For landlords
What is the Private Rented Sector Database?
The Private Rented Sector Database is a national register of private landlords and their let properties in England, created by the Renters' Rights Act 2025. As at July 2026 it is not operating yet: it is still to be commenced, and its scope, the information it will hold, any fees and the dates will be set out in further regulations. When it is switched on, the direction set out so far is that landlords would register themselves and their properties, and that prospective tenants and councils would be able to see certain information. Because the detail is still being finalised, treat anything specific you read, including a go-live date, as provisional and confirm it on GOV.UK.
This guide is a plain-English overview for England, written while the database is still to come. It is general information, not legal advice, and it flags clearly where things are settled and where they are not.
What the database is meant to do
The idea behind the database is a single national record of who is letting property and which properties are let. Government has described aims such as giving tenants a clearer picture before they rent, helping councils focus enforcement, and giving compliant landlords a straightforward way to show they are meeting their duties. In broad terms, it is meant to bring the private rented sector onto one register rather than leaving that information scattered. The specifics of what it records and shows, though, sit in regulations that are still being made.
Is it live yet?
No. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 makes provision for the database, but it is one of the parts of the Act still to be commenced, along with the landlord redress scheme, often called the Ombudsman, and the extension of the Decent Homes Standard to private rented homes. The main tenancy changes, such as the end of Section 21 and the move to periodic tenancies, took effect on 1 May 2026, but the database was not switched on at the same time. Its start date depends on further regulations. For the wider timeline, see the Renters' Rights Act 2025, explained in plain English.
What landlords are likely to need to do
The Act points towards a duty for landlords to register themselves and their let properties, and to keep those entries accurate. The likely shape, based on what has been set out so far, is that registration will need to be in place before a property is marketed or let once the database is in force, and that some information will be visible to prospective tenants. What is not yet confirmed is the detail:
- The exact information a landlord will need to provide and keep up to date.
- Any fees to register, and how often entries must be renewed or refreshed.
- The timescales and any exemptions, and how the database interacts with a possession claim.
All of that will be settled in regulations, so it is sensible to treat the above as the direction of travel rather than a fixed set of rules, and to check GOV.UK once the detail is published.
What it could mean for renters
For renters, a working database would mean more of a landlord's and property's information is on record and, in part, visible before you commit. That is a transparency step rather than a substitute for your own checks. Whatever the database ends up showing, the everyday parts of applying for a home, such as the Right to Rent check, stay the same, and if you hold your status digitally you may still need a Right to Rent share code.
How it fits with the rest of the Act, and with council licensing
The database is one piece of a bigger set of changes. It sits alongside the end of Section 21, periodic tenancies, and the new rules on rent, which are already in force, and alongside the Ombudsman, which is still to come. It is separate from landlord licensing run by local councils, such as selective licensing or licensing for houses in multiple occupation, which continues under its own rules. A landlord may deal with both the national database and a local licence, so it is worth checking your council's requirements as well. Our guide to what the Renters' Rights Act 2025 means for landlords puts these pieces together.
Getting your records ready now
Even before the database is switched on, the practical groundwork is the same as good letting practice today: know who owns and lets each property, and keep the certificates, dates and documents that go with it in order. That is the ground a register like this stands on. The 2026 landlord compliance checklist for England is a useful starting point, and you can read how VEYLO X works for landlords as a place to keep those records together.
Common questions
What is the Private Rented Sector Database?
A national register of private landlords and their let properties in England, created by the Renters' Rights Act 2025. Its scope and detail are being set out in regulations, so treat specifics as provisional and check GOV.UK.
Is it live yet?
Not as at July 2026. It is still to be commenced, along with the Ombudsman and the extension of the Decent Homes Standard. The start date depends on further regulations.
Will landlords have to register?
The Act provides for a duty to register landlords and their let properties, but the exact duties, fees, timescales and exemptions are not confirmed while the database is still to be commenced. Check GOV.UK for what will apply and when.
Is it the same as landlord licensing?
No. It is a national register under the Renters' Rights Act 2025. Council licensing, such as selective or HMO licensing, runs separately under its own rules, and a landlord may deal with both.
Sources
The primary sources behind this guide. Where the law and a summary disagree, the law is what counts. How we write these guides.