The government has confirmed the next stage of its Renters' Rights Act reforms in its press release "Stronger protections and greater confidence for renters". The measures include a new national landlord registration scheme and changes to how tenants can challenge rent increases.
The new "Register your rental property" service will start rolling out across England from 15 December 2026, beginning in the West Midlands and expanding nationally over the following 12 months. Under the scheme, landlords must register themselves and each of their properties and provide detailed information about the dwelling, the tenancy and rent, and some health and safety information as part of the registration process. Landlords must also pay an annual fee of £65 per property and the fee will be payable each time a different property is registered. These fees could clearly add up for landlords with large residential portfolios.
Landlords will have three months to register once their area goes live, and all landlords with let properties will need to be registered by 14 November 2027. Initially, the requirement will apply to properties that are currently let (or become let during the rollout period), although in the future the government intends to extend registration requirements to properties before they are marketed for letting.
Penalties for failing to register could be significant and more guidance, with the registration deadlines for each area, can be found here.
The government has also announced changes to the way tenants can challenge rent increases. In future, initial decisions on rent increase disputes will be made by HMRC's Valuation Office Agency rather than the First-tier Tribunal, with the aim of providing quicker decisions and reducing pressure on the court system. The current process remains unchanged for now, with tenants continuing to apply to the First-tier Tribunal if they wish to challenge an increase.
