The PRS database: how a letting agency gets every property registered, step by step

The government's "Register your rental property" service opens on 15 December 2026 in the West Midlands and reaches the rest of England region by region over the following nine months. Every landlord letting under an assured or regulated tenancy must register themselves and each property, pay £65 a year per property, and keep the record up to date within 28 days of any change.

Agents cannot register on a landlord's behalf. What they can do is receive a link from the landlord, fill in the tenancy and safety details for each property, and keep those details current. This guide is the agency workflow from first email to renewal. Checked against gov.uk and legislation.gov.uk on 31 October 2026. The Private Rented Sector Database Regulations 2026 were still a draft when we checked (approved by both Houses of Parliament, not yet made), so treat the dates below as planned until they are. Our earlier post, landlord registration starts 15 December 2026, covers the announcement.

The regional dates

The dates come from the gov.uk guidance published on 29 October 2026 and from Schedule 1 of the draft regulations. The property's postcode decides the region, not where the landlord or the agency is based.

A landlord can register before their region's opening date but not after its deadline. During the rollout, only properties that are let (or become let) need registering. Gov.uk says that in future an empty property will have to be registered before it is marketed; that rule is not yet in force.

Steps 1 and 2: the landlord registers, then adds each property

The landlord has to start every registration. They sign in with a GOV.UK One Login, give their details and receive a landlord number in the format L-XXXX-XXXX. Landlord registration is free, and a paper route exists for landlords who cannot use the online service.

The landlord then adds each property and pays the fee, and the property receives a property number in the format P-XXXX-XXXX. The fee is £65 per property per year, with no VAT, and gov.uk says it is tax deductible. During the rollout the fee is pro-rated so that early regions do not pay more than later ones: gov.uk's own example is that a property registered on 15 December 2026 pays £5.34 for the first period. The renewal date is 12 months after the landlord registers their first property, and every property added later shares it.

What the agency can do at this stage:

1. Email every landlord with their region's dates and what they will need: One Login, the address and number of bedrooms for each property, and a correspondence address in England or Wales.
2. Ask each landlord to send you their L- number and each P- number as soon as they have them.
3. Record the numbers and the renewal date against the landlord and property in your system.

Step 3: the landlord shares the property with your agency

Once the property has its P- number and is occupied, the landlord can share it with your agency. They enter an email address for the agency, and GOV.UK sends that address a unique link for the property. The first person to use the link sets a password; after that, anyone in the agency with the link and the password can update the record.

Three practical points from the gov.uk guidance:

• Use one agency mailbox rather than a negotiator's personal address, so the link survives staff changes.
• Agents cannot reset the password. If it is lost, the landlord has to cancel the link and send a new one. Keep the password in the agency's password manager.
• Agents must be members of a redress scheme to do letting or property management work.

Step 4: fill in the tenancy and safety details within 28 days

With the link open, the agency can submit the information the landlord is otherwise responsible for:

If this information is not provided within 28 days of registration, the record becomes inactive, and a let property without an active registration puts the landlord in breach. The landlord stays legally responsible even when the agency does the typing; agents are responsible for the accuracy of what they submit, and the landlord is notified of every submission.

If the gas safety record, EICR or EPC is out of date, sort that first. Our guides to gas safety certificates, EICR rules and EPC rules cover each one.

Step 5: keep the record current and put the numbers on adverts

The 28-day duty does not end at registration. Under regulations 8 and 9 of the draft regulations, and in the gov.uk guidance, any change must be reflected on the database within 28 days. For an agency the common triggers are:

• a new gas safety record, EICR or EPC
• a rent increase taking effect
• a tenant moving in or out, or a change in the number of households
• a new or renewed HMO licence
• a change of furnishing

The simplest rule: whenever one of those changes is saved in your own system, update GOV.UK the same week.

The letting agents guidance says the landlord and property numbers will need to appear on property adverts, and the landlord guidance confirms you can include them now. The requirement is tied to the future rule that an empty property must be registered before marketing; gov.uk will issue further guidance before it applies. Add "Landlord registration L-XXXX-XXXX, property registration P-XXXX-XXXX" to your listing templates now, so nothing changes on the day the rule starts. See also advertising a let after 1 May 2026.

Penalties and the possession link

The gov.uk landlord guidance sets out civil penalties of up to £7,000 for failing to register, and up to £40,000 for knowingly or recklessly giving false or misleading information or for continuing or repeated breaches, enforced by councils. Once a property's regional registration period has opened, tenants can also apply to the First-tier Tribunal for a Rent Repayment Order in certain cases.

The Guide to the Renters' Rights Act adds a point to pass on to every landlord: a landlord in breach of the registration duty cannot get a possession order, except on grounds 7A or 14 (serious anti-social behaviour). A missed registration can block an otherwise valid rent arrears claim.

Properties outside England

The service applies to England only. For properties elsewhere in the UK the agency is dealing with a different scheme:

• Wales: landlords register with Rent Smart Wales, and agents who let or manage property in Wales need a Rent Smart Wales licence.
• Scotland: landlords register with the Scottish Landlord Register, renew every three years, and must show their registration number on adverts.
• Northern Ireland: landlords register with the Landlord Registration Scheme; a certificate lasts three years.

How Letfold helps

Letfold's PRS database page lists every lettings property with its status (not started, landlord started, link received, registered, inactive or not required), its region and planned deadline, its L- and P- numbers and the next step. When a certificate, rent, occupant or licence changes on a registered property, Letfold opens a task to update GOV.UK within 28 days, and reminds you 30 and 7 days before each renewal. See compliance features and pricing.

Frequently asked questions

Can a letting agent register a landlord on the PRS database?

No. The landlord must start every registration and pay the fee. Once a property is registered and occupied, the landlord can share it with the agency, which can then provide the tenancy and safety information and keep it updated.

What are the L- and P- numbers?

The landlord number (L-XXXX-XXXX) identifies the landlord and the property number (P-XXXX-XXXX) identifies each registered property. Both will need to appear on adverts once that requirement takes effect.

How much does PRS database registration cost?

Landlord registration is free. Each property costs £65 a year, with no VAT, pro-rated during the rollout.

What happens if information is not updated within 28 days?

A registration with missing initial information becomes inactive, and a let property without an active registration is a breach. Changes must also be reflected within 28 days.

Are the regional dates final?

The regulations that set them were still a draft on 31 October 2026, so treat the dates as planned and check gov.uk before quoting them to landlords.

Sources

Checked on 31 October 2026:

• Register your rental property service: guidance for letting agents and property managers (gov.uk, published 29 October 2026)
• Register your rental property service: guidance for landlords (gov.uk, published 29 October 2026)
• The Private Rented Sector Database Regulations 2026 (draft) (legislation.gov.uk)
• Guide to the Renters' Rights Act (gov.uk)
• Get ready: Register your rental property service (gov.uk campaign site)
• Rent Smart Wales (gov.wales)
• Registering as a private landlord (mygov.scot)
• Landlord Registration Scheme (nidirect)

This article is general information for England, not legal advice.