Government confirms agents can submit Database information on behalf of landlords
1 week ago | 19 comments
PRS database risks being a costly failure – TLIC
9:27 AM, 5th August 2026, 5 days ago
17
The government’s planned PRS database could become an expensive administrative burden unless it is designed around the day-to-day work of landlords and agents, a new report warns.
The Lettings Industry Council (TLIC) says the platform must be more than a static register and should support compliance monitoring, reporting and targeted enforcement.
It wants councils to be able to identify properties with missing, expired or unsatisfactory safety records in real time.
The organisation’s report sets out six principles covering clear identification, flexible ownership structures, ease of use, tenant access, digital records and proportionate implementation.
Government database warning
TLIC co-chair Theresa Wallace said: “As it stands the government risks missing an opportunity to build a PRS database adapted to meet the fast-changing needs of the market.
“The best way forward is for the government to adopt a collaborative, pragmatic approach to its introduction during the next stage of rental reform.”
She added: “If the PRS database is to have any chance of success, the government has to take decisive steps which encourage effective engagement with the database on the part of stakeholders.
“If they fail to take this approach, the database will only become an expensive waste of resource.”
Tenant safety checks
TLIC says the Unique Property Reference Number should be the primary identifier for every property, linking registration, safety records, licensing and tenancy data.
Tenants should be able to check whether the landlord is registered and whether valid EPC, gas safety, electrical and licensing records are in place.
The report also proposes digital links between the database and safety record providers, reducing manual uploads, delays and duplication.
It says automatic reminders could be sent when documents are due to expire, followed by alerts to councils where records are not renewed.
Agent access needed
More than 50% of PRS properties in England are let or managed by agents, according to the report, and the database should reflect their role in compliance and administration.
Authorised agents should be able to add information and upload documents without repeated landlord approvals creating delays.
TLIC is calling for API links with agency software and CSV bulk uploads for firms managing medium and large portfolios.
It also wants a minimum six-month lead-in period for each geographical rollout before registration deadlines take effect.
Tags:
landlord compliance, Letting Agents, Private Rented Sector, PRS database, Renters’ Rights Act, tenant safety
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Member Since May 2018 - Comments: 2346
10:01 AM, 5th August 2026, About 4 days ago
Labour don’t need a landlord database. They recently claimed that they would pay for their fuel giveaway by cancelling the digital ID card system:
https://www.cityam.com/digital-id-cut-may-not-free-up-new-cash-for-burnhams-cost-of-living-plans/
But the digital id system was already unfunded.
Labour should cancel their landlord database. It isn’t going to be doing anything that the Land Registry isn’t doing or shouldn’t do.
Member Since December 2023 - Comments: 1650
1:21 PM, 5th August 2026, About 4 days ago
I am trialling the beta version of the database.
There’s nothing sexy about it as far as I can see. It’s just somewhere to add a few compliance documents (Gas Safety, EICR, EPC).
Of course, I will have to pay for the pleasure of using this additional admin burden.
What I would like is for compliance documents to be uploaded for gas and EICR by the engineers, in the way that EPC data is loaded by the assessors. I’d like an email reminder when compliance documentation is approaching its end date, like I get MOT reminders for my fleet of cars. (Even MOTs are uploaded by the garages).
Better, I’d like to preload the database with money so that my preferred engineers can do the checks and be paid without me having to arrange it (a bit like pre-paying for the Dartford Crossing).
In short, I want it to do something for me. After all, I’m paying for it.
Member Since July 2023 - Comments: 5
1:35 PM, 5th August 2026, About 4 days ago
Reply to the comment left by Cider Drinker at 05/08/2026 – 13:21
Hi, Just an observation but if the database has all that information, why do I have to pay so much for selective licensing? Surely the councils can easily search and identify any ” issues” in their area. Then they can target the people that they claim to be protecting the Tennants against rather than upping their rent due to good landlord increased cost?
Member Since May 2018 - Comments: 2346
2:29 PM, 5th August 2026, About 4 days ago
Reply to the comment left by Stephen Hall at 05/08/2026 – 13:35
If anybody wants to know something about a property they can go to the Land Registry and pay for details of ownership; Land Registry information is behind a paywall and it needs to be because of the severe risk of fraud. When fraud happens with property, the cost is EXTREMELY HIGH.
What the Land Registry is not very quick at doing is registering who a property is leased to. But the cost of fixing that problem is far lower than the cost of creating a whole new landlord database. And the cost of fixing the existing EPC system is also lower.
The Labour Landlord Database is just a mini HS2.
Member Since June 2019 - Comments: 916
2:42 PM, 5th August 2026, About 4 days ago
I can assure everyone that the landlord database will be an outstanding success – free money for Labour.
Once they get the taste they will rapidly increase the charge, just as councils have done with selective licensing.
Member Since May 2018 - Comments: 2346
2:46 PM, 5th August 2026, About 4 days ago
Reply to the comment left by Paul Essex at 05/08/2026 – 14:42
So that would be as big a success as the EPC system that still hasn’t been fixed then.
Member Since September 2018 - Comments: 3685 - Articles: 5
2:52 PM, 5th August 2026, About 4 days ago
another costly admin process just to quantify Liebour are ‘helping tenants’. Getting sick of the marxist dogma, and if we LL’s explain just why rents are increasing/selling up to tenants, maybe they will see this for themselves.
If this carries on, there is going to be a significant shift in the way a lot of renters vote at the next GE….
Member Since September 2018 - Comments: 3685 - Articles: 5
2:54 PM, 5th August 2026, About 4 days ago
even if its £50 per property to register, its going to be made very clear to my tenants at the annual rent increase point (yes this is also going to happen each year without fail), that this has directly contributed to the increase.
Member Since May 2018 - Comments: 2346
3:28 PM, 5th August 2026, About 4 days ago
Reply to the comment left by Reluctant Landlord at 14:52
Just as the benefits of HS2 were overstated the benefits of the Labour Landlord Database are also overstated. If it does anything at all it will be to get good landlords to pay for a stick to beat themselves with, whilst the bad landlords and ghetto landlords continue to do whatever they were doing before and either do not register, register false information, or register information that cannot be verified. It is a waste of money and they should scrap it to pay for some of their unfunded giveaways.
Member Since December 2023 - Comments: 1650
4:03 PM, 5th August 2026, About 4 days ago
I really don’t have a problem with the database if the cost is reasonable. I’d like it to be a percentage of the rent rather than a fixed price. Something like 0.5% if the annual rent could be reasonable.
My properties are excellent and fully compliant.
The database could root out rogue landlords. It could identify those that don’t pay income tax.