The Private Rented Sector Database: when it starts and who has to register

In England, the Private Rented Sector Database is a Renters’ Rights Act 2025 scheme for private rented landlords and rented homes, but the registration duty is not live yet. Wales uses Rent Smart Wales, Northern Ireland has its own 2014 landlord-registration scheme, and Scotland has a separate live council landlord register.

What is the PRS Database?

The PRS Database is England’s planned statutory register of private rented landlords and private rented homes under Chapter 3 of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025. The Act requires the database to hold “entries in respect of persons who are, or intend to become, residential landlords,” and also “entries in respect of dwellings which are, or are intended to be, let under residential tenancies”. That is what PRS database registration, the PRS register, the PRS landlord database and the Private Rented Sector database UK all refer to in England. It is not a UK-wide landlord register: Wales already requires Rent Smart Wales registration because “The landlord of a dwelling subject to, or marketed or offered for let under, a domestic tenancy must be registered”; Northern Ireland’s 2014 scheme says “A landlord letting a dwelling-house must register”; and Scotland requires each local authority to keep its own register.

Is the PRS Database live yet?

The PRS Database is not live yet as a legal registration duty in England; the operative database provisions remain prospective, and GOV.UK says rollout starts from late 2026. Legislation.gov.uk marks section 75 with “This version of this provision is prospective,” and the same section notes “S. 75 not in force at Royal Assent”. The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 came into force at Royal Assent only “for the purposes of making regulations”, so landlords cannot treat beta testing or policy pages as a live legal register. The official implementation roadmap says, “We will commence roll out of the Database from late 2026.” That means the answer to whether the landlord database is live, whether the PRS database is live, and when the private rented sector database starts is the same: no live statutory registration portal yet, with phased rollout expected from late 2026.

Who has to register on the PRS Database?

GOV.UK’s own guide and news page say all landlords must register; the Act is narrower — it excludes social housing and catches only landlords under assured tenancies or Rent Act 1977 regulated tenancies of dwellings in England. Section 63 defines a residential landlord as “the landlord under a relevant tenancy of a dwelling in England that is not social housing”; it then says a relevant tenancy includes “an assured tenancy within the meaning of the 1988 Act” and “a regulated tenancy within the meaning of the Rent Act 1977.” Once the duty is in force, the Act requires “an active landlord entry in the database in respect of the person and an active dwelling entry in the database in respect of the dwelling”. So not all private landlords in the everyday sense are necessarily caught: the statutory trigger is an England dwelling, not social housing, let under those tenancy types.

How do you register on the PRS Database?

You cannot yet complete live PRS Database registration because the database chapter is still prospective, and the detailed registration rules have been left to later regulations. Legislation.gov.uk says, “This version of this chapter contains provisions that are prospective,” and section 77 says, “The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision about the making of landlord and dwelling entries in the database.” Those regulations may “provide for how, and by whom, a landlord or dwelling entry is to be made,” but the live legal process has not been switched on. GOV.UK’s policy guide says landlords “will be able to do this online,” and the implementation roadmap says, “We will commence roll out of the Database from late 2026.” Until then, a search for PRS database registration, private rented sector database registration or landlord database registration is not a route to a binding statutory filing.

How much does the PRS Database cost, and does it renew every year?

No legal fee has been fixed for the PRS Database yet, although GOV.UK policy says landlords will pay an annual fee to be confirmed closer to launch. Section 81 of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 applies only “where regulations under section 77 or 79 require payment of a fee,” and says those regulations must “specify the amount or amounts of the fee”. GOV.UK’s roadmap says, “Signing up to the PRS Database will be mandatory for all PRS landlords and they will be required to pay an annual fee which will be confirmed closer to launch.” The Act itself does not yet name a pound figure or a fixed renewal cycle; section 79 only allows regulations to make an active entry inactive after a specified period if requirements are not met. So PRS database landlord fees and the private rented sector database cost are not yet legally priced.

What information do you have to put on the PRS Database?

The mandatory PRS Database fields have not yet been fixed in law, but the Act allows regulations to require landlord details, property details and documents, and government material expects key property and safety information. Section 77 says regulations may “require information or documents to be provided,” while GOV.UK’s roadmap says regulations will require “the provision of key information by landlords.” A Commons committee summarised the expected minimum as “the landlord’s contact details, basic information about their property (e.g. address, type of property, number of bedrooms and whether it is furnished) and safety information (e.g. gas, electric and energy performance certificates).” That is not yet the enacted list. Abodient can already hold property records, tenancy records, deposit scheme details and compliance certificates with expiries, which matters because those are the records landlords are most likely to need ready when the registration fields are finally made.

Will your home address be published on the PRS Database?

