The Government has published new guidance on its Register your rental property service, giving landlords more detail on how the new registration requirements will work. The service is being introduced region by region across England, with the West Midlands first to go live from 15 December 2026. Landlords with occupied rental properties in the region will have until 14 March 2027 to register. For Birmingham landlords, that makes now a good time to understand what will be required and start getting the relevant information together.
Who will need to register?
Private landlords with properties occupied under an assured or regulated tenancy will need to register themselves and their properties. During the initial rollout, landlords only need to register properties that are already let or become let during the rollout period. The Government has confirmed that the requirement to register an unoccupied property before it is advertised, and to include landlord and property registration numbers in advertising, will come at a later stage. This is an important distinction from some of the earlier information about the scheme and gives landlords greater clarity about what is required from December.
What information will you need?
Registration will use GOV.UK One Login, and landlords will need to provide information about themselves, their property and the tenancy. This includes details such as the property address, number of bedrooms and rental status, together with information about the tenancy and rent. Landlords will also need to provide evidence of relevant safety and compliance documentation, including the EPC, electrical safety certificate and gas safety certificate where applicable, as well as details of any relevant property licences. Some information can be supplied after the initial property registration, but must be completed within 28 days. Information held on the register will also need to be updated within 28 days if it changes or expires.
What will registration cost?
The annual service fee will be £65 per property, with no separate charge for registering as a landlord or for updating your records. Registrations will then need to be renewed annually. The Government has also confirmed that fees will be adjusted during the regional rollout, so West Midlands landlords will not simply pay the full £65 annual amount from day one.
Can FleetMilne register on your behalf?
Landlords will need to start the registration themselves and remain legally responsible for meeting the requirements. However, once a property registration number has been issued and the property is occupied, landlords will be able to ask their letting or property manager to provide certain tenancy and health and safety information on their behalf. We are reviewing the latest guidance to understand exactly how this will work in practice and what support FleetMilne will be able to provide.
What should landlords do now?
There is no need to wait until December to start preparing. We recommend beginning to bring together your property, tenancy and compliance information now, particularly your EPC, electrical safety documentation, gas safety information where applicable, and details of any relevant property licence. The new register will become an ongoing responsibility rather than a one-off exercise, so having accurate information readily available should make the process easier when registration opens.
As Birmingham landlords will be among the first in the country to use the new service, we’ll continue to keep our clients informed as further details become available and will publish an updated practical guide ahead of registration opening.
Want a copy of our updated guide?
Contact the FleetMilne team and we’ll make sure you receive our updated landlord registration guide when it is available.
CTA: Contact us for the updated landlord registration guide
Source: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Register your rental property service: guidance for landlords, published 29 October 2026.
