PRS Database explained: The new compliance risk letting agents need to act on

Originally published: June 2025

Slowly but surely, the Private Rented Sector (PRS) is professionalising. The Renters’ Rights Act (RRA) is a massive part of that, with the legislation set to give the PRS its biggest shake-up in almost four decades. This wave of change will have a major effect on how landlords operate.

One of the most important measures within these reforms is the Private Rented Sector Database. The database will require every private landlord to register themselves and their rental properties, creating a central record of who is operating in the sector and whether they’re meeting their legal obligations. The Government is implementing this measure to hold landlords accountable and provide them with a portal to check their compliance. 

Registration will not be optional. Non-compliant landlords may be saddled with financial penalties of £7,000 for the first civil penalty, with costs spiralling to £40,000 for repeated breaches. Letting agents are also exposed, with those advertising or letting properties for unregistered landlords facing equivalent fines and potential criminal prosecution for serious violations.

One of the ways the Government plans to enforce compliance is by linking possession to an active registration. In practice, this means landlords won’t be able to regain possession of a property unless they and the property are registered on the database. 

For letting agents, the database offers an opportunity to support their landlords with compliance. Ensuring your landlords are registered will also save you a legal headache. 

In this blog, we’re going to tell you exactly how to do that.

• What is the PRS database?
• What does the PRS Database mean for letting agents? 
• How will the database work?
• Why is the Government introducing the PRS Database?
• Conclusion
• FAQs
  
  

What is the PRS database?

In simple terms, the PRS database will be a one-stop “property portal” listing landlord data, enabling them to demonstrate which of their properties are compliant and any actions they need to take. 

It’s important to note that Matthew Pennycook, the Minister of State for Housing and Planning, has said that the PRS database will not replace current selective licensing schemes. Pennycook has said that:

 “Selective licensing is a valuable tool enabling local authorities to drive better outcomes for local residents, tenants, and responsible landlords.

“The database is not designed to replace selective licensing. Selective licensing schemes aim to target specific local issues by enabling more intensive proactive enforcement strategies.

“We will continue to review the use of selective licensing as we develop the Private Rented Sector Database and will look to refine the way the two systems work together, including through sharing data.”

What kind of information will be collected?

While the final scope of the PRS database is still being confirmed, the Government has set out a baseline of information that landlords will be required to provide when registering. At a minimum, landlords will be expected to provide the following information for each PRS property: 

• Landlord contact details, including information for any joint landlords. 
• Property details, such as full address, property type (house or flat), number of bedrooms, number of households or residents, and whether the property is occupied or furnished. 

Beyond this core dataset, the Government is also exploring collecting safety and energy information such as Gas Safety Certificates, Electrical safety certificates, and Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs).

What information should be collected? 

Whatever the final data is collected, there are two key pieces of data that we believe should be included: 

1. First, properties should be linked to Unique Property Reference Numbers (UPRNs). Assigning a UPRN to each registered property would help ensure accurate identification, reduce errors, and improve transparency across the sector. 
2. Second, the system will need robust duplication checks. Without safeguards to prevent landlords or properties from being registered multiple times, the integrity of the database could be undermined and open to misuse.

What happens to landlords who don’t join the PRS database?

Any landlord who decides to play fast and loose with the legislation could find themselves subject to fines and even criminal prosecution.

For the first civil penalty, landlords will be fined £7,000. For severe or repeated compliance failures, this fine can grow to up to £40,000. It’s unclear at this point if the fine will be per property or cover the landlord's entire portfolio.

Additionally, providing false or misleading information to the registry will be designated a criminal offence. This could result in rent repayment orders and potentially lead to further prosecution.

Landlords who fail to register their properties or let the registration lapse will also be unable to regain possession, which can directly affect rental income. The only exception to this will be in the case of anti-social behaviour on the part of the tenant, where the neighbours might suffer.

What does the PRS database mean for letting agents?

According to the State of Lettings Industry Report 2025, 43% of landlords manage their properties independently without the assistance of a lettings agency. The PRS database, along with the Renters' Rights Act, will make it more challenging to do this while staying compliant.

The Government has said that agents may be allowed to upload information to the register on behalf of their clients. This presents an opportunity for letting agents to act as a source of truth for their landlords and ensure that they’re compliant with the law.

If the database is implemented correctly and becomes the portal the Government wants it to be, it will be an invaluable resource for agents. 

How to prepare for the register

1. Keep clients informed - Your landlords will have to register with the database. Ensure that you tell them of the necessary information and any deadlines they must meet. Scotland and Wales have already been through this process. It’s a good idea to reach out to these peers and see how their agencies handled it.
2. Expand your services - Since agents may be able to upload information on behalf of their landlords, ensure your clients are aware that you can assist them in staying compliant.
3. Stay informed - While the specifics of legislation implementation are being hammered out, stay on top of the news and make sure you’re ready. Remember, things can change in an instant!

How will the database work?

As mentioned above, the landlords database is expected to operate in much the same way as the HMRC Companies House. Landlords will be required to fill out the registration requirements to list themselves and the properties they rent out on the database. The general public will then be able to search the database for information about specific properties or landlords.

The Government has told the Lords’ Committee that if a landlord is unable to register themselves on the database, their letting agents will be able to complete the required information on their behalf.

