The Renters' Rights Act 2025 creates a new database of private landlords and their homes in England. Here is what it is, what it will hold, and what it means
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The Renters' Rights Act 2025 creates a new database of private landlords and their homes in England. Here is what it is, what it will hold, and what it means for you.
What is the private rented sector database?
The database is sometimes called the landlord register. It is a central record of private landlords and the homes they let, and it comes from the Renters' Rights Act 2025. Once running, private landlords in England must register before they can legally let a home.
Why is it being created?
The database aims to:
- Let tenants check whether a landlord is registered and keeping to the rules
- Give councils a clearer picture of which homes are privately rented, and by whom
- Raise standards by making landlord duties harder to dodge
What will it contain?
The details are still being settled in follow-up rules. Based on the Act and the guidance so far, expect it to hold:
- The landlord's name and contact details, or the manager's
- The address of each rented home
- Whether the home meets its legal duties: a valid gas safety certificate, for example
- Any court orders made against the landlord
Can tenants check the database?
The plan is for tenants to be able to look up their landlord. A Rogue Landlord and Agent Checker already exists, listing landlords convicted of housing offences, but the public sees very little of it.
The new PRS database is expected to open up more. The idea: check a landlord or home before you sign anything.
What happens to landlords who do not register?
Once registration is required, an unregistered landlord faces fines. The Act also ties the possession process to registration, so staying off the database carries real cost. Letting agents who advertise homes for unregistered landlords face penalties too.
When does this start?
The Renters' Rights Act 2025 is law. Its main tenancy reforms took effect on 1 May 2026. The database is being phased in on its own track, with no go-live date named yet. The dates will be announced as the rollout continues.
Check the government's Renters' Rights Act guidance pages for the latest.
What should tenants do now?
The database is not running yet. Until it is:
- Ask your landlord for the gas, electrical, and energy certificates. The law makes them provide these.
- Ask the council's housing team where a landlord's record worries you
- Search the existing Rogue Landlord and Agent Checker on gov.uk
When should I contact Support for Tenants?
We help with housing disrepair claims. A rented home in poor shape gives you the right to claim, whatever the landlord's registration status.
Call us on 0800 030 4669. No upfront cost. You only pay if you win, and the fee comes out of the compensation, not your pocket. If you don't win, you pay nothing.
Sources
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We review every guide at least twice a year and update it when the law changes. If you spot something out of date or wrong, email help@supportfortenants.co.uk.
Reviewed against current housing law for England and Wales as at 15 June 2026. Checked by our SRA-regulated panel solicitors. This is general information, not legal advice for your specific case. Any compensation figures or ranges shown are illustrative only, not a promise; every case is different.
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