Renters’ Rights Act reforms – landlord registration rollout and new approach to rent increase challenges

As part of the next phase of reforms under the Renters' Rights Act 2025, a new private rented sector (PRS) landlord registration service is being rolled out from December 2026. 

The new regime will apply to PRS landlords, including private registered providers of social housing in relation to their market rent lettings (PRS landlords). Alongside the introduction of the registration scheme, the Government has also announced further reforms affecting the way rent increase challenges will be dealt with in England. 

As confirmed in the Government's recent press release, the aim of the new registration service is to help renters make more informed choices about where they live, and give them greater confidence that a landlord is genuine, responsible, and committed to meeting regulatory requirements. The service will also help good landlords demonstrate high standards and should assist councils in identifying rogue landlords and taking swift enforcement action where required.

During the registration process, PRS Landlords will be asked to confirm key details about the property they are registering, including the address, number of residents, number of bedrooms, the amount they are receiving in rent, as well as information relating to compliance with health and safety standards.

Key details of the rollout confirmed by the Government

• The service will launch on 15 December 2026, starting in the West Midlands, before being rolled out across other regions in England over a period of 12 months. 
• Once registration opens in a region, PRS Landlords with properties in that region will have a period of three months within which to register. All PRS Landlords who are actively letting a property will need to have registered by 14 November 2027. 
• Initially, the registration requirements will only apply to PRS Landlords with properties which are either currently let or which become occupied during rollout of the service. The requirement to register unoccupied properties before marketing them will be rolled out under future legislation. 

Registration will be mandatory, and PRS Landlords risk facing financial penalties if they do not comply. PRS Landlords should therefore ensure they understand the registration requirements, keep up to date with the rollout timetable as it is announced, and take prompt action to register their occupied properties as soon as they are able to do so. 

In addition to the rollout of the landlord registration service, the Government's announcement provides further detail on proposed changes to the handling of rent increase challenges in England. HMRC's Valuation Office is expected to become responsible for making determinations on challenges to proposed rent increases, replacing the current position under which disputes are considered by the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) (the Tribunal). According to the Government, the aim of the change is to ensure that rent disputes are resolved more promptly and efficiently, while reducing pressure on the Tribunal system. 

Whilst the Government develops these reforms, tenants wishing to challenge a rent increase must continue to apply to the Tribunal. Importantly, where a challenge is made, tenants will not be required to pay the higher rent until the Tribunal has issued its final decision. 

Although further detail on implementation and timing is awaited, landlords should be aware that these reforms represent a significant change to the process for resolving rent increase disputes and may alter the way rent reviews and challenges are administered in future. 

For more information

For more information on the Renters' Rights Act, visit our website hub.