THE NATIONAL LANDLORD DATABASE IS COMING
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A new national landlord and property register is coming to England, and landlords should start preparing now to avoid restrictions on marketing their properties and potential fines for non-compliance.
Much has been written about the Renters’ Rights Act, and the impact it is already having on the residential lettings market. But one important part of the Act is yet to be implemented: the rollout of a Private Rented Sector database in England – effectively a national landlord and property register.
Now we learn that the database is set to be introduced on a region by region basis from the end of this year. That means that landlords may have just a few months to prepare; something which is tricky given that many details about how the new database will work are still unclear.
What we do know is that all landlords of assured and regulated tenancies will have to register both themselves and their properties. The database will include contact details for the landlords and any joint landlords; the full property address and details such as number of bedrooms and occupation status; and information about gas, electrical safety and EPC certifications. There will of course be a fee to pay to register (again, we don’t know how much it will be).
It is unclear how much of that data will be publicly accessible, but the government has stated it wants to see wider data sharing to allow tenants to check relevant information before renting, and to allow local authorities to enforce regulation more consistently and effectively.
We do know that once the database is up and running, it will not be possible to market a property unless both it and the landlord are registered. Marketing material such as written particulars and online advertising will have to show proof of registration.
There will be fines of up to £7,000 for advertising an unregistered property, and of up to £40,000 for repeated or serious breaches, such as providing fraudulent information.
Some landlords will undoubtedly view this as yet another regulatory hurdle to clear, and some have even questioned why there is no tenant database being created alongside the landlord one. But a national register to help responsible landlords demonstrate compliance and support councils to focus their resources on rogue landlords is something that most should view as a positive.
Whatever your view, the database is coming, and soon. Given the restrictions on marketing new properties and the potential penalties for non-compliance, landlords need to start planning for registration sooner rather than later, and make sure they beat the deadline once it is announced.
Catherine Hunt is lettings property manager at Arnolds Keys.
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