PRS Database Check: How to Verify Your Landlord Under the Renters' Rights Act 2025 (UK 2026)
The Private Rented Sector Database is the most significant change to renting in England in 30 years. Landlord registration opens region by region from 15 December 2026, starting in the West Midlands, and every let property must be registered by its region's deadline in 2027. A tenant lookup is promised for later, with no date yet. Until then, here's how to verify your landlord today using the existing free registers.
Quick answer
From 15 December 2026: landlords start registering, region by region, with deadlines from 14 March to 14 November 2027. GOV.UK has not yet said when tenants will be able to search it. Today: verify using six free public registers (EPC, deposit scheme, HMO, gas, EICR, Land Registry title). The PostcodeCheck Renter Report (£2.99) checks the EPC against the register and flags likely HMO licensing, plus damp risk and a rent comparison; the other checks still need doing at source.
What the PRS Database will do
Under the Renters' Rights Act 2025 (Royal Assent October 2025), every private landlord in England will be required to register on a national database. The database will record:
- Landlord identity and contact details
- Each rental property they own
- Compliance status (gas, EICR, EPC, deposit scheme)
- HMO licensing status
- Past enforcement actions and unspent breaches
GOV.UK says that in future tenants will be able to use the service to see whether a landlord meets key legal requirements, and that the list of information the public can see will be published at a later stage. A council can fine a landlord who lets or advertises a property without registering it up to £7,000, and up to £40,000 (or prosecute) for repeated breaches or fraudulent information. Registration costs £65 a year per property.
When does it go live?
Registration rolls out across England from 15 December 2026, beginning in the West Midlands. Each region then has a registration deadline: 14 March 2027 for the West Midlands, running month by month to 14 November 2027 for the South West. For now only properties that are let, or become let during the rollout, must be registered. GOV.UK has not given a date for the tenant lookup. Section 21 "no fault" notices already ended on 1 May 2026. Until the lookup is open, the existing public registers are what you use.
The 6 free checks every renter should run today
1. EPC valid and rated E or above
Required by law for all rented properties since 2020. Search the address at find-energy-certificate.service.gov.uk. A property without a valid EPC, or rated F or G, can't legally be let. Reportable to local Trading Standards.
2. Deposit in DPS, MyDeposits or TDS
By law, deposits must be in a government-backed scheme within 30 days. Each scheme has a free online checker. If your deposit is not protected, you can claim 1-3x the deposit through the County Court, and a court will not make a possession order on most grounds until the deposit is protected or returned.
3. HMO / selective licensing
If three or more unrelated tenants share, an HMO licence is usually required. Some councils run additional or selective licensing schemes that cover smaller HMOs or even single lets. Search your council's public register; an unlicensed HMO is grounds for a Rent Repayment Order claim.
4. Gas safety certificate (CP12)
Required annually for any property with gas appliances. Your landlord must give you a copy before move-in and at every renewal. No certificate = a criminal offence punishable by up to 6 months in prison.
5. Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR)
5-yearly inspection required since 2020. You should receive a copy within 28 days of the inspection. Council fines up to £40,000 for non-compliance.
6. Land Registry title in landlord's name
Order the title register from HM Land Registry on gov.uk for £7. The named owner must match the landlord on the tenancy agreement. If it doesn't, the "landlord" may be sub-letting without permission, and your tenancy is at risk if the real owner finds out.
Check the home free before you sign
Free address report: EPC rating, flood zone, crime, broadband, mobile signal and noise for the exact property. Premium (£4.99) adds whether a company owns it and any property tribunal cases at the building.
Free, then Premium£4.99
What the £2.99 Renter Address Report adds
- EPC validity and the minimum energy rating checked against the register, an HMO indicator from the room count, and a list of the certificates (gas, deposit, alarms) to ask the landlord for
- Damp risk score derived from EPC data (heating type, ventilation, insulation, build year)
- Rent compared with regional median rents for the size of home
- Estimated monthly bills (council tax, energy estimate, water, broadband)
- Ofcom broadband speeds
- Modelled road noise
- Transport links nearby
- Composite Safety Score (0-100)
- One PDF, instant after payment, sharable as evidence
Useful before you sign (decision-making), shortly after move-in (baseline the property condition), or during a dispute (contemporaneous evidence pulled from publicly verifiable government data).
After PRS Database launches
Once the public lookup is live, search it directly for your landlord and property. The Renter Report does not include the PRS Database today; it covers the EPC, damp risk, rent and bills side of the picture.
If you're already in dispute
- Damp / mould / disrepair: council Environmental Health (HHSRS). Awaab's Law covers social housing; for private renting it is out to consultation until 18 December 2026 and not yet in force
- Deposit not protected: County Court small claim for 1-3x the deposit
- HMO unlicensed: First-tier Tribunal Rent Repayment Order (up to two years' rent for offences on or after 1 May 2026)
- Section 21 notice: landlords can no longer serve one since 1 May 2026; ask Shelter or Citizens Advice about any notice you receive
- EPC F or G: Trading Standards complaint, council fine up to £5,000
Check this address before you sign the tenancy
Free address report: EPC rating, flood zone, crime, broadband, mobile signal and noise for the exact property. Premium (£4.99) adds whether a company owns it and any property tribunal cases at the building.
Free, then Premium£4.99
Frequently asked questions
What is the PRS Database?
The Private Rented Sector Database is the national register of private landlords and rental properties created by the Renters' Rights Act 2025. GOV.UK calls the service 'Register your rental property'. Landlords of assured or regulated tenancies in England must register themselves and each let property, with an annual fee of £65 per property, and upload gas, electrical and energy performance certificates.
When does the PRS Database go live?
GOV.UK says the service rolls out region by region across England from 15 December 2026, starting in the West Midlands. Each region has a registration deadline, from 14 March 2027 for the West Midlands to 14 November 2027 for the South West. GOV.UK says tenants will be able to use the service 'in future' to see whether a landlord meets key legal requirements, and that the list of information the public can see will be published at a later stage. No date has been given for the tenant lookup.
How do I check my landlord today, before the PRS Database is live?
Six free checks: (1) Is the EPC valid and rated E or above? (2) Is the deposit in DPS, MyDeposits or TDS? (3) Is HMO or selective licensing registered with the council? (4) Is the gas safety certificate current? (5) Is the EICR within 5 years? (6) Does the Land Registry title match the landlord's name? The PostcodeCheck Renter Report (£2.99) checks the EPC against the register, flags whether HMO licensing is likely and lists the certificates to ask for, plus damp risk and a rent comparison. Deposit, gas, EICR, licensing and title still need checking at source.
What happens to a landlord who does not register?
Under the Renters' Rights Act, a council can fine a landlord who lets or advertises a property without registering it up to £7,000. Repeated breaches, or giving fraudulent information to the database, can mean a fine of up to £40,000 or criminal prosecution. Landlords who are not registered will also be unable to use most possession grounds. If a landlord refuses to show you compliance documents today, treat it as a red flag and do not sign.
Will my landlord know I checked them?
No. All free public registers are searchable anonymously. The PostcodeCheck Renter Report doesn't notify the landlord either; the report is private to you. Useful before signing and if you're already in dispute and need evidence to take to the council or county court.
Dates, fees and penalties checked on GOV.UK on 21 October 2026: Register your rental property (Housing Hub) · Guide to the Renters' Rights Act. EICR penalty checked on 2 November 2026: Electrical Safety Standards Regulations 2020, regulation 11.
Check the home before you sign
Free address report: EPC rating, flood zone, crime, broadband, mobile signal and noise for the home. The £2.99 Renter Address Report, with damp risk and a landlord checklist, is on the area page for the postcode.