PRS Database must be more than a licensing fee collector – Propertymark
3 weeks ago | 5 comments
Landlords face £65 annual PRS Database fee as HMRC takes on rent increase disputes
11:56 AM, 9th September 2026, 2 days ago
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Landlords will have to pay a £65 registration fee per property annually under the government’s new national landlord registration service.
The government has confirmed that landlords will be required to register their rental properties through its “Register Your Rental Property” service as the PRS database is rolled out across England.
The database will launch regionally, starting in the West Midlands in December, before being introduced across other areas over the following 12 months.
Alongside the PRS Database, the government has also announced additional power to the Valuation Office (VOA), allowing it to rule on rent disputes.
Important first step
Under the new rules, landlords will be required to provide information about their properties, including:
- the property address;
- the number of residents and bedrooms;
- the amount of rent received; and
- copies of required certificates, including gas, electricity and Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) documents.
The government adds under future legislation, landlords will also be required to register any unoccupied properties before marketing them for let. Letting agents and landlords will need to include registration numbers on adverts.
Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook said: “Rollout of a national landlord registration service is an important first step toward establishing our new innovative database of private rented sector properties which will empower tenants, support responsible landlords and help councils enforce our transformative Renters’ Rights Act.”
Fee is fair and sustainable
The government claim the £65 fee for each different property is “fair and sustainable” for landlords.
In a press release, the government said: “Landlords need to pay the fee each time you register a different property.
“The government has set the fee at a level that balances the need for fairness and sustainability for landlords, with the cost of operating the service, and tackling non-compliance in the private rented sector. In return for the fee, landlords will get access to information to help them meet their legal obligations and be able to show they are complying with the rules.
“Fees will also support activity to identify and act on non-compliance with the Renters’ Rights Act. This will include funding to help councils have the staff and skills they need to identify and tackle non-compliance and drive slum landlords who persist in breaking the law out of the sector.”
HMRC Valuation Office responsible for challenges to rent increases
The government have also announced that HMRC’s Valuation Office will become responsible for decisions on challenges to rent increases in England, rather than the First-Tier Tribunal.
Mr Pennycook explains: “By transferring responsibility for making initial rent determinations to HMRC’s Valuation Office, we will ensure that challenges to proposed rent increases are determined faster and pressure on the tribunal system is reduced, giving tenants and landlords confidence that rent disputes will continue to be resolved efficiently and effectively.”
Minister for Courts and Legal Services, Sarah Sackman, said: “I am on a mission to continue to modernise our courts and tribunals, from digital improvements to better efficiency, so those using the system can get justice sooner.”
“This change is another step in that plan. By ensuring rental disputes can be resolved through a new dedicated service, this will provide quicker decisions for renters and landlords while relieving future pressure on tribunals.”
For the moment, the government say renters who want to challenge a rent increase must still apply to the First-tier Tribunal.
According to the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA), the scheme is expected to take two years to be introduced, although it is not yet clear when this process will begin.
Industry reaction
Greg Tsuman, managing director for Lettings at Martyn Gerrard, said on the PRS Database: “While this is yet another expense for landlords to pay, £65 a year is unlikely to be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. This is a common-sense measure, and the increased transparency and improved standards it should create for the sector are well worth the cost.
“Landlords might balk at the prospect of more red tape, but in practice, the requirements are all things they should already have been doing. For most responsible landlords, the changes will be simple to manage. However, we are still awaiting the full details before we have complete clarity. A key question that remains unanswered is whether the responsibilities can be delegated to managing agents, as many landlords would prefer to rely on these services rather than handle everything themselves.
“The changes will help protect tenants from unscrupulous landlords and provide a clear warning to anyone considering renting a property if the landlord is not registered on the database. The additional transparency for tenants should reduce the risk of exposure to substandard properties. It should also prevent delays in starting a tenancy due to boiler or electrical issues. It is similar to ensuring that a car for sale has passed an MOT.”
Responding to the government’s announcement that HM Revenue and Customs’ Valuation Office will be responsible for decisions on challenges to rent increases in England,
Mr Tsuman said: “The Valuation Office is a logical choice for determining rental increases. It’s reassuring to see the Government’s awareness of the challenges involved in employing a professional surveyor to assess rental changes.
“The Valuation Office has all the requisite expertise, so it is only natural to rely on it as the most cost-effective solution for the taxpayer.”
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Member Since November 2020 - Comments: 81
10:30 AM, 10th September 2026, About 1 day ago
Forgot to mention the future compulsory Ombudsman scheme which I understand will also incur a fee. Presumably this will also be annual, and separate from the PRS database, in order to increase our administrative burden.
