Does the PRS Database penalise landlords with non-standard properties?

I signed up for the beta PRS database so I could understand what information they required and how easy it would be to upload all the information. In part, I did it so I could potentially have an input on how it would be developed (although I guess to a degree that was more wishful thinking).

We can argue over what information must be provided and who can see it another time, that is not the point of my post.

One of my BTL’s is a 5-bed town house which I lease to a company who put their people in as and when they’re visiting the area. This causes a problem as I am unable to answer the question on the database asking how many households occupy the property at any one time.

Without answering this question, I cannot complete the registration of the property. So I sent them the question. The department developing it has been very helpful most of the time, but they forwarded this question to their legal department. Their (eventual) response follows;

“We cannot provide advice about specific letting arrangements. All private landlords operating assured or regulated tenancies should register on the service. If you are unsure about whether you are required to register on the service, you may wish to seek independent legal advice. When a property is occupied, landlords should make sure that information is kept up to date and amended within 28 days of any changes or that information becoming invalid.”

Perhaps I’m going out on a limb here, but if the people actually building the system don’t know what we’re supposed to do under various circumstances, then who really knows!? I did reply along these lines, and I’ve copied one sentence from their further email;

“We cannot review individual arrangements due to the sheer number of landlords and time required to review all of the legal documentation needed to determine each case.”

So it seems that if you have any property that falls slightly outside the norm, you must pay someone to explain how to deal with it! As an aside, the database is completely pointless anyway, as a ‘rogue’ landlord simply won’t register (IMO)

Thanks for reading,

Richard