New Rental Property Register: Latest Update for Cambridge Landlords
Just Announced! Government Confirms Launch of New Rental Property Register
The Government has confirmed that its new mandatory "Register Your Rental Property" service will begin rolling out across England from 15 December 2026.
The scheme forms part of wider reforms to the private rented sector and will require landlords of assured and regulated tenancies to register both themselves and each occupied rental property.
Registration will carry an annual fee of £65 per property.
What does this mean for Cambridge landlords?
Properties located in Cambridgeshire and the wider East of England region will come under the scheme from 15 January 2027, with a registration deadline of 14 April 2027.
Landlords including Companies will be able to register earlier once the service opens and should ensure they comply before the regional deadline.
What information will need to be provided?
Landlords will be required to submit details including:
- Their name, home address and contact information.
- The address of each rental property.
- The number of bedrooms and occupants.
- The rent currently being achieved.
- Evidence of compliance with key safety requirements, including gas safety, electrical safety and energy performance certificates.
The Government has indicated that further guidance will be published in the coming weeks setting out the full registration requirements.
Who is responsible?
The landlord remains legally responsible for ensuring that both they and their rental properties are correctly registered.
Letting agents may be able to upload documents and assist with administration where agreed, although additional guidance on agents' responsibilities is still awaited.
What happens if you own properties in different regions?
Registration deadlines are determined by the location of the property rather than the landlord's home address.
For example, a landlord living in London who owns a property in Cambridge must comply with the East of England registration timetable.
What if a property is empty?
At present, unoccupied properties do not need to be registered.
However, further guidance is expected on when landlords will be required to register properties before they are marketed for letting.
Enforcement and penalties
Once the registration deadline has passed, local authorities will be able to undertake enforcement activity.
Landlords who fail to register when required may face financial penalties.
Looking ahead
Each registered property will be issued with a unique reference number.
The Government expects this number to become a requirement for property advertising and listings from late 2027 onwards.
In a later phase of the scheme, anticipated in 2028, tenants will also be able to use the service to check whether a landlord is meeting key legal obligations, although it has not yet been confirmed which information will be publicly available.
Our view
Whilst the registration requirement does not take effect in the East of England until January 2027, Let Only Landlords should begin reviewing their compliance documents now to ensure records are up to date and readily available when registration opens.
Landlords whose properties we manage can be assured they are fully compliant.
I am trying to establish how our CRM Street will assist in uploading the required documents but have no news.
We will continue to monitor developments and provide further updates as more detailed guidance is released by the Government.