No current law says a landlord’s home address will be published on the PRS Database, but GOV.UK has not yet confirmed which public fields will appear. Section 86 only allows regulations to “specify the information contained in active landlord and dwelling entries in the database” that the operator must make public. GOV.UK says, “We are still determining the exact information which will be available to the public and this will be set out in regulations,” and adds, “we do not envisage that all data will be publicly accessible.” That is different from saying a self-managing landlord’s home address will definitely stay private. Public access is also not expected on day one: the roadmap says, “Public access and data sharing will be enabled following the launch of landlord registration.” So the safe position is that address-publication rules are undecided until the section 86 regulations are made.

Can you be refused possession for not being registered on the PRS Database?

Yes, once the PRS Database possession bar is in force, an unregistered landlord can be refused a possession order in England unless the claim is on Ground 7A or Ground 14. Section 90 says, “The court may not make an order for possession of a dwelling-house while the landlord ... is in breach of section 82(3)(a) ... unless the ground for possession is Ground 7A ... or Ground 14”. That means the exemption is not Ground 7A alone: serious anti-social behaviour under Ground 7A and anti-social behaviour under Ground 14 are both carved out. GOV.UK states the same rule: landlords in breach “will not be able to get a possession order except if the ground under which possession is sought is ground 7A or ground 14”. The bar affects the court making the order, not the wording of every section 8 notice.

Does registering on the PRS Database replace a selective licence?

No, registering on the PRS Database does not replace a selective licence in an area where selective licensing applies. Selective licensing under Housing Act 2004 Part 3 remains a separate regime: section 80 says “A local housing authority may designate” a selective licensing area, and section 85 says “Every Part 3 house must be licensed under this Part unless” an exception applies. GOV.UK also says, “Selective licensing remains a valuable tool when used appropriately and combined with other measures.” The practical difference is that the PRS Database is a national information and compliance register for eligible England private rented properties, while selective licensing is a local authority licensing scheme targeted at particular areas and local conditions. A landlord may therefore need both database registration and a selective licence, plus any HMO licence that applies separately.

What is landlord registration in Scotland?

Landlord registration in Scotland is a live council-run legal register, separate from England’s planned PRS Database, and a registration entry normally lasts 3 years. The Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004 says, “Each local authority shall prepare and maintain a register for the purposes of this Part,” and each entry must state a “landlord registration number”. The Act says the authority removes an entry “on the expiry of the period of 3 years beginning with the day on which the entry is made.” A registered landlord advertising a let must include the number: “the registered person must ensure the advertisement includes the landlord registration number given by the authority.” Scottish fees move with indexation: the 2019 regulations started with “a principal fee of £65,” but also say fees are varied from 1 April each year. Aberdeenshire currently publishes £85 plus £20 per property as an example.

What is the HMRC landlord database?

There is no separate law creating an HMRC landlord database for UK-resident landlords; that phrase is usually a mistaken label for England’s PRS Database or for HMRC Self Assessment and disclosure systems. HMRC’s ordinary published tax rule is Self Assessment: “If you do not usually send a tax return, you need to register by 5 October following the tax year you had rental income.” The PRS Database is not run by HMRC: the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 says the database operator is “the Secretary of State”. HMRC does have tax-compliance tools and schemes, but they are not a public landlord register. Its Connect system “cross-references more than 22 billion lines of data including customers’ Self Assessment returns, property and financial data,” and the Let Property Campaign is for “landlords who owe tax through letting out residential property in the UK or abroad.”

Last reviewed September 2026.

