PRS Database fees and penalties
Last checked 28 September 2026
An independent guide, not the government's register and not legal advice. Last checked against the sources listed at the end of the page.
Registering costs £65 per property per year. Not registering can cost far more: fines, rent repayment orders, and being unable to get your property back through the courts.
The fee
| What | Detail |
|---|---|
| Registration fee | An annual £65 fee for each property you register. You pay it again every year when you renew. |
| Pro-rated during the rollout | During the rollout the fee is adjusted (pro-rated) so that those signing up first do not pay more. The government has not published the exact calculation. |
| Paid before a property entry is made | A property (dwelling) entry cannot be made until the fee has been paid by the person making it. |
| One renewal date for all your properties | If you have two or more properties, later entries are given the same renewal date as your first one, so a portfolio renews together. |
| Who sets the fee | The regulations do not fix the amount: the database operator sets it by reference to its costs, so it can change. |
Penalties
| What | Detail |
|---|---|
| Civil penalty for not registering | Your council can fine you up to £7,000 for breaching the duties to register, or for marketing or letting a property without the required entries. |
| Repeat, continuing breaches or false information | A repeat breach within five years, a breach that continues more than 28 days after a penalty, or knowingly or recklessly giving false or misleading information is an offence: the council can impose a penalty of up to £40,000 instead of prosecuting, or you can be prosecuted and fined. |
| No possession order while unregistered | A court cannot make a possession order while the landlord is in breach of the duty to register, unless the ground is Ground 7A or Ground 14 (anti-social behaviour). |
| Rent repayment orders | Tenants (or councils) can apply for a rent repayment order for the database offences of giving false or misleading information, and continuing breaches of the duty to register. |
Who enforces it
Your local council (the local housing authority). It can impose a financial penalty if it is satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that you've breached the duties, and decides the amount up to the maximum. The government's guide says councils also get stronger powers to require information and to enter premises when investigating.
The possession rule, and why it matters most
Since 1 May 2026, section 21 "no fault" evictions have ended in England, so a landlord who needs a property back has to use a possession ground under the Housing Act 1988. Section 90 of the Renters' Rights Act says a court may not make a possession order while the landlord (or any joint landlord) is in breach of the duty to be registered for that property, unless the ground is Ground 7A or Ground 14, the anti-social behaviour grounds. In practice: if you're unregistered, you can't use the rent arrears, selling or moving-in grounds until you register.
Repeat and false-information offences
It's an offence to knowingly or recklessly give the database false or misleading information, to carry on a breach for more than 28 days after a penalty, or to commit another breach within five years of a penalty. The council can impose a penalty of up to £40,000 instead of prosecuting; you can't be both fined by the council and convicted for the same conduct.
Rent repayment orders
The Act adds two database offences to the list for which a rent repayment order can be made: giving false or misleading information, and continuing breaches of the duty to register. A rent repayment order makes the landlord pay back rent.
Banning orders
The database will also record banning orders and certain offences against landlords. Under the draft regulations, someone subject to a banning order can't make new entries as a person intending to become a landlord.
Sources
- Renters' Rights Act 2025, section 82 (marketing, advertising and letting)
- Renters' Rights Act 2025, section 90 (restriction on gaining possession)
- Renters' Rights Act 2025, section 91 (financial penalties)
- Renters' Rights Act 2025, section 92 (offences)
- Renters' Rights Act 2025, section 98 (rent repayment orders)
- GOV.UK: Guide to the Renters' Rights Act
- GOV.UK news, 30 April 2026: When will the Renters' Rights Act come into force?
- GOV.UK Housing Hub: Get ready for the 'Register your rental property' service
- The Private Rented Sector Database Regulations 2026 (draft, legislation.gov.uk)
- Renters' Rights Act 2025 (legislation.gov.uk)
This is general information, not legal advice. Rules can change: check GOV.UK, and get legal advice for your own situation.