England: New Landlord Registration Service From December 2026

The government has confirmed the launch date for the new Register Your Rental Property service in England. It starts on 15 December 2026 in the West Midlands, then rolls out to other regions over 12 months.

When your region is called forward, you will have three months to register. Registration is a legal requirement and the government says failure to register risks a fine. All landlords actively letting property in England must be registered by 14 November 2027.

At first, the requirement applies to properties that are already let, or that become occupied during the rollout period. Under future legislation, landlords will also need to register unoccupied properties before marketing them for let. Letting agents and landlords will need to include registration numbers on adverts. The announcement does not confirm when the advert requirement starts.

The announcement also confirms a separate change: HMRC's Valuation Office will eventually take over initial decisions on rent increase challenges in England, moving that role away from the First-tier Tribunal. This is still being developed. For now, tenants who want to challenge a rent increase must still apply to the Tribunal, and they do not have to pay the higher rent until the Tribunal makes its final decision.

This applies to England only. It does not apply in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.

• All landlords letting property in England will need to register, once their region's rollout date is announced.
• Letting agents and landlords will need to include registration numbers on adverts. The announcement does not confirm when this requirement starts.
• Landlords with unoccupied properties will eventually need to register before marketing them, under future legislation not yet in force.
• Missing the deadline for your region risks a fine.

• Note the overall deadline: all landlords actively letting in England must be registered by 14 November 2027.
• Watch for confirmation of when your region's three-month registration window opens, starting with the West Midlands in December 2026.
• Check gov.uk for the Register Your Rental Property service once it is live in your area.
• If you use a letting agent, check who will handle registration and the advert requirement once that comes in.
• Check with a solicitor if you're unsure how the registration requirement applies to a specific property or portfolio structure.