The Private Rented Sector Database: What Landlords Need to Know

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 introduces one of the biggest structural changes to the private rented sector in decades: a mandatory Private Rented Sector (PRS) Database that will require every residential landlord in England to register before letting a property.

Here is what we know about the database, when it is coming, and what landlords need to do to prepare.

What is the PRS Database?

The Private Rented Sector Database is a national register of landlords and rental properties in England, established under Part 2 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025. Under Section 75 of the Act:

"The database operator must establish and operate a database containing—(a) entries in respect of persons who are, or intend to become, residential landlords"

The database will track:

• Landlords — everyone who lets or intends to let a residential property in England
• Dwellings — every property being let or marketed for let
• Persons subject to banning orders — individuals banned from letting under previous housing enforcement

This is not the same as the existing mandatory landlord register discussed in earlier consultations. The PRS Database is a distinct scheme established by primary legislation, with a much wider scope.

Why is the government doing this?

The stated aims are to improve enforcement, give tenants more information about their landlord's compliance history, and create accountability in a sector that has been hard to police. Local authorities will be able to check the database to identify landlords who have received civil penalties, have banning orders, or have relevant criminal convictions.

The database also supports the Renters' Rights Act's broader goal of professionalising the private rented sector.

Who needs to register?

Under Section 82 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025, the operative text provides:

"A person must not market a dwelling for the purpose of creating a residential tenancy unless—(a) there is an active landlord entry in the database for the landlord; and (b) there is an active dwelling entry in the database for the dwelling."

Section 82 also requires landlords to include their unique database identifier in any written advertisement for the property.

This means:

• You cannot market or advertise a rental property without a valid registration
• You must display your unique database identifier in all property advertisements
• Both you as a landlord and each individual property must be registered

There are no exemptions for small landlords or single-property landlords. The requirement applies to all private residential landlords.

When does it launch?

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 received Royal Assent and its core provisions (ending assured shorthold tenancies, abolishing Section 21) came into force on 1 May 2026. However, the PRS Database provisions require separate secondary legislation and infrastructure to be set up before they become operative.

As of the time of writing (June 2026), the government has not announced a specific launch date for the database. Industry expectations point to a launch in late 2026 or early 2027, but this has not been confirmed.

Important: Do not assume you need to register now. When the registration system opens, there will be a transition period allowing existing landlords to register. We will update this guide when launch dates are confirmed.

What information will you need to provide?

The Act enables regulations to require landlords to provide specific information, but the exact requirements will be set out in secondary legislation not yet published. Based on the Act's framework, registration is expected to require:

• Your name and contact details
• National Insurance number or other personal identifier
• Property addresses for all properties you let
• Evidence of compliance with key legal obligations (gas safety, EICR, EPC)

The database will also record civil penalties, banning orders, and relevant convictions — this is automatic and landlords have no control over what enforcement records appear.

What happens if you don't register?

Section 82 makes it clear: you cannot legally market a property without active entries for both you and the property. Advertising a property without a registered identifier will be a breach of the regulations once the database is live.

The enforcement framework under Part 4 of the Act includes civil financial penalties for non-compliance. Specific penalty amounts for database breaches will be set in secondary legislation.

Operating without registration once the system is live will also likely affect your ability to use possession grounds under the new Section 8 regime — similar to how operating an unlicensed HMO currently blocks Section 21 notices.

What you can do now

The database is not live yet, so there is no registration to complete today. However, there are practical steps to take:

1. Get your compliance in order — the database is expected to require evidence of compliance with gas safety, EICR, EPC, and other key obligations. Landlords with gaps in their records will face a harder registration process.

2. Track which properties you have and what documents you hold — registration will require property-level detail. Knowing exactly what you have and where your certificates are stored will save time.

3. Watch for the launch announcement — the government will publish a consultation on secondary legislation before the database launches. We will update this guide when dates are known.

4. Check your property is compliant now — a rental compliance score check gives you a quick read on where gaps exist across your obligations.

How DueProper will help

DueProper is designed to give you the evidence base you will need for PRS Database registration — a property-by-property record of compliance with all 13 key obligations, with documents uploaded as evidence. When registration opens, you will have everything you need to hand.

Coming soon — join the waitlist for early access.

Check your compliance score for free →

Related reading

• The mandatory landlord register: what we know so far — background on earlier registration proposals
• The Renters' Rights Act: what landlords need to do now — the broader RRA changes
• Section 21 and compliance: why your notice could be invalid — Section 21 has now been abolished

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This article is for information only and does not constitute legal advice. The PRS Database provisions of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 require secondary legislation before they come into force — timelines and specific requirements may change. Verify current requirements at legislation.gov.uk and gov.uk.