Landlord Registration and Ombudsman Membership

The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 provides for a national Private Rented Sector Database and a new PRS Landlord Ombudsman. These measures are being introduced in later phases and should not yet be described as fully operational obligations for every landlord.

The government’s implementation roadmap says rollout of the database will begin from late 2026. Regulations and launch guidance will confirm when particular landlords must register, what information they must supply and the applicable fee.

Landlords should prepare accurate property, ownership, contact, gas-safety, electrical-safety and energy-performance records, but should not attempt to register until the official service and applicable timetable are published.

The Ombudsman is planned to follow the database rollout. The government currently expects mandatory landlord membership in 2028, after a scheme administrator has been appointed and the service has had time to scale up. Membership arrangements, fees and processes will be confirmed closer to implementation.

Landlords and agents must continue to follow existing redress, complaints, licensing, safety and tenancy-management obligations. The first-phase tenancy reforms—including periodic tenancies, the abolition of Section 21, rental-bidding restrictions and rental-discrimination rules—have applied since 1 May 2026.

• Keep property and compliance records complete and current.

• Maintain an effective written complaints process.

• Monitor official implementation announcements rather than relying on estimated fees or dates.

• Do not tell tenants or landlords that database registration or Ombudsman membership is already available unless confirmed by the official service.

Last reviewed: 2 September 2026. General information for England; not legal advice.