Register your rental property: the £65 fee, your region's deadline and what to have ready

Alessio Scannicchio

Nov 4

7 min read

General information, not legal advice. Status as of 4 November 2026. Checked against GOV.UK and legislation.gov.uk on 4 November 2026. This guide covers England.

If you let out a home in England, there's a new job on your list. Under the Renters' Rights Act 2025, you'll need to register yourself and each rental property on a government service called Register your rental property. GOV.UK published the details on 29 October 2026 It answers the big questions: when, how much, and what you'll need.

Here's what the official guidance says, in plain English, so you can get it done once and get on with your week.

Who must register

GOV.UK puts it simply: "If you are a private landlord that is renting out a property in England that is currently occupied by tenants on an assured or regulated tenancy, you must register."

Individual landlords register themselves, including sole traders and people in a partnership.
Joint landlords each have to register. One of you registers the property and invites the others. If you own part of a let property and are entitled to possession, you register as a joint landlord even if you're not named on the tenancy agreement.
Organisations (companies, charities, trusts, LLPs and Scottish partnerships) register as organisation landlords.
Licensed HMOs need one registration for the whole property, not one per room.
Exception: tenancies that count as supported exempt accommodation under section 12 of the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023 don't need registering.

You sign in with GOV.UK One Login. If you don't have digital access, GOV.UK says you can use a paper application.

During the rollout, you only have to register properties that are let, or that become let during that period. Empty properties come later (more on that below).

So what? If you have tenants on a standard private tenancy in England, this almost certainly applies to you, and it applies to every property, not just to you as a person.

Regional deadlines

The service opens region by region. Each region gets a three-month window, and your deadline depends on where the property is, not where you live. GOV.UK says you can register before your region opens, so if you have homes in several regions you can do them all at once, as long as none is late.

Region	Registration opens	Deadline (before midnight)
West Midlands	15 December 2026	14 March 2027
East of England	15 January 2027	14 April 2027
East Midlands	15 February 2027	14 May 2027
South East	15 March 2027	14 June 2027
Yorkshire and Humberside	15 April 2027	14 July 2027
North West	15 May 2027	14 August 2027
North East	15 June 2027	14 September 2027
London	15 July 2027	14 October 2027
South West	15 August 2027	14 November 2027

GOV.UK has a PDF listing which councils sit in which region, linked from the guidance page.

So what? Find your property's region, put the deadline in your diary now, and you've done the hardest part of the planning.

The landlord registration fee

"The annual service fee is £65 per property. This fee is not subject to VAT."

You pay when you register each property, then once a year to keep it on the service.
Registering yourself as a landlord is free. So are updates to your records.
All your properties share one renewal date: a year from when you registered your first one.

During the rollout your first payment is pro rata. GOV.UK says the fee is adjusted "to disregard any days before 15 November 2027", the date from which all landlords will be required to be registered. Its own two examples:

After that, it's £65 a year per property.

GOV.UK also says: "The service fee is tax-deductible, you should review the relevant HMRC guidance when you submit your tax return." That's general information, not tax advice. If you're looking at your tax position for 2027-28 anyway, our property income tax rates guide covers the announced rate changes.

So what? For one property it's £65 a year, and less the first time if you register during the rollout. With three properties, that's £195 a year.

What you need, and the 28-day rule

To register a property, GOV.UK says you'll give:

property details (for example address, number of bedrooms and current rental status)
a correspondence address in England or Wales
contact details for any managing agents, superior landlords and freeholders

Then you pay and get a property registration number. You'll also be asked for:

evidence of your gas safety certificate (if the property has gas)
evidence of your electrical safety certificate
evidence of your Energy Performance Certificate
information about the tenancy, including rent
any licences, such as an HMO licence

You can add all of that at once, or submit the registration and add the rest within 28 days. If you don't, "your property registration may be deactivated", which could put you in breach if the property is let. After that, you must update anything that changes or expires within 28 days.

So what? Gather your certificates and tenancy details before your window opens. Then registering is one sitting, not a month of chasing paperwork.

Using a letting agent

You can ask a letting agent or property manager to help, but GOV.UK is clear that you "must start the registration", you pay the fee, and you stay responsible. Once you have the property number, you can send your agent a link so they can add the tenancy details and certificates. You're still responsible for the record being complete within 28 days.