For the many landlords who rely on letting agents to manage their properties, allowing agents to upload information on their behalf is a proportionate approach.

They intend to allow agents to submit information to the database on behalf of landlords and will be exploring through secondary legislation what that might look like in practice and what capabilities they will need to build.

Without registering on the database, it will be illegal for landlords and agents to advertise a property for rent

There are many considerations when building databases, such as how it will handle if a property is already listed and someone else tries to register for it,  how it will prove the identity and ownership of the user registering the property, and how it will handle duplicate landlord accounts.

Will there be any registration fees?

Yes, there will be a registration fee for landlords to list themselves and their properties on the database. The Government has said that this fee will be used to fund the database and will be proportional and reasonable.

Why is the Government introducing the PRS database?

The database, much like the Renters’ Rights Act itself, is being introduced to empower tenants and improve standards among landlords and across the PRS. While most landlords provide a good home to their tenants, the Government is at pains to tell us that the lowest quality housing stock is found in the PRS. A database will help to maintain standards. 

The information held on the database will allow prospective tenants to make more informed decisions about who they rent from and the condition of the property they are renting.

There are, of course, well-meaning accidental landlords and landlords who self-manage their properties. These good actors could get caught out if they aren’t aware of the new legislation. 

Local councils will benefit too. With clearer data on who owns and operates PRS properties, councils will be better equipped to identify non-compliant landlords and take action where standards are not being met. Over time, this approach could resemble how systems such as the Government’s fraud-detection tool HMRC Connect are used to surface risk, without increasing the reporting burden on compliant landlords.

The database also supports wider reforms under the Renters’ Rights Act, including changes to possession rules following the removal of Section 21 evictions. By linking possession to compliance and registration, the Government is aiming to ensure that landlords meet their legal obligations before they are able to regain possession.

That isn’t to say that landlords won’t benefit from the database. The Government views the database as a potential compliance portal. Residential landlords will better understand their responsibilities and ensure their properties meet the new requirements of the UK rental market.

When will the PRS database be introduced?

Now that the Renters’ Rights Act has completed its passage through Parliament and received Royal Assent, the Government has confirmed that the reforms will not come into force all at once. Instead, they will be introduced in phases, giving landlords, letting agents, and local authorities time to prepare. 

While Phase 1 of the Renters’ Rights Act is expected to take effect from May 1, 2026, the Private Rented Sector (PRS) Database will be introduced as part of Phase 2, which is due to begin from late 2026. 

From late 2026, all private landlords will be legally required to register themselves and their rental properties on the PRS database. As part of registration, landlords will need to submit key information about themselves and their properties to demonstrate compliance. 

Once landlord registration is underway and the PRS database is fully operational, the Government will move to the next step with the introduction of the PRS Landlord Ombudsman. The Ombudsman will be introduced after the PRS database is in place, with development expected to take place over 12 to 18 months.

Who will have access to the PRS database?

The Government has confirmed that the PRS database will include a public-facing element, but it will not operate as a fully open register in the same way as HMRC’s Companies House 

While the exact information that will be publicly available is still being finalised, public access is expected to focus on information related to property standards. This means that tenants will be able to view key details about a landlord and a property to help them make informed decisions, but not all data held on the database will be publicly accessible. 

Are there any privacy concerns?

During consultations, some landlords have raised concerns about privacy, particularly around how much personal data might be held on a publicly accessible register. 

While these concerns are understandable, the Government has been clear that the PRS database is not intended to make all landlords’ personal data public. Instead, the system is being designed to balance landlords’ privacy concerns with the need for greater transparency in the private rented sector, ensuring tenants can access essential information without exposing unnecessary personal details.

Conclusion

Responsible landlords who meet their obligations have nothing to fear from the PRS database and can protect both compliance and rental income. This register will introduce an additional level of transparency to the lettings industry, empowering tenants to make informed decisions about their housing.

Professional landlords make for excellent clients. Letting agents that work with their landlords as a knowledgeable source of information will be able to build stronger, more reliable professional relationships.

This blog is intended as a guide and the information contained therein is subject to change. For more information, visit the MHCLG websites.

FAQs

Q1 - How will landlords register on the PRS database? 

Landlords will be able to register themselves and their properties online. For those unable to complete the process digitally, the Government has confirmed that offline registration options will also be available.

Q2 - Is the database just a register, or will it offer guidance too? 

The PRS database is designed as a single “front door” for landlords, offering access to guidance, compliance information and updates on changing legal requirements, as well as a way to demonstrate compliance.

Q3 - How does the database help tenants enforce their rights? 

The database will increase transparency by giving tenants access to key information about property standards and landlord compliance. This will help tenants understand their rights and know when issues should be escalated to their local council or the PRS Ombudsman.

Q4 - What happens to the Database of Rogue Landlords? 

The Government has confirmed that the PRS database will replace the existing Database of Rogue Landlords for private sector landlords. Certain offence-related information will be made visible to tenants and prospective tenants, helping them make more informed decisions, while still balancing landlords’ rights to privacy. 

Q5 - Will selective licensing still apply once the database is live? 

Yes. Selective licensing will remain in place and continue to be used by local authorities where appropriate. The PRS database is intended to complement these schemes by making enforcement more targeted and efficient.