Member Since June 2018 - Comments: 34
12:24 PM, 10th September 2026, About 1 day ago
Reply to the comment left by Accommod8 at 10/09/2026 – 10:08
Absolutely Accomod8. The government thinks landlords are the gift that keeps on giving. Until it doesn’t.
Member Since June 2013 - Comments: 3308 - Articles: 81
12:38 PM, 10th September 2026, About 1 day ago
What do they not understand about this is another £6pm on top of the rent? Won’t be a final straw that broke the camels back, will it not? What about all these other final straws?
I’ll keep putting this on when people wonder why rents keep going up.
Keep spreading these words please.
WhyTenantsCan’tGetHouses
A background to why you tenants are paying extortionate rents and can’t get anywhere unless you earning a cracking wage-Blame the Govt and Councils you vote for because you like it when they give more regs & rules to the Landlord-Guess who pays for this? You do.
2015 George Osborne introduce Section 24, fully implemented by 2021, where your rent can be £1000, your mortgage £700 & you still lose money on the house due to the bizarre Tax rules introduced-Look it up, it’s that mad, 6 year old kids say That can’t be right. Too late when you’ve already bought the house in personal name.
They wanted Pet deposits banned.
Cause we’d want £100 more in case dog did damage.
End of tenancy, dog did no damage, tenant got all deposit back.
2019 you banned higher pet deposits cause some tenants didn’t like it when dog did damage & didn’t get their deposit back.
We stopped taking pets.
2024 MP stood up in Parliament and called for Pet deposits to be reinstated cause tenants with pets couldn’t get accommodation.
You couldn’t make this up.
Description here https://docs.google.com/document/d/1u54ouYTdNr7WaCPYW18Q_tZdlJr8-VwSUJpE0IcPf5k/edit?usp=drivesdk
They don’t want Landlords helping tenants with Benefits and they bought in Universal Credit which has zero communication with Landlord- We now don’t take Benefit tenants.
They bought in Selective Licensing on good Landlords with good houses. We put the rents up to cover it and now don’t take risky tenants.
Landlord can get fined £30,000 if tenant takes battery out smoke alarm and Landlord CAN’T prove that tenant did it.
Landlord can get fined £30,000 if renting 1 bed flat to single person and he/she moves his/her partner in unbeknown to the Landlord if the Selective License only has license for one occupier.
They started fining Landlords £5000 if they didn’t check tenants passport properly on Right to Rent checks-Landlords stopped taking anyone that had the slightest chance of being illegal immigrant. Innocent UK citizens suffered.
2015, they bought in that if Landlord CANNOT PROVE he/she has gave tenant boiler certificate, you can never get your property back. Even if had a new boiler 5 years later, Judge says Not bothered, u not having your house back. This helped the current bad tenant, hurts the next 100,000 tenants waiting for a home. A purely Anti Landlord measure to stop Landlord getting rid bad tenant or having his house back.
Oct 2024 Unison now wants a rent freeze. Ooh are we a charity are we? What other individual who sells or provides something is told YOU CANNOT charge a price u wish?
Oct 2024 the Renter Rights Bill is going to make it law, u can’t do rent increase unless use Section 13. Now for years, I’ve agreed informally with tenant ‘Ok £25 a month, u still £200pm now below anyone else.’ Job done.
Now, I’m totally full up with paperwork and rules and regs. I have no more time. Section 13 some more say only a few mins. It’s still 30 mins by time printed, filled in, signed, scanned, sent. Each one when u have lots of houses on top of Selective Licensing INSISTING we inspect each house every 4 months (two weeks solid just on inspections every months) is taking me over the edge. My existing tenants are going to have to go with Letting Agent who charge £50 for a Section 13. That’s £4pm extra on the rent. Along with the extra £80pm Letting Agent fee which gets rid of cheap rent was charity.
Sep 2024 Ed Miliband MP wants all houses to EPC C which will cost Landlords £5000 and increase tenants cheap rents. As soon he announced this, he made more tenants homeless. Few words on that here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eI7z29SNRCDLLwX6_0QQChrwTxZ4jGZw4UNybVYfD1s/edit?usp=drivesdk
Section 24 Tax bought in by George Osborne of the Tories who said it will only affect 1 in 5 Landlords-That’s over 2 million tenants put at risk of homeless. Landlords with tenants of 25 years are now being made homeless on this one action alone.
Oct 2024 I’ve heard there’s a part of the RRB that says we must give tenants our home address on paperwork.
