The PRS Database is coming: the documents you’ll need, and how to be ready
From late 2026, every landlord in England must register on the new database — and the government’s roadmap names gas, electrical and energy certificates as part of the deal.
Checked on 13 Jul 2026
General information, not legal or tax advice.
At a glance
- Registration will be mandatory for all landlords of assured tenancies in England — yourself and every property, with an annual fee (amount to be confirmed)
- Regional rollout starts late 2026 under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025
- The government’s roadmap names the safety information: “Gas, Electric and Energy Performance Certificates”
- Not registering: civil penalty up to £7,000; repeated or serious breaches up to £40,000 or criminal prosecution
- A landlord in breach cannot get a possession order, except on the anti-social behaviour grounds (7A and 14)
- The exact information list is still being set in secondary legislation — digitising the certificates now is the safe preparation whatever the final wording
The Renters' Rights Act 2025 created a national Private Rented Sector Database for England, and the government's implementation roadmap schedules its regional rollout "from late 2026". Every landlord of an assured tenancy will have to register — themselves and each property — and pay an annual fee. This isn't a portal you might choose to join; it's the new precondition for operating.
Here is what the official documents actually say you'll need, what happens if you ignore it, and the preparation that makes sense now.
What you'll have to provide
The roadmap sets out the minimum information: your contact details; the property's details (full address, type, number of bedrooms); and — the part that matters for your filing cabinet — "Safety information – Gas, Electric and Energy Performance Certificates."
In other words, the three certificates every landlord already has to hold — the annual gas safety record, the five-yearly EICR and the EPC — stop being documents you keep and become documents you submit. A certificate in a drawer, or in an engineer's email attachment you can't find, doesn't upload.
One honest caveat, which most write-ups skip: the full information list hasn't been finalised in secondary legislation yet, and the annual fee is "to be confirmed closer to launch". The details may shift. The certificates are named in the government's own roadmap, though — preparing them digital is the no-regrets move whatever the final wording.
What happens if you don't register
The government's guide to the Act is specific:
| Breach | Consequence |
|---|---|
| Marketing or letting an unregistered property | Civil penalty of up to £7,000 |
| Repeated or serious breaches | Civil penalty of up to £40,000, or criminal prosecution |
| Any breach of the registration duty | No possession order except on grounds 7A or 14 (tenant anti-social behaviour) |
That last row is the quiet one with teeth. An unregistered landlord doesn't just risk a fine — they lose access to the ordinary possession process entirely until the registration is put right.
Why this changes filing habits, not just adds a form
Registration is per property, and certificates expire on their own clocks — gas annually, EICR five-yearly, EPC ten-yearly. Keeping a database entry current therefore isn't a one-off task; it inherits the whole compliance calendar. The landlords who find this easy in 2027 will be the ones whose certificates are already digital, dated and filed per property — not the ones photographing paperwork against a deadline with a tenant waiting.
Getting ready now
- Round up the current certificates for each property — gas record, EICR, EPC.
- Check the dates — an expired certificate can't be submitted, and renewals take engineer availability you don't control.
- Make them digital, filed by property. This is the step KeepUp automates: photograph each certificate and it's read, dated, filed against the right property, with a reminder before it lapses — so when registration reaches your region, the upload is a formality. See how it works.
This article covers England; the database is an England-only measure under the Act. Scotland already runs its own landlord registration scheme, and Wales has Rent Smart Wales — if you let across borders, you'll be registering in more than one system.
Common questions
- When do I have to register on the PRS Database?
- The rollout is regional and starts from late 2026, so there is no single national date — the duty applies as the database reaches your area. Registration will be mandatory for all landlords of assured tenancies in England, with an annual fee still to be confirmed.
- What are the penalties for not registering?
- A civil penalty of up to £7,000 for marketing or letting an unregistered property, rising to £40,000 or criminal prosecution for repeated or serious breaches. A landlord in breach also cannot obtain a possession order except on the anti-social behaviour grounds (7A and 14).
- What documents will the database require?
- The government’s roadmap names “Gas, Electric and Energy Performance Certificates” — the gas safety record, EICR and EPC — alongside landlord contact details and property details. The precise list is still being finalised in secondary legislation.
- Does the PRS Database apply if I only let one flat?
- Yes. All landlords of assured tenancies in England must register, whether they let one property or a portfolio. It applies to England only — Scotland and Wales run separate registration schemes.