Sources

• Renters’ Rights Act 2025 s.75 — “entries in respect of persons who are, or intend to become, residential landlords,” Source
• Renters’ Rights Act 2025 s.75 — “entries in respect of dwellings which are, or are intended to be, let under residential tenancies” Source
• Housing (Wales) Act 2014 s.4 — “The landlord of a dwelling subject to, or marketed or offered for let under, a domestic tenancy must be registered under this Part in respect of the dwelling (see sections 14 to 17), unless an exception in section 5 applies.” Source
• Landlord Registration Scheme Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2014 reg.3 — “A landlord letting a dwelling-house must register with the registrar in accordance with paragraph (2).” Source
• Renters’ Rights Act 2025 s.75 — “This version of this provision is prospective.” Source
• Renters’ Rights Act 2025 s.75 — “S. 75 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 145(1)(7)” Source
• Renters’ Rights Act 2025 s.145 — “This Act comes into force for the purposes of making regulations on the day on which it is passed.” Source
• GOV.UK Renters’ Rights Act implementation roadmap — “We will commence roll out of the Database from late 2026.” Source
• Renters’ Rights Act 2025 s.63 — “residential landlord” means the landlord under a relevant tenancy of a dwelling in England that is not social housing; Source
• Renters’ Rights Act 2025 s.63 — “an assured tenancy within the meaning of the 1988 Act” Source
• Renters’ Rights Act 2025 s.63 — “a regulated tenancy within the meaning of the Rent Act 1977.” Source
• Renters’ Rights Act 2025 s.82 — “an active landlord entry in the database in respect of the person and an active dwelling entry in the database in respect of the dwelling” Source
• Renters’ Rights Act 2025 Chapter 3 — “This version of this chapter contains provisions that are prospective.” Source
• Renters’ Rights Act 2025 s.77 — “The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision about the making of landlord and dwelling entries in the database.” Source
• Renters’ Rights Act 2025 s.77 — “provide for how, and by whom, a landlord or dwelling entry is to be made” Source
• GOV.UK Guide to the Renters’ Rights Act — “They will be able to do this online.” Source
• Renters’ Rights Act 2025 s.81 — “This section applies where regulations under section 77 or 79 require payment of a fee.” Source
• Renters’ Rights Act 2025 s.81 — “specify the amount or amounts of the fee” Source
• GOV.UK Renters’ Rights Act implementation roadmap — “Signing up to the PRS Database will be mandatory for all PRS landlords and they will be required to pay an annual fee which will be confirmed closer to launch.” Source
• Renters’ Rights Act 2025 s.79 — “provide for an active landlord or dwelling entry to become inactive after a period specified in or determined in accordance with the regulations if requirements specified in the regulations are not met” Source
• Renters’ Rights Act 2025 s.77 — “require information or documents to be provided” Source
• GOV.UK Renters’ Rights Act implementation roadmap — “Regulations will mandate landlord registration, payment of a fee and the provision of key information by landlords.” Source
• House of Commons Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee — “The government has said that, as a minimum, the database is expected to include the landlord’s contact details, basic information about their property (e.g. address, type of property, number of bedrooms and whether it is furnished) and safety information (e.g. gas, electric and energy performance certificates).” Source
• Renters’ Rights Act 2025 s.86 — “specify the information contained in active landlord and dwelling entries in the database” Source
• GOV.UK Guide to the Renters’ Rights Act — “We are still determining the exact information which will be available to the public and this will be set out in regulations.” Source
• GOV.UK Guide to the Renters’ Rights Act — “we do not envisage that all data will be publicly accessible.” Source
• GOV.UK Renters’ Rights Act implementation roadmap — “Public access and data sharing will be enabled following the launch of landlord registration.” Source
• Renters’ Rights Act 2025 s.90 — “The court may not make an order for possession of a dwelling-house while the landlord (or, in the case of joint landlords, any of the joint landlords) is in breach of section 82(3)(a) of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 in relation to the dwelling-house, unless the ground for possession is Ground 7A in Part 1 of Schedule 2 to this Act or Ground 14 in Part 2 of that Schedule.” Source
• GOV.UK Guide to the Renters’ Rights Act — “Landlords in breach of the duty to register on the database will not be able to get a possession order except if the ground under which possession is sought is ground 7A or ground 14 (tenant anti-social behaviour).” Source
• Housing Act 2004 s.80 — “A local housing authority may designate” Source
• Housing Act 2004 s.85 — “Every Part 3 house must be licensed under this Part unless” Source
• GOV.UK Guide to the Renters’ Rights Act — “Selective licensing remains a valuable tool when used appropriately and combined with other measures.” Source
• Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004 s.82 — “Each local authority shall prepare and maintain a register for the purposes of this Part.” Source
• Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004 s.84 — “landlord registration number” Source
• Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004 s.84 — “on the expiry of the period of 3 years beginning with the day on which the entry is made.” Source
• Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004 s.92B — “the registered person must ensure the advertisement includes the landlord registration number given by the authority.” Source
• The Private Landlord Registration (Fees) (Scotland) Regulations 2019 — “a principal fee of £65” Source
• The Private Landlord Registration (Fees) (Scotland) Regulations 2019 — “fees payable in respect of applications made and notices given which are set out in paragraphs 1 and 2 of Part 1 of the schedule are to be varied with effect from 0900 hours on 1 April each year” Source
• Aberdeenshire Council landlord registration — “It costs £85 to apply for landlord registration, plus a fee of £20 per property.” Source
• GOV.UK Renting out a property: paying tax — “If you do not usually send a tax return, you need to register by 5 October following the tax year you had rental income.” Source
• Renters’ Rights Act 2025 s.76 — “the Secretary of State” Source
• HMRC No Safe Havens 2019 — “Connect cross-references more than 22 billion lines of data including customers’ Self Assessment returns, property and financial data.” Source
• GOV.UK Let Property Campaign — “The Let Property Campaign is for landlords who owe tax through letting out residential property in the UK or abroad.” Source