So what? Talk to your agent before your region opens and agree who does what.

Penalties and rent repayment orders

From GOV.UK: "You may be subject to penalties of up to £7,000 for failing to register yourself and your property on the service." And penalties "up to £40,000" for knowingly or recklessly giving false or misleading information, or for continuing or repeated breaches. Your local council may take enforcement action. These are maximums, set in section 91 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025.

Tenants can also apply for rent repayment orders where a landlord has knowingly or recklessly given false or misleading information, or committed continuing or repeated breaches. GOV.UK says these become available from 15 December 2026, but only once the registration period for the tenant's area opens. The First-tier Tribunal decides them.

So what? The penalties are there for people who ignore the rules or mislead. Register on time with accurate details and keep them up to date.

What's still to come

Advertising rules. GOV.UK says that "in the future" you'll need to register empty properties before you market or advertise them, and include your landlord and property numbers on adverts. It will update its guidance before those requirements take effect. The rules against marketing without registration only bite once those requirements start.
Public information. "Currently your landlord and property information will not be shared publicly." GOV.UK says some of it may be viewable in the future.
The PRS Landlord Ombudsman. The government's roadmap says it expects membership to become mandatory in 2028.

For the wider picture, see our Renters' Rights Act guide for landlords.

So what? Registering now sets you up for the advert rules later.

Free extra: Property Alert

This one isn't part of the new law, but it's free. HM Land Registry's Property Alert service emails you when there's significant activity on a property you're monitoring, such as an application to register a new mortgage.

You can monitor up to 10 properties.
They must already be registered with HM Land Registry.
It covers England and Wales.

GOV.UK is honest about its limits: "Signing up to Property Alert won't automatically stop fraud from happening." You decide whether an alert looks suspicious and act quickly if it does.

So what? If you don't live at your rental, it's a simple extra layer of awareness.

What to do now

Find your property's region and deadline in the table above.
Gather your documents: gas safety certificate, electrical safety certificate, EPC, any licence, and current tenancy and rent details.
Set up GOV.UK One Login if you don't have one.
Talk to your agent if you use one, and agree who will add what.
Register only through GOV.UK. It's the only official route. Start from the official guidance for landlords.
Diary your renewal date once you've registered your first property.
Consider Property Alert for up to 10 properties.

Where ScanSan fits

We're not the government service, and ScanSan PAA doesn't register properties for you. What it can do is help you keep on top of property facts. ScanSan PAA gives you instant property lookup by address, postcode or UPRN, showing tenure, sale history, EPC and planning history, plus comparables-backed estimates (not formal valuations).

Your first 30 days are free at paa.scansanproperties.com

FAQ

How much does it cost to register a rental property? GOV.UK says the annual fee is £65 per property and is not subject to VAT. Registering yourself as a landlord and updating your records are free. During the rollout the first payment is pro rata, for example £5.34 if you register on 15 December 2026.

When is the landlord database deadline for my area? It depends on where the property is. The West Midlands opens first, from 15 December 2026 to 14 March 2027. The last region, the South West, runs from 15 August 2027 to 14 November 2027. The full table is in this guide and on GOV.UK.

Do I need to register if my property is empty? Not during the rollout. GOV.UK says you only have to register properties that are let, or become let, during that period. In the future you'll need to register empty properties before marketing or advertising them.

Can my letting agent register for me? Not fully. You must start the registration and pay the fee. Your agent can then add tenancy details and certificates using a link, but you remain responsible.

What happens if I don't register? GOV.UK says you may face penalties of up to £7,000 for failing to register, and up to £40,000 for false or misleading information or continuing or repeated breaches. Tenants may also be able to apply for rent repayment orders.

Is the landlord registration fee tax-deductible? GOV.UK says the service fee is tax-deductible and that you should review the relevant HMRC guidance when you submit your tax return. This is general information, not tax advice.

General information, not legal advice. Status as of 4 November 2026. Rules and dates can change, so check the GOV.UK guidance before you act and speak to a qualified adviser about your own position.

Sources

All sources accessed 4 November 2026.