New £65 Annual Landlord Registration Fee: What Landlords Need to Know
Ali & Co Property Services is advising landlords to prepare for another significant change to the private rented sector, following confirmation of the Government’s new national landlord registration service.
Under the new system, landlords in England will be required to register their rental properties and pay a £65 registration fee for each property. The service forms part of the wider implementation of the Renters’ Rights Act and is intended to create a national database of privately rented properties.
The Government has confirmed that the service will begin rolling out on 15 December 2026, starting in the West Midlands, before being introduced region by region across England over the following 12 months. Once a region is called forward, landlords will have a three-month period to register, with all actively let properties expected to be registered by 14 November 2027.
What will landlords need to provide?
The new Register Your Rental Property service is designed to give local authorities greater visibility over the private rented sector and make it easier to identify landlords and properties that are not meeting their legal obligations.
Landlords should expect to provide key information relating to both themselves and their rental property. This will include property and tenancy details as well as evidence of the relevant safety and compliance documentation.
Information is expected to include:
Property address and details
Number of bedrooms and occupants
Rental information
Gas safety documentation where applicable
Electrical safety documentation
Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)
Other information required to demonstrate compliance with landlord obligations
Initially, registration requirements will apply to properties that are already let or become occupied during the regional rollout. The Government has also confirmed that future legislation will require vacant rental properties to be registered before they can be advertised for let. Registration numbers will then need to appear on property advertisements placed by landlords and letting agents.
This means registration is likely to become an important part of the lettings process rather than simply an administrative exercise.
How much will it cost?
The Government has confirmed a fee of £65 for each property registered.
According to the Government, the fee has been set to balance affordability for landlords against the cost of running the registration service and enforcing the new regulatory framework.
For landlords with larger portfolios, however, the cost will naturally increase. A landlord with 10 rental properties, for example, could face registration fees of £650.
The database will also provide landlords with information designed to help them understand and comply with their legal responsibilities. At the same time, funding from the scheme is intended to support councils in identifying and taking action against non-compliant landlords.
Rent disputes are also changing
Alongside the landlord registration announcement, the Government has announced plans to change the way challenges to rent increases are determined.
The intention is for HMRC’s Valuation Office Agency (VOA) to take responsibility for initial rent determinations, rather than these cases initially being decided by the First-tier Tribunal.
Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook said the change is intended to produce faster decisions while reducing pressure on the tribunal system.
Importantly, the new VOA process is not yet the current procedure. At present, tenants who believe a proposed rent increase is above the open-market rent can still apply to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) to challenge it.
What does this mean for landlords?
The changes reinforce just how heavily regulated residential lettings in England are becoming.
For responsible landlords, many of the documents required for registration should already form part of the normal compliance process. However, the introduction of a central registration system means there will be greater transparency and potentially greater scrutiny of whether properties and landlords are compliant.
Ali & Co recommends that landlords start reviewing their property records now rather than waiting until registration reaches their area.
In particular, landlords should ensure that property and tenancy records are accurate, all required safety certificates are current, EPC requirements are satisfied, and documents can be easily produced when registration becomes necessary.
For landlords using a managing agent, further guidance will also be important regarding exactly which elements of the registration process can be handled on a landlord’s behalf.
Ali & Co: Helping landlords stay compliant
At Ali & Co Property Services, we understand that landlords are facing one of the biggest periods of regulatory change the private rented sector has seen for many years.
From the Renters’ Rights Act and changes to tenancies, through to property registration, rent increases, licensing and ongoing safety requirements, landlords increasingly need to ensure that every stage of their tenancy is properly managed and documented.
For our fully managed landlords, our aim is to make property management as straightforward as possible while helping ensure that properties remain compliant with the changing regulatory landscape.
If you are an existing Ali & Co landlord and would like to discuss how the new registration requirements may affect your portfolio, or you are considering moving your property to our fully managed service, contact the Ali & Co Property Services team.
This article is for general information and reflects Government announcements available as of 14 September 2026. Requirements may develop as the national registration service is implemented, and landlords should obtain professional advice where necessary.
Read the Government announcement on landlord registration
