can find a full list of mandatory information on the government’s Housing Hub website.

What’s next?

The government plans to make parts of the database publicly available in future. But they haven’t yet said how that will work, or what information the public will be able to access.

Setting up a public interface will require secondary legislation, so we’ll get a better idea of what it will look like once that happens.

One thing we do know is that once the public interface goes live, landlords and agents will need to include unique landlord and property identifiers whenever they advertise a property to let. Properties will also need to be on the database before they can be marketed.