Every private landlord in England will soon need to use Register your rental property, the new government service for landlords. New guidance published on 29 October explains exactly what your letting agent can and cannot do for you. Here is the full picture for London landlords, in plain English.
You will soon need to register your rental property on a new government service. It is called "Register your rental property", and it comes from the Renters' Rights Act. Every private landlord in England, and every property they let, must be on it.
The question we hear most from landlords is simple. Can my letting agent just do it for me? The answer, confirmed in the government's new guidance for agents, is "partly". You have to start the registration yourself, but your agent can handle most of the detail after that.
This guide explains how the service works, what it costs, when London landlords must register, and how to split the work with your agent. We also cover the penalties for getting it wrong, which are serious.
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What this guide covers
- What is the Register your rental property service?
- Can a letting agent register your rental property for you?
- How to register your rental property, step by step
- Which details your agent can add for you
- Can you register before London's window opens?
- How much it costs
- What happens if your registration lapses?
- Keeping your registration up to date
- How we use your access link
- Frequently asked questions
What is the Register your rental property service?
It is the official name of the government's new landlord register, often called the PRS Database. Every private landlord in England, and every property they let, must be on it. We covered the background in our PRS Database guide.
What is new is how the service actually works day to day, and who can do what. On registering, you receive a landlord number (L-XXXX-XXXX), and each property gets its own number (P-XXXX-XXXX). Keep both safe, because you will need them for adverts in future.
Can a letting agent register your rental property for you?
This is the most important point for landlords who use an agent. On 29 October 2026, the government published official guidance for letting agents and property managers. It makes the split of responsibilities clear.
What only you, the landlord, can do
You must register yourself as a landlord and start the registration for each property. You must also pay the annual fee. Even if an agent helps, the legal duty to register stays with you.
What your agent can do
When you start a property registration, you can enter your agent's email address. The service then sends your agent a secure access link for that property. Using it, your agent can add and update:
- HMO, additional or selective licence details
- The number of tenants and households
- Whether the property is furnished, part furnished or unfurnished
- The rent, and any bills included
- The gas safety certificate, if there is a gas supply
- The electrical safety report (EICR or EIC)
- The energy performance certificate (EPC)
You get a notification whenever your agent submits information, so you always stay in the loop. In addition, the agent is responsible for the accuracy of anything they submit.
Agreeing who does what
Industry body Propertymark advises landlords and agents to agree in writing exactly which updates the agent will handle. It is also worth checking your agent's terms of business, since some may charge for this work.
Behind the scenes, the first person to use a property's link sets a password. After that, anyone at the agency with the link and password can update the record. So, for example, one team can keep the certificates current while another updates the rent. Agents cannot reset a lost password, so you would need to cancel the link and send a new one. Your agent must also belong to a government-approved redress scheme to do this work.
How to register your rental property, step by step
Here is how to register your rental property, based on the government's guidance.
Step 1: Register yourself as a landlord
First, create your landlord account on the service. You will receive your landlord number.
Step 2: Start each property registration and pay
Next, add each property you let and pay its £65 annual fee. There is no bulk upload, so each property is registered one by one.
Step 3: Invite your agent, if you use one
Enter your agent's email address for each property. Your agent receives a unique link and sets a password the first time they use it.
Step 4: Complete the details within 28 days
You, or your agent, must add the remaining information within 28 days. If not, the registration becomes inactive and you may breach your legal duties.
Step 5: Keep it up to date
Whenever something changes, such as the rent or a renewed gas certificate, update the record within 28 days.
Which details your agent can add for you
Above all, gathering everything before you register your rental property saves time. You will need the following for each property.
| Category | What to have ready | Can your agent add it? |
|---|---|---|
| Your details | Name, address and contact details (or company details) | No |
| Property | Address, type, number of bedrooms | No |
| Licensing | HMO, additional or selective licence details | Yes |
| Tenancy | Rent, bills included, tenants and households | Yes |
| Furnishing | Furnished, part furnished or unfurnished | Yes |
| Gas safety | Latest gas safety record | Yes |
| Electrical safety | EICR or EIC, with expiry date | Yes |
| Energy | EPC, with issue and expiry dates | Yes |
Bear in mind that many London boroughs run their own licensing schemes. Hackney, for example, runs selective licensing across most of the borough, as we explain in our guide to Hackney's licensing schemes. Registration is separate from licensing, so you need both where they apply.
Can you register before London's window opens?
Yes. London's official window runs from 15 July to 14 October 2027. However, according to the NRLA, the service opens on 15 December 2026, and you can register any property from that date.