Details of that here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1v7aETrvz0j6CdS7LZwYukthZAbhNxLWRKR8qShi6Gok/edit?usp=drivesdk
Aug 2025 RRB
Aug 2025 Making Tax digital
Aug 2025 RRB getting rid of Section 21 so u can’t get rid of bad tenant which would help a good tenant get the house.
Aug 2025 NI on rental income, another retrospective change after you’ve already housed the tenant and agreed to keep their rent lower than others.
Feb 2026 RRB making us register every property & pay-As well as Licensing-On houses many of us don’t want & only keeping for tenants anyway.
I’ll keep saying it to hope some common sense MP takes this up and actually wants to help tenants, and not getting votes hurting Landlords:
April 2026 Govt now fining us £7000 each tenant for every RRA act letter we cannot prove we’ve gave to the tenant-In ten years time. We get fined £7000 for an admin error for a letter the tenant can get off the internet just like we have to. This time Govt gone too far. We Housing Providers. Many of us don’t want the houses & only keeping for the tenant. And you want to fine us £7000 for an error where no one has got hurt?
£7000 for a paperwork error each tenant & even if you have gave em the sheets, if you lose your proof, you’ve had it. I can stab someone & get less. Parking ticket £60. No car insurance £200. Letter that tenants not bothered about £7000?
I tell me Landlord mates in the gym, they can’t believe it. I say It’s really easy, go on Google put £7000 fine Landlord in. They come back next day & say Wow cannot believe it, I would never have never known, that’s it, I’m selling.
I bike Sundays with 10-15 lads. Some have houses, I tell them, they flabbergasted, they had no idea.
I’ve got several expensive (for Nottingham) nice bungalows nice areas I was maybe never gonna’ sell. I’m even selling them now if/when the tenant should ever leave. Govt gone too far now. Renters group love it, but someone please tell em, they’ve now voted for something that’s made their houses more expensive & cut supply. My tenants understand fully what the Govt & Councils are doing to them, they’ve known for years I wish to sell but they now can’t get anywhere any more. All started since George Osborne Sec 24 2015, then Selective Licensing 2018, then UC, the list goes on.
April 2026 the ICO data fee we have to pay every year just so we can give the tenant the plumbers number when they have a leak gushing out.
May 2026, can only issue rent increase by Section 13 when previously could agree verbally with tenant and if rents are £1000, and tenant paying £775, they’d normally agree to £800 job done. Now Govt say must be done by Section 13, I’m getting older and the ever increasing paperwork is frying my brain. Letting agents charges £300 to do a section 13. That’s the rent increase gone on admin, so you have increase more than £25pm-Tenant loses again. Well done Govt.
Every anti Landlord measure they bring in to they think will help the tenant has hurt the tenants massively.
Every time the MP’s talk an anti landlord measure, they’ve made more homeless and increased rents.
There is loads more
Member Since May 2018 - Comments: 2511
12:51 PM, 10th September 2026, About 1 day ago
Reply to the comment left by Mick Roberts at 10/09/2026 – 12:38
I’m guessing that what you want to spread with “WhyTenantsCan’tGetHouses” is your Linkedin post, which if anybody wants it is here:
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mick-roberts-landlord-436280ab_good-article-that-describes-it-very-well-share-7445687912496697344-uNsh/
Member Since June 2013 - Comments: 3308 - Articles: 81
12:54 PM, 10th September 2026, About 1 day ago
Reply to the comment left by Beaver at 10/09/2026 – 12:51
I’ve now had to add the £65pa database fee. We were told last year it would be a one off fee.
Member Since May 2018 - Comments: 2511
1:01 PM, 10th September 2026, About 1 day ago
Reply to the comment left by Mick Roberts at 10/09/2026 – 12:54
This government consistently SAYS one thing but DOES something else.
Member Since May 2021 - Comments: 405
1:47 PM, 10th September 2026, About 1 day ago
Reply to the comment left by Suicide Jockey at 09/09/2026 – 13:39
Along with the EPC nonsense hopefully.
Member Since May 2021 - Comments: 405
1:52 PM, 10th September 2026, About 1 day ago
Reply to the comment left by Luke P at 09/09/2026 – 14:27
There’s no need to have any address stated at all regardless. The tenant has a contact for notices and that’s all that is required. Any private information is exactly that…private.
Member Since May 2021 - Comments: 405
1:56 PM, 10th September 2026, About 1 day ago
Reply to the comment left by AT at 09/09/2026 – 15:22
4 years tops
Member Since May 2021 - Comments: 405
2:07 PM, 10th September 2026, About 1 day ago
Reply to the comment left by Mick Roberts at 10/09/2026 – 12:54
You more than anyone should know not to believe a single word that comes from these BSers known as the Welfare Party.