Skip to main content

Landlords: The New Rental Register Opens 15 December

Landlords: The New Rental Register Opens 15 December

If you rent out a home in Bramhall, Cheadle Hulme, Woodford, Heald Green, Cheadle, Handforth, Hazel Grove, Poynton or anywhere else in England, or you are thinking of becoming a landlord, there is a date to put in the diary: 15 December 2026. That is when the government's new "Register your rental property" service is due to open. It is the next big step in the Renters' Rights Act, six months after Section 21 "no-fault" evictions ended. Here is what has changed, what is coming and what to do now.

Where we are six months on

The main part of the Renters' Rights Act came into force on 1 May 2026. For landlords, the headline changes are:

  • Section 21 has gone. To regain possession you need a valid ground under Section 8, such as rent arrears, anti-social behaviour or wanting to sell or move in.

  • Rolling tenancies. Existing assured shorthold tenancies became assured periodic (rolling) tenancies automatically. Tenants can leave on two months' notice; landlords cannot use that route.

  • One rent rise a year. Increases need at least two months' written notice, and tenants can challenge them at the First-tier Tribunal.

  • Upfront costs are capped. Rent in advance is limited to one month, and rent bidding is banned.

  • Pets. Tenants can ask to keep a pet, and landlords cannot unreasonably refuse.

If you served a Section 21 notice before 1 May, it only stayed usable if court proceedings were started by 31 July 2026. Any unused notices have now lapsed.

What's next: the landlord register

The government has confirmed that the Private Rented Sector (PRS) database will open on 15 December 2026, according to law-firm commentary on the government's September announcement (Mishcon de Reya, Osborne Clarke). Based on those summaries:

  • Opens: 15 December 2026, starting in the West Midlands

  • Rollout: Region by region across England

  • Everyone registered by: 14 November 2027

  • Fee: Expected to be £65 per property per year

  • Penalties: Civil penalties of up to £7,000 for a first breach, rising to £40,000 for repeat or serious breaches

Early registration is open to everyone

You do not have to wait for your region's turn. Landlords anywhere in England can register from 15 December, and each region then has a three-month window to complete it. If you register before your window opens, the fee is expected to be pro-rated for the early period (Savills; Macfarlanes). Some landlords will simply want to get it done straight away, to get ahead of the game and tick it off the list.

The regulations are still in draft, so the fee, dates and penalties could change. The Landlord Ombudsman is expected later, with commentators pointing to 2028.

What this means for you

For most landlords nothing needs doing today, but it is worth getting organised now:

  1. Check your paperwork. Gas safety certificate, EICR, EPC, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, deposit protection and How to Rent guide.

  2. Review your tenancy agreements. Make sure you are working to the new rolling-tenancy rules.

  3. Diarise rent reviews. One increase a year, with two months' notice, at a rent in line with the market.

  4. Plan for the fee and the register. Budget for the per-property fee, keep your details and property list up to date and decide whether to register early.

  5. Think about your longer-term plans. Some landlords are reviewing whether to keep, sell or switch to a managed service. There is no right answer, but it helps to see your numbers.

Talk to our Bramhall or Cheadle Hulme team

Not sure where you stand? Book a free lettings appraisal and we will talk through your property, your rent and your options. If you are thinking of selling a rental home instead, we can value that too.

For any other enquiries, email [email protected] or pop into our Bramhall or Cheadle Hulme office.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Check GOV.UK for the latest guidance.

Sources: GOV.UK Renters' Rights Act guidance; Mishcon de Reya, "Register your Rental Property service to launch in December 2026"; Osborne Clarke, "Renters' Rights Act Phase 2" (September 2026); Savills, "Understanding the PRS Database" (2026); Macfarlanes, "The Private Rented Sector database" (October 2026); Mondaq, "Renters' Rights Act 2025: update on the PRS database" (2026); local authority guidance on the 1 May 2026 changes.