Landlords must stay signed up to Ombudsman as scheme set to become mandatory
5 months ago | 23 comments
Government promises to address landlord privacy concerns amid PRS database rollout
8:01 AM, 8th December 2025, 5 months ago
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The government claim they “will try to balance landlords’ privacy concerns with private tenants’ needs to make informed decisions” for the Private Rented Sector (PRS) database.
Many landlords are concerned about what details will be included in the PRS database, which is set to roll out in late 2026.
The government claim they are still determining the exact information that will go on the database, but this could include gas safety certificates.
Will include landlord’s contact details
According to the government’s Renters’ Rights Act roadmap, the PRS database will include, at a minimum:
- The landlord’s contact details. This will include capturing relevant information from all joint landlords.
- The property details including the full address, type of property (flat/ house), number of bedrooms, number of households/residents and confirming whether the property is occupied and furnished, etc.
- Safety information – Gas, Electric and Energy Performance Certificates – so tenants are assured about the safety and energy efficiency of the property.
The government guidance says the PRS Database will replace the functionality of the Database of Rogue Landlords for private sector landlords.
The guidance says: “We will make certain details relating to offences viewable to tenants and prospective tenants. Opening up this information will ensure tenants can make a more informed rental decision, leading to a better rental experience.
“However, we are committed to carefully balancing landlords’ privacy concerns with private tenants’ need to make informed decisions about their housing options when designing a new system. Tenants will be able to access necessary information in relation to their landlord and details of the property, but we do not envisage that all data will be publicly accessible.”
Landlords could face £7,000 fine
The government guidance says it will be mandatory for all landlords and their properties to sign up to the online database.
However, the government has confirmed that for those who are unable to register online, alternative offline methods will be offered, though the exact process has not yet been specified.
Landlords should also know that if they fail to register on the PRS Database, they will not be able to obtain a possession order, except if the ground under which possession is sought is ground 7A or ground 14 (tenant anti-social behaviour).
Councils will also gain the power to take enforcement action against landlords who fail to register on the PRS Database.
If a landlord lets or advertises a property without it first being registered on the database, they can be issued with a civil penalty of up to £7,000 or a £40,000 fine if they provide fraudulent information to the database.
As previously reported by Property118, the government says the PRS Database fee will be “fair and proportionate”, and has hinted at combining the registration process for the PRS Database and the Ombudsman, but has not confirmed whether landlords will need to pay separate fees for each.
Tags:
landlord privacy, Landlord Registration, Private Rented Sector, PRS database, Renters’ Rights Act
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Member Since May 2024 - Comments: 204
1:30 PM, 8th December 2025, About 5 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Richard Dean at 08/12/2025 – 11:17
Having to be forced to be an ICO member and forced to abide by the GDPR rules, would this not be a blatant disregard for the rules? I wonder if I could take them to court for exposing my details online for anyone to see? I have nothing to hide with looking after tenants but I do object to tenants seeing how many houses I own.
How about a rouge tenant database to protect landlords from rouge tenants that the council dont want to take on, Oh, I guess that’s illegal?
1 government, 2 systems. They should all be rounded up and shot at dawn.
I’ve lost faith in investing in UK property and I’m moving my money elsewhere. I’ve already left the UK and whats left of my money after tax will be following me.
Only an idiot would invest in UK property these days.
Member Since July 2013 - Comments: 13
1:38 PM, 8th December 2025, About 5 months ago
Most of my Gas safe certificates have my name, address and mobile number, some have an email address too. So any gsc uploaded will have all my details as landlord. The same for EICR .
Member Since October 2017 - Comments: 105
1:58 PM, 8th December 2025, About 5 months ago
“confirming whether the property is occupied and furnished, etc.” That will save the squatters time looking for a new place.
Member Since June 2018 - Comments: 20
2:35 PM, 8th December 2025, About 5 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Cathie at 08/12/2025 – 13:58
Good point about the squatters, Cathie. It’s not just specialist knowledge these legislators lack; it’s common sense too.
Member Since September 2018 - Comments: 3538 - Articles: 5
4:01 PM, 8th December 2025, About 5 months ago
Reply to the comment left by NewYorkie at 08/12/2025 – 10:12
The gas certs and EICR’s also list landlords address, so will these be redacted?
Member Since September 2018 - Comments: 3538 - Articles: 5
4:04 PM, 8th December 2025, About 5 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Desert Rat at 08/12/2025 – 13:30
and WHO exactly runs the database? Teh government will inevitably sub it out (for billions). Been enough issues with hackers of late….
Member Since April 2018 - Comments: 374
5:48 PM, 8th December 2025, About 5 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Desert Rat at 08/12/2025 – 13:30
In effect this breaks data protection, doesn’t it!
Member Since May 2021 - Comments: 392
6:34 PM, 8th December 2025, About 5 months ago
What have the NRLA said about this ?
Member Since July 2013 - Comments: 463
11:43 PM, 8th December 2025, About 5 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Reluctant Landlord at 08/12/2025 – 16:01
Most of the entries on landlord gas certificates are illegible anyway! The gas engineer generally fills it out on his van’s steering wheel and either scrawls or fails to press hard enough, for fear of sounding the horn.
This landlord database is going to be quickly hacked and a copy given to Shelter, who will make it into an online database with the facility for tenants to write whatever they like, and it will be impossible to correct anything. It will be a Landlord Blacklist.
If the Government refuses to set up a corresponding Register of Tenants, some bright sparks should set one up, and allow landlords, for a small fee, to post verifiable reviews of tenants’ performance, plus mugshots, NI Numbers, photos of their rent payment history, the condition in which they left the property on move-out, their CCJ record and so on. This Tenant Blacklist will hopefully quickly weed out the nightmares.
To avoid abuse – well, it’s not much of a step up from what credit reference agencies already do, so maybe they could do it, copying exactly the data that the Government releases on the Landlord database.
Member Since January 2015 - Comments: 1447 - Articles: 1
12:02 AM, 9th December 2025, About 5 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Richard Dean at 08/12/2025 – 14:35
Common sense has been bred out of most of the population.