A new national landlord database is coming, but the exact local start date still isn’t known
The Renters’ Rights Act has already changed the way many private tenancies work in England.
From 1 May 2026, landlords saw major reforms including the end of Section 21, the move to assured periodic tenancies and new rules around rent increases.
The next significant change is the Private Rented Sector Database.
From late 2026, the Government intends to begin rolling out a new national database on which private landlords will need to register themselves and the properties they let.
For landlords in Thetford, Breckland and across England, this is worth preparing for now.
Not because Breckland has been given a registration date yet. It hasn’t.
But because this won’t simply be another optional online directory.
Registration will become a legal requirement.
What is the Private Rented Sector Database?
The Private Rented Sector Database was created under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025.
The Government describes it as a central source of information intended to serve landlords, tenants and local councils.
For landlords, it is intended to provide a clearer way to understand and demonstrate compliance.
For tenants, it should provide information that helps them make more informed decisions before renting a home.
And for councils, including authorities responsible for enforcement locally, it should provide better information to target landlords and properties where intervention may be needed.
In practical terms, landlords will have an entry on the database and the properties they let will also need to be registered.
When does the landlord database start?
The current Government timetable says the rollout will begin from late 2026.
At the time of writing, there is still no single national date on which every landlord has to register.
Instead, the Government plans a regional rollout, with landlords being brought into the system gradually across different parts of England.
That distinction matters.
If you’ve seen a particular date quoted elsewhere for every landlord in England, check where it came from.
As things currently stand, the Government roadmap gives us late 2026, but it has not yet published a specific registration date for landlords in Thetford or Breckland.
The annual registration fee has also not yet been confirmed.
We’d rather tell local landlords what is actually known than turn an estimated date into a deadline that doesn’t yet exist.
Will registration on the PRS Database be compulsory?
Yes.
The Government’s implementation roadmap says signing up will be mandatory for private rented sector landlords, and landlords will be required to pay an annual fee.
The Renters’ Rights Act also gives local authorities enforcement powers where landlords fail to meet their database obligations.
So this isn’t something landlords should plan to deal with only if somebody eventually reminds them.
Once the relevant requirements apply in your area, keeping the necessary database entries active will become part of being a compliant landlord.
Could failing to register affect possession proceedings?
Potentially, yes, and this is one of the reasons the database matters more than its name suggests.
The Renters’ Rights Act provides that, in certain circumstances, a court cannot grant a possession order where the landlord has failed to comply with the requirement to maintain an active entry on the Private Rented Sector Database.
There are exceptions for particular anti-social behaviour grounds.
That means database compliance is not merely about avoiding an administrative fine.
It can have practical consequences if a landlord later needs to recover possession of a property.
Will landlords have to register before marketing a rental property?
The legislation places restrictions around landlords letting or marketing properties where the relevant database requirements haven’t been met.
The exact operation of those provisions depends on the secondary regulations and commencement arrangements that will bring the database fully into force.
For now, the sensible takeaway is that registration will become part of the compliance framework surrounding the letting and marketing of private rented homes.
Landlords shouldn’t therefore treat the database as something that can safely be ignored until after a new tenant has moved in.
What information will landlords have to provide?
Some of the final detail will be contained in regulations, but the Government has already indicated what it expects the database to contain at a minimum.
That includes:
- landlord contact details, including relevant information for joint landlords
- the full property address
- whether the property is a house or flat
- number of bedrooms
- information about households or residents
- whether the property is occupied
- whether it is furnished
- gas safety information where relevant
- electrical safety information
- Energy Performance Certificate information
The Government specifically identifies gas, electrical and EPC information as part of the expected safety and energy-efficiency information collected through the database.
This is why preparing now makes sense.
Most responsible landlords already hold much of this information.
The real question is whether you can find it quickly and whether everything is current.
What should landlords in Thetford do now?
You don’t need to register before the system reaches your area.
But you can make the eventual process considerably easier.
Put each property’s compliance documents together
Create a separate digital or physical file for every rental property you own.
Include the current:
- gas safety record, where applicable
- Electrical Installation Condition Report
- Energy Performance Certificate
- relevant property and ownership information
Then record the expiry dates.
A certificate you know expires in nine months is easy to manage.
A certificate you assumed was current until a registration process tells you otherwise is less convenient.
Check how each property is legally owned
If the property is owned jointly, through a company or under another ownership arrangement, make sure your records accurately reflect that.
The Government has already said the database is expected to capture information relating to all joint landlords, so it will be useful to have those details clear before registration begins.
Review your EPCs at the same time
There is another reason to find your EPC certificates now.
The Government has confirmed a future higher energy-efficiency standard for privately rented homes, with relevant properties expected to meet the equivalent of EPC C by 1 October 2030, subject to the detailed rules and exemptions.
