Guides · Last checked 24 Oct 2026 · England
When do I have to register my rental property? Dates and deadlines by region
The register opens on 15 December 2026 in the West Midlands and then opens in one more region on the 15th of each month until the South West on 15 August 2027. You have three months from your region's opening date to register each property, and every let property in England must be registered by 14 November 2027.
| Region | Registration opens | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| West Midlands | 15 Dec 2026 | 14 Mar 2027 |
| East of England | 15 Jan 2027 | 14 Apr 2027 |
| East Midlands | 15 Feb 2027 | 14 May 2027 |
| South East | 15 Mar 2027 | 14 Jun 2027 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 15 Apr 2027 | 14 Jul 2027 |
| North West | 15 May 2027 | 14 Aug 2027 |
| North East | 15 Jun 2027 | 14 Sep 2027 |
| London | 15 Jul 2027 | 14 Oct 2027 |
| South West | 15 Aug 2027 | 14 Nov 2027 |
It's the property's region that counts
The deadline follows the property, not the landlord. If you live in London and let a house in Nottingham, your deadline is the East Midlands one: 14 May 2027. If you have properties in several regions, each has its own deadline, and the earliest one is the one to plan around because all your properties renew together on the anniversary of the first registration.
Which region is my property in?
The regions are the nine standard English regions, defined by council area in Schedule 1 of the regulations. The ones that catch people out:
- Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Hampshire, Surrey, Sussex, Kent and the Isle of Wight are South East.
- Hertfordshire, Essex, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk are East of England, even where they border London.
- Lincolnshire is East Midlands, not Yorkshire.
- Cheshire and Cumbria are North West.
- Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Dorset are South West.
- Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and the Birmingham and Black Country boroughs are West Midlands.
Can I register early?
Yes, from 15 December 2026 for any region. Early registrations are charged a pro-rated first-year fee so that renewal dates line up with the national timetable. If you have properties in several regions, registering them all when the first region opens is the simplest way to avoid tracking nine different deadlines.
What 'deadline' means in practice
Councils can only issue penalties for an unregistered property once that region's three-month window has closed. From then on, letting the property without an active entry is a breach: up to £7,000 for a first civil penalty, up to £40,000 for a continuing one.
Certkept tracks the register as one of the checks on each property, with a renewal reminder before the anniversary. Add your properties now and the register pack is ready for the day your region opens.
Questions landlords ask
- When does the landlord register open in London?
- 15 July 2027. London landlords have until 14 October 2027 to register each property.
- When does the landlord register open in the West Midlands?
- 15 December 2026. It is the first region, and the deadline is 14 March 2027.
- What is the final deadline for registering a rental property in England?
- 14 November 2027, when the South West's window closes. After that every let property in England must have an active entry.
- I'm buying a rental property after my region's deadline. When must I register it?
- Before you let it. Once a region's window has closed, a property must have an active entry before a tenancy starts.
Sources
- The Private Rented Sector Database Regulations 2026 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Guide to the Renters' Rights Act (GOV.UK)
General information for landlords in England, not legal advice. Rules change; check the date above and GOV.UK.