Register your rental property: the full regional timetable, the fee and what happens if you do not

In short: the government's landlord register opens on 15 December 2026, one region at a time, and every landlord with a let property in England must be on it by 14 November 2027. It costs £65 per property per year, pro-rated during the rollout to as little as £5.34. Not registering means a civil penalty of up to £7,000 (up to £40,000 for false information), exposure to Rent Repayment Orders, and no Section 8 possession order except on the anti-social behaviour grounds.

The official guidance for landlords was published on gov.uk on 29 October 2026. This post was rewritten from it on 30 October; the earlier version from 23 October is superseded.

Who must register

Anyone letting a property in England to tenants on an assured or regulated tenancy: individuals, sole traders, partnerships, companies, charities, trusts and LLPs. The only exception is supported exempt accommodation under the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023.

Joint landlords each register as individuals. One of you registers the property and invites the others. If you own a share of a let property and are entitled to possession of it, you must register even if your name is not on the tenancy agreement.

Companies, charities and trusts register as an organisation: Companies House or charity number, a named contact, and details of directors or trustees where there is no company number. Anyone in the organisation can register it and then add team members.

During the rollout you only register properties that are let, or that become let before 14 November 2027. Later, empty properties will have to be registered before they are marketed, and adverts will have to carry your landlord and property numbers.

When: the regional timetable

Each region gets a three-month window. The deadline follows the property, not the landlord. A Birmingham landlord with a flat in Bristol has until November 2027 for the flat but March 2027 for anything in the West Midlands.

You may register early. Any property can be registered from 15 December 2026, so a portfolio spread across England can be done in one sitting. To find a property's region and deadline from its postcode, use our free registration deadline checker; it also shows the first-year fee for the day you plan to register. Or look up the council on gov.uk and check the government's list of regions and councils.

What you will be asked for

You sign in with GOV.UK One Login (there is a paper route for anyone without digital access) and register yourself first. Then, for each property:

• the address, number of bedrooms and current rental status
• a correspondence address in England or Wales
• contact details for any managing agent, superior landlord or freeholder

You pay the fee and receive a property registration number. Then, either immediately or within 28 days, you add:

• the gas safety certificate, if there is a gas supply
• the electrical safety certificate
• the Energy Performance Certificate
• tenancy details, including the rent
• any licence, such as an HMO or selective licence

A licensed HMO is one registration for the whole house, not one per room.

Miss the 28 days and the property registration can be deactivated. That puts you in breach while the property is let, without any new action on your part. Any later change, including a certificate expiring, must be updated within 28 days too.

What it costs

£65 per property per year, no VAT, and tax-deductible. Registering yourself is free and so is every update.

During the rollout the fee is pro-rated: any days before 15 November 2027 are free, so the earlier you register, the less the first year costs. The government's own examples:

Every property you own renews on the same date, the anniversary of your first registration.

If you register, and if you do not

The possession point is the one that bites quietly. A straightforward Ground 8 rent-arrears claim stalls at court until the registration is put right.

If you use a letting or managing agent

You must start the registration yourself and you remain legally responsible for it. Once the property has its number and is occupied, you can ask your agent to add the tenancy and health-and-safety information. The 28-day clock is still yours. The government has published separate guidance for agents.

A ten-minute checklist for this week

1. Find the region and deadline of every let property with the registration deadline checker (postcode in, dates out).
2. Put the opening date and the deadline for each region in your diary.
3. Set up GOV.UK One Login if you do not already have one.
4. Gather the current gas safety certificate, electrical safety certificate, EPC, tenancy agreement with the rent, and any HMO or selective licence for each property.
5. Companies: have the Companies House number and the list of directors ready. Trusts and charities: trustees and the charity number.
6. List every joint landlord and agent, with email addresses, so you can invite them.
7. Decide whether to register everything on 15 December 2026, which is the cheapest option, or region by region.

What changed in this update

Rewritten on 30 October 2026 from the official landlord guidance published the day before. Added: who must register (joint landlords, organisations), the 28-day document rule and deactivation, the pro-rating formula and worked examples, the penalties, Rent Repayment Orders, the possession-order restriction, and the agent guidance. The regional dates are unchanged from the earlier version.

England only. General information for landlords, not legal advice. Checked against gov.uk on 30 October 2026.