Register Your Rental Property: The Step-by-Step Guide

To register a rental property in England, sign in to the Register your rental property service with GOV.UK One Login, register yourself as a landlord to get a landlord number, then add each let property, pay the £65 annual fee and upload gas, electrical and EPC certificates within 28 days. Each property receives its own rental property number.

Last updated: 2 November 2026. Applies to England unless stated.

This guide takes you through registration in the order set out in GOV.UK’s published guidance. We will update it once the service opens on 15 December 2026. It assumes you have read our overview of the PRS database and landlord registration. If you want to know when your region opens first, check the regional deadlines.

Before you start

Registration is a legal duty for private landlords letting property in England under an assured or regulated tenancy. The service opens on 15 December 2026 and each region has a three-month window, ending with the South West on 14 November 2027.

The process splits into two parts. You register once as a landlord, then you register each property. Most of the time goes on the property records, so gather the information in step 2 before you sign in.

How to register your rental property: 9 steps

1. Check which properties must be registered, and by when

   During the rollout, you must register every property in England that is let, or becomes let, under an assured or regulated tenancy. Empty properties do not need registering yet. Supported exempt accommodation is excluded.

   Your deadline depends on where each property is, not where you live. Use GOV.UK’s Find your local council tool if you are unsure which region a property sits in.

2. Gather your landlord and property information

   For yourself: name, date of birth, residential address, phone number and email. For an organisation: legal entity type, Companies House or charity number where there is one, a named contact, and details of directors, trustees or partners.

   For each property: address, number of bedrooms, rental status, a correspondence address in England or Wales, and contacts for any managing agent, superior landlord or freeholder. Then the tenancy and safety details covered in step 7. Our registration documents checklist lists everything per property.

3. Set up or sign in to GOV.UK One Login

   The service uses GOV.UK One Login, the same sign-in used for other government services. You will be offered the option to verify your identity.

   If you cannot use the online service, GOV.UK says a paper application and support will be available once the service is live.

4. Register yourself as a landlord

   Enter your personal details and contact information. There is no fee for landlord registration. When you finish, you receive a landlord number in the format L-XXXX-XXXX.

   If you are registering a company, charity, trust, LLP or Scottish partnership, anyone in the organisation can create the registration. Members of an English business partnership register as individuals instead.

5. Add each property

   Enter the property address, number of bedrooms and rental status, a correspondence address in England or Wales, and contact details for any managing agent, superior landlord or freeholder.

   A house in multiple occupation needs one registration for the whole property, not one per room or per tenancy.

6. Pay the fee and get your rental property number

   The fee is £65 per property per year, not subject to VAT and tax-deductible. During the rollout it is pro-rated, disregarding days before 15 November 2027, so registering early does not cost more.

   Once you pay, you receive a rental property registration number in the format P-XXXX-XXXX. Your renewal date is one year after your first property registration, and every property you add shares it.

7. Add tenancy and safety information within 28 days

   You can complete this straight away or within 28 days of registering the property. The service asks for:

   • Rent, number of tenants and households, furnishing, and whether bills are included.
   • Any HMO, additional or selective licence.
   • Gas safety certificate, if there is a gas supply.
   • Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) or Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC).
   • Energy Performance Certificate (EPC).

   Certificates are recorded with issue and expiry dates. If the information is still missing after 28 days, the property registration can be deactivated, which may put you in breach.

8. Invite joint landlords, team members or your agent

   If the property has joint landlords, one registers it and invites the others. Each joint landlord must hold their own landlord registration. Organisations can add team members who can register and update properties.

   If you use a letting agent, you can give them a unique link for each property once it is registered and let. The agent sets a password on first use and can then add tenancy, licence and certificate details. You are notified of every submission and remain responsible for completing the record.

9. Keep the record up to date

   Update your registration within 28 days of any change, such as a new tenant, a rent change or a replacement certificate. Updates are free. Renew every property on your shared renewal date each year.

Your landlord number and rental property number explained

Both numbers will have to appear in property adverts in future. GOV.UK says including them now is optional. Keep them with your property records, because your agent and any joint landlords will ask for them.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Waiting for your agent to do it. Agents cannot start a registration. You must register yourself and each property first.
• Using your home region’s deadline. The deadline follows the property’s location.
• Registering an HMO room by room. One registration covers the whole HMO.
• Leaving the 28-day window open. A registration missing tenancy or safety information can become inactive.
• Uploading an expired certificate. Check dates before your window opens, not on the day.
• Forgetting joint owners. A part-owner entitled to possession must register even if they are not on the tenancy.

Check your tenancy paperwork while you are at it

Registration asks for tenancy details, which makes it a good moment to check the agreement itself still reflects the law. Since 1 May 2026, tenancies in England are assured periodic tenancies, and old AST wording can create risk. The RRA Compliance Checker audits your tenancy agreements and compliance documents, flags missing clauses and legal risks, and produces a remediation report. New users can run one free RRA Compliance Checker audit following registration. Further audits require membership.

If registration is overdue or a registration has been deactivated, read our guide to penalties and the possession risk.

This guide is general information, not legal advice.