Registering early has real advantages. You get your numbers sooner, your agent can start adding details, and you avoid a last-minute rush as the deadline nears. Every region's dates are in our landlord registration key dates guide.
During the rollout, you must register properties let on an assured periodic or regulated tenancy at your deadline, plus any you let after it.
How much it costs
The fee is £65 per property, per year, according to the NRLA. All your properties share one renewal date, set by the anniversary of your first registration. Properties added later pay a pro-rata fee for their first year.
For example, a house let room by room still counts as one property, so you pay one fee. However, separate self-contained flats each need their own registration. The NRLA believes the fee should be an allowable expense against your rental income, but check with your accountant.
What happens if your registration lapses?
This is where agent support really counts. If the required details are not added within 28 days of starting a registration, the government says it becomes inactive, and you may be in breach of your legal duties.
An inactive record carries the same risks as no record at all. Above all, a court cannot grant you a possession order, except on anti-social behaviour grounds, until your registration is active again. That can be costly if a tenant stops paying, as our guide to rent arrears under the new rules explains.
Councils can also issue fines for breaches. We set out the full penalty amounts in our key dates and fines guide.
Keeping your registration up to date
Remember, registration is not a one-off job. You must renew each year and update any change within 28 days. That includes a new tenant, a rent increase, a renewed gas certificate, a new EICR or a fresh EPC.
In the future, you will also need an active registration before you advertise a property. Adverts will have to show your landlord and property numbers, and agents must check both before marketing a home. No start date has been set for this yet.
How we use your access link
We have managed property across Hackney and East London since 1988, so we already hold most of the information the service asks for. We agree in writing exactly which updates we handle for you, so there are no grey areas. That makes us well placed to keep your registration accurate.
Here is how it works with us. You start the registration and pay the fee, then send us the access link for each property. From there, we can add your licence, rent, tenant and certificate details, and update them within 28 days whenever something changes. As a result, you are not left chasing renewals or worrying about an inactive record.
Registration support is part of our Premium Plus package, alongside rent reviews, guaranteed rent and full compliance management. Explore our Hackney lettings service or our landlord fees to find the right level of help.
Let us keep your registration on track
Speak to our East London lettings team about registration support and full management.
Frequently asked questions
Agents and registration
Can my agent complete my registration using an access link?
Not fully. You must create your landlord account, start each property registration and pay the fee. After that, you can send your agent a secure link, and they can add and update most of the property details for you.
What can a letting agent update on the register?
Agents can add licence details, rent and bills, tenant and household numbers, furnishing status, and the gas safety, electrical and energy certificates. You are notified whenever they submit information.
Who is responsible if my agent gets the details wrong?
The government's guidance says agents are responsible for the accuracy of the information they submit. However, you remain responsible for making sure the property is registered and the information is provided.
What happens if my agent loses the access link password?
Agents cannot reset the password themselves. You need to cancel the existing link and send your agent a new one.
Access, fees and practicalities
Can I register before London's window opens?
Yes. London's window runs from 15 July to 14 October 2027, but the service opens on 15 December 2026, and you can register any property from then.
Does the landlord or the agent pay the fee?
The landlord pays the annual fee on the service. If your agent charges for handling registration updates, agree that in writing first.
Is the registration fee tax deductible?
The NRLA believes it should be an allowable expense against rental income. Confirm this with your accountant.
Do I pay one fee for an HMO let by the room?
Yes. A single property let room by room needs one registration and one fee. Separate self-contained flats each need their own.
Who must register
Do I need to register if I already have a licence?
Yes. Registration is separate from HMO, additional or selective licensing. If your borough requires a licence, you need both.
Do joint owners each need to register?
Yes. Each joint landlord needs their own landlord registration. The property is registered once and linked to all of them.
What about a property that is currently empty?
Not during the initial rollout, unless you let it. Later, you will need to register before you can advertise it, including when it is empty.
Can I upload all my properties at once?
No. According to the NRLA, there is no bulk upload, so each property must be registered individually.
Deadlines and adverts
Can more than one person at my agency update the record?
Yes. Once the first person sets a password, anyone at the agency with the link and password can update it. That lets different teams keep different details current.
Does my letting agent need to be in a redress scheme?
Yes. The government's guidance says agents doing letting or property management work must belong to a relevant redress scheme to help with registration.
What happens if I miss the 28-day update deadline?
If you do not add the required information within 28 days, the registration becomes inactive. You may then be in breach of your legal duties and at risk of a penalty.
Will my registration numbers appear on adverts?
In future, yes. Adverts will need to show your landlord number and property number, and agents must check registration before marketing a home. No start date has been set yet.