The government is bringing in a national register of rented homes in England. This page explains, in plain words, what is happening and how to get ready. We have checked it against the sources listed at the bottom, but the rules are new. Always check GOV.UK before you register.
What is changing
Under the Renters' Rights Act, private landlords in England will have to register themselves and each rented property on a national database. The service is called Register Your Rental Property.
- Opens: 15 December 2026.
- Fee: reported as £65 a year for each property. Fees can change, so check before you pay.
- Rolled out by region. Each region has its own deadline. The first is the West Midlands, on 14 March 2027.
Regional deadlines
| Region | Register by |
|---|---|
| West Midlands | 14 March 2027 |
| East of England | 14 April 2027 |
| East Midlands | 14 May 2027 |
| South East | 14 June 2027 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 14 July 2027 |
| North West | 14 August 2027 |
| North East | 14 September 2027 |
| London | 14 October 2027 |
| South West | 14 November 2027 |
You can register earlier than your region's deadline.
What you will be asked for
The government's rules set out exactly which details are needed, and the final list may still change. Expect to give details about yourself and about each property, and the state of its safety paperwork. The register records that your gas safety check, electrical report and energy certificate are in place. It is not somewhere you store the documents.
That matters. If a council later asks you to back up what you declared, you will need the actual certificate, quickly.
Readiness checklist
- Find your region and its deadline in the table above.
- For each property, find the current Gas Safety certificate and note its expiry date.
- Find the current EICR (electrical report) and its expiry date.
- Find the current EPC and its rating.
- Check your tenancy agreement and deposit protection details are to hand.
- Put the registration fee for each property in your budget.
- Keep everything in one place you can open in seconds.
Where Roost fits
Roost is not the register and does not register you. It is the place to keep the paperwork behind it: your certificates, their expiry dates, and reminders before they run out, so that when someone asks, you can show them.
Start free for 30 days. No card needed.
Sources, checked October 2026
- NRLA: Register Your Rental Property Service
- HCR Law: database to go live from 15 December 2026
- Property Industry Eye: regional deadlines
- Goodlord: what landlords and agents need to know
Roost is not a legal or financial adviser. This page is a guide, not advice.