So while the database and the future energy-efficiency standard are separate requirements, checking your current EPC position now gives you useful information for both.
If you have several rental properties around Thetford, Brandon or the surrounding Breckland area, a simple spreadsheet showing current rating and expiry date can make future planning considerably easier.
What about the new Landlord Ombudsman?
The Private Rented Sector Landlord Ombudsman is another part of the Renters’ Rights reforms, but landlords should not assume it launches at exactly the same time as database registration.
The Government says the database will begin rolling out first.
The Ombudsman will then be developed in stages, with mandatory landlord membership currently expected in 2028.
When operating, it is intended to provide tenants with an independent route for resolving complaints and to provide landlords with tools and guidance to help deal with complaints earlier.
Landlords will also be required to fund the Ombudsman through a charging model, although the cost has not yet been confirmed.
This is an important correction to some of the more compressed summaries of the Renters’ Rights Act.
The database begins from late 2026. Mandatory Ombudsman membership is currently expected later, in 2028.
Is the new database necessarily bad news for good landlords?
Not everything about the reforms needs to be viewed as an additional burden.
One of the Government’s stated purposes is to make it easier for landlords to understand their obligations and demonstrate that they’re complying with them.
For landlords who already keep properties safe, certificates current and records organised, much of the information required should already exist.
The biggest adjustment may simply be bringing it together in one national system and remembering to keep the entries up to date.
The database should also make it harder for landlords who consistently ignore basic requirements to operate unnoticed.
Responsible landlords have little to gain from competing with properties that are being let without the same investment in safety, maintenance and compliance.
What we still don’t know
There are several details we deliberately haven’t filled in because the Government hasn’t confirmed them yet.
As of September 2026, we are still waiting for details including:
- the exact start date for the first registration area
- when Thetford and Breckland landlords will be required to register
- the annual database fee
- the full registration process
- the final information requirements
- the detailed timetable for subsequent areas
These will be dealt with through further regulations and Government guidance.
So there’s no need to panic.
There is, however, every reason to prepare.
A note for local landlords
Location Location East does not currently offer lettings or property-management services, so we won’t be registering or managing rental properties on behalf of landlords.
We publish landlord guidance because changes affecting the private rented sector matter to property owners and investors throughout the Thetford market.
If you own a rental property locally, the useful job right now is simple:
know what you own, know where your compliance paperwork is and know when it expires.
The database deadline will be much less daunting if those three things are already under control.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the new Private Rented Sector Database?
It is a national database created by the Renters’ Rights Act 2025. Private landlords will need to register themselves and their rental properties, while tenants and councils will be able to access relevant information from the system.
When does the landlord database start in Thetford?
The Government says the national rollout will begin from late 2026 and will be staggered by area. As of September 2026, a specific registration date for Thetford or Breckland has not been announced.
Do all private landlords have to join the PRS Database?
The Government says registration will be mandatory for private rented sector landlords covered by the requirements. Landlords will also have to pay an annual fee, although the amount has not yet been confirmed.
How much will the landlord database cost?
The annual fee has not yet been announced. The Government’s roadmap says the fee will be confirmed closer to launch.
What documents will landlords need for the PRS Database?
Final requirements will be confirmed in regulations, but the Government currently expects the database to include landlord and property details together with safety information covering gas, electrical safety and Energy Performance Certificates.
What happens if a landlord doesn’t register?
The Act provides for enforcement action where landlords fail to comply with registration requirements. Database non-compliance can also affect a landlord’s ability to obtain possession in certain circumstances.
Will I need to register before advertising a rental property?
The Act creates restrictions connected with letting and marketing property where database requirements have not been met. The detailed operation of those rules will depend on the regulations and commencement arrangements introduced alongside the database.
Is the Landlord Ombudsman starting at the same time?
Not necessarily. The database rollout begins from late 2026. The Government currently expects mandatory landlord membership of the new PRS Landlord Ombudsman to begin in 2028.
What should Thetford landlords do before registration opens?
Gather the compliance information for every property, check gas and electrical safety records where applicable, find your EPCs, record expiry dates and make sure ownership and contact details are accurate.
Does Location Location East manage rental properties in Thetford?
No. Location Location East does not currently provide lettings or property-management services. Our landlord articles are intended to provide useful property information for local landlords and investors.
Sources
UK Government, Implementing the Renters’ Rights Act 2025: Our roadmap for reforming the Private Rented Sector. The current roadmap confirms that the PRS Database rollout begins from late 2026, registration will be mandatory and subject to an annual fee, with the Ombudsman following later.
Renters’ Rights Act 2025 and accompanying explanatory notes, including the provisions creating the Private Rented Sector Database and restrictions associated with non-compliance.
UK Government, When will the Renters’ Rights Act come into force?, confirming the gradual area-by-area rollout of the database from late 2026.
Article by Andrew Overman | Partner | Location Location East
