Renters’ Rights Act update: Key developments for landlords

The Government has announced the next phase of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 reforms, with two significant developments for the private rented sector.

1. Private Rented Sector Database launch confirmed

The new “Register your rental property” service will begin rolling out across England from 15 December 2026, starting in the West Midlands. All landlords of assured and regulated tenancies will be required to register themselves and each rental property on the new database, where an annual registration fee of £65 per property will apply, with penalties for non-compliance.

The proposed implementation timetable is as follows:

• 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 & 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

Landlords will be required to provide information about themselves, their properties, tenancies and health and safety compliance, including gas safety certificates, EICRs and EPCs. The database is intended to improve transparency, support local authority enforcement and, in due course, allow tenants to verify landlord compliance.  For further information on the information please see:
https://housinghub.campaign.gov.uk/renting-is-changing/get-ready-to-register/#provide

2. Rent increase challenges moving from Tribunal to VOA

The Government has also confirmed that responsibility for determining tenant challenges to proposed rent increases will transfer from the First-tier Tribunal to the HMRC Valuation Office Agency (VOA). The aim is to create a faster and more efficient process for resolving rent disputes and reduce the delays currently experienced under the Tribunal system. A commencement date for this change has yet to be announced, and the existing Tribunal process remains in place for now.

What landlords should be doing now

To ensure compliance, landlords should:

• Familiarise themselves with the new registration requirements.
• Confirm property compliance documents are up to date.
• Check the registration timetable for their property’s region.
• Monitor further announcements regarding the VOA rent challenge process and future database requirements for vacant properties.

How our team can help

As part of the proposed changes coming in later this year, our team are on hand to review residential tenancies in line with new legal obligations. You can learn more about our residential tenancy review offer here.

The material in this article is provided for guidance and general information only and is not intended to constitute legal or other professional advice upon which you should rely. In particular, the information should not be used as a substitute for a full and proper consultation with a suitably qualified professional. Please do contact the Bates Wells team if you require further advice or information about management training which we offer.