Post by @jamesproperty_

Every landlord must now register. £65 a year. The government announced on 9th September that every landlord in England must register on a new national database. It costs £65 per property per year, and it puts you on a register councils and tenants can access. Check the rollout timetable in this post to find your region. Registration opens in December, with the West Midlands first on the 15th. Every region then has its own date, and once yours goes live you get three months to comply. The final deadline for every landlord in England is 14th November 2027. This one has teeth. Failing to register carries a civil penalty of up to £7,000, rising to £40,000 for multiple or continued breaches. You’ll be submitting the property address, ownership and property type, whether it’s licensed, occupancy and HMO status, the rent and whether it includes bills, and your safety certificates. Worth noting your agent cannot register on your behalf, you have to do each property yourself. Nothing announced says the database will be publicly searchable for rental income. Tenants will get access to check whether a landlord has registered. On compliance, I’ve no problem with it. Clearing rogue landlords out of the sector is a good thing. And £65 isn’t much on its own. But it’s another cost stacked on top of the regulation and tax changes already hitting the private rented sector. You’ll have noticed my attitude shift since the Renters’ Rights Act. I’m leaning more towards social housing, the FRI leases with income backed by the provider. Social housing sat outside much of the Renters’ Rights Act, and on the scope announced here, an FRI lease with a provider isn’t an assured tenancy either. I’d caveat that the full guidance is still to land, so confirm before relying on it. This doesn’t target short term lets or Airbnb. It’s aimed at the private rented sector, your buy to lets and HMOs. General information, not legal or tax advice. Requirements are still being confirmed, so check the government guidance for your own position. #ukproperty #landlords #rentersrightsact