England landlord register: the dates, the £65 fee and what you need

What the register is

The Renters' Rights Act requires private landlords to register themselves and their privately let properties in England on the Register your rental property service. You sign in with GOV.UK One Login and can choose to verify your identity. If you can't use the service online, there is a paper application. The government's guidance for landlords was published on 29 October 2026.

Who has to register

• Any private landlord renting out a property in England that is occupied by tenants on an assured or regulated tenancy. That includes companies, charities, trusts and other organisations acting as landlords.
• Joint landlords: each landlord must register. One of you registers the property and invites the others. If you own part of a rental property and are entitled to possession, you register too, even if you're not named on the tenancy agreement.
• Partnerships: every member of an English business partnership registers as an individual. LLPs and Scottish partnerships register as organisations.
• Supported exempt accommodation, as defined in the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023, is exempt.
• During the rollout (15 December 2026 to 14 November 2027) you only have to register properties that are currently let, or that become let in that period. Registering empty properties before marketing them is planned for later.

The dates: which window is yours?

Each region has a three-month registration period. You must register a let property by the end date of the region it is in. The start dates are when each region's window opens, but you can register before it. If you have properties in several regions, you can register them all together, as long as none is registered after its own end date.

What it costs

• £65 per property per year. The fee isn't subject to VAT.
• Registering yourself as a landlord is free, and so are updates to your landlord or property records.
• You pay when you register each property, then every year to keep it on the service.
• One renewal date: it is one year after you register your first property, and every property you register shares it. If you register a second property two months later, it still renews on the first property's date.

The first-year fee is reduced

During the rollout the first fee is pro-rated, because some landlords have to register before others. Any days before 15 November 2027, the date everyone must be registered, are not charged for. GOV.UK gives the formula (the fee divided by the length of the year, times the remaining days less the free days, rounded down) and two examples: £5.34 if you register on 15 December 2026 and £39.60 if you register on 25 June 2027.

Is the fee tax-deductible?

GOV.UK's guidance says the service fee is tax-deductible and that you should check the relevant HMRC guidance when you complete your tax return. In practice it is a cost of running your rental, so it belongs with your other allowable expenses. If you're unsure how to treat it, ask an accountant.

What you need to register a property

To register a property you give:

• the property details: address, number of bedrooms and whether it is currently let
• a correspondence address in England or Wales
• contact details for any managing agent, superior landlord or freeholder

You then pay the fee and get a property registration number. You will also be asked for:

• evidence of a gas safety certificate, if the property has a gas supply
• evidence of an electrical safety certificate
• an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)
• tenancy information, including the rent
• any licences, such as for a house in multiple occupation (HMO)

You can give all of this when you register, or submit the registration and add the rest within 28 days. If the missing information isn't provided in time, the registration may be deactivated, which could leave you in breach of the requirement to have an active registration for a let property. You must also update anything that changes or expires within 28 days of the change. A HMO needs just one registration for the whole property.

If a letting or managing agent helps, you still have to start the registration and you stay responsible for the record being complete within 28 days.

Should you register early?

GOV.UK says you can register before your region's start date. A few things to think about:

• The service opens on 15 December 2026, so that is the earliest anyone can register.
• The 28-day clock starts when you register, so it helps to have your certificates and tenancy details to hand first.
• Your renewal date is one year after your first registration. Registering early brings that date forward, although the first fee is smaller.
• Privacy: GOV.UK says landlord and property information isn't currently shared publicly, but that some information about you and your property may be viewable by the public in future, and a privacy notice will be published.

Penalties

• Up to £7,000 for failing to register yourself and your property.
• Up to £40,000 for knowingly or recklessly giving false or misleading information, or for continuing or repeated breaches of certain requirements.
• Local authorities can take enforcement action. From 15 December 2026, tenants can apply for Rent Repayment Orders where a landlord knowingly or recklessly gave false or misleading information or repeatedly breached the requirements, but only once the window for their property's region has opened.

Common questions