PRS Database

The one obligation nobody can work around

Licensing depends on your council. The Private Rented Sector Database depends on nothing: every landlord of an assured tenancy in England has to be on it. Letting or advertising an unregistered property carries a civil penalty of up to £7,000 for a first or minor breach, and up to £40,000 or prosecution for a serious or repeated one.

And while you are unregistered you cannot get a possession order at all — section 90 of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, with the single exception of ground 7A or ground 14 for tenant anti-social behaviour.

Getting ready

Step 1

Add your properties

Address, type, tenancy. Two minutes each.

Step 2

Record your dates

Gas, electrical, EPC. We keep the dates, not your documents.

Step 3

Your region opens

Rolling out region by region from late 2026.

Step 4

Register with MHCLG

We'll tell you when you can, and what to have to hand.

The register rolls out region by region from late 2026, and the rules on exactly what it asks for are still being written. Nobody can register today. Get your dates recorded now and we’ll tell you when your region opens.

We record dates and details, not documents. Certificates are recorded, not on file unless you switch that on yourself in Settings.

Run the free checkTrack my readiness

Questions

Who has to register on the PRS Database?

Every landlord of an assured tenancy in England. Unlike licensing, this does not depend on your council, your property type or the number of occupiers — there is no version of it you can be outside.

What is the penalty for not registering?

Letting or advertising an unregistered property carries a civil penalty of up to £7,000 for a first or minor breach, and up to £40,000 or prosecution for a serious or repeated one. Those are two different thresholds for two different kinds of conduct, and they should not be collapsed into a single figure.

Can I evict a tenant if I am not registered?

No. Section 90 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 bars a possession order while you are unregistered, with the single exception of ground 7A or ground 14 — the anti-social behaviour grounds. In practice that means an unregistered landlord cannot recover the property for rent arrears, for sale, or to move in.

When does the PRS Database open?

It rolls out region by region from late 2026. No region has opened yet, so nobody can register today, and the rules on exactly what the register will ask for are still being written. Anyone offering to register you now is selling something that does not exist.

What can I do before it opens?

Get your records straight, because the register will ask for facts you should already hold: which properties you let, and the dates on your gas, electrical and energy certificates. That is work you can do today and it is the whole of the preparation.

Who must register, in full →  ·  What of the Act is in force →

Landlord HQ uses AI to analyse legislation and tenancy agreements. While we work hard to ensure accuracy, AI can make mistakes. Always verify compliance requirements with a qualified solicitor. Landlord HQ is an information tool, not legal advice.

© 2026 Landlord HQ · landlordhq.uk