Plain-English, sourced directly from the government’s own implementation roadmap — what English landlords need to know about the new PRS Database, and when.
The PRS Database is a new national register of private landlords and rental properties in England, created by the Renters’ Rights Act 2025. The government describes it as bringing together key information for landlords, tenants and councils — informing tenant choices, helping landlords demonstrate compliance, and supporting councils in targeting enforcement.
It is part of Phase 2 of the Act’s rollout, following the Phase 1 tenancy reforms — Section 21 abolition, periodic tenancies, and the new Section 13 rent rules — which took effect on 1 May 2026.
The database rolls out from late 2026, in two stages. Stage 1 is the regional rollout of the database for landlords and local councils, from late 2026 — signing up is mandatory for all PRS landlords, with an annual fee confirmed closer to launch. Stage 2 enables public access and data-sharing once landlord registration has launched, alongside the introduction of the PRS Landlord Ombudsman.
Note on a common mix-up: the roadmap describes a phased regional rollout “from late 2026”, with no single confirmed national-mandatory date. A “full national mandatory registration from 2027” claim seen elsewhere conflates this with a separate milestone — the Act’s tenancy reforms extending to the social rented sector in 2027 (see below), not the database.
The roadmap states regulations will mandate registration and fee payment and — subject to the will of Parliament — at minimum, for each PRS property: your contact details as landlord (including from all joint landlords); property details — full address, property type, number of bedrooms, number of households or residents, and whether it’s occupied and furnished; and safety information — Gas, Electrical and Energy Performance Certificates.
An annual fee applies, mandatory, amount to be confirmed closer to launch. No fee figure has been confirmed by government — estimates seen elsewhere are analogies to other registration schemes, not official figures, and are not repeated here.
The roadmap does not publish a specific PRS-Database non-registration penalty figure. The Database’s own statutory instrument — which will set the requirements for making and updating entries — is itself still to come, as part of Phase 2 from late 2026.
The honest, defensible line: the general maximum civil penalty for housing offences is now £40,000; the specific penalty regime for failing to register on the Database will be set by the Database regulations, which have not yet been made.
PRS Landlord Ombudsman — established in Phase 2; mandatory landlord sign-up expected in 2028. Social rented sector — the tenancy reforms extend to social housing in 2027. Awaab’s Law (private sector) follows in Phase 3, timescale subject to consultation. The new Decent Homes Standard will apply from 2035 in both the social and private rented sectors.
Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards — the Warm Homes Plan confirmed PRS properties must reach EPC C or equivalent by 1 October 2030, unless exempt. New local council investigatory powers took effect on 27 December 2025.
Registration isn’t open yet, but the roadmap is explicit about what it will require — and those are records worth holding regardless. Gathering your Gas Safety Certificate, EICR, EPC, deposit protection and licensing details now means registration is straightforward once your region’s rollout begins.
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