Introducing a National Landlord Register

In the government’s continued commitment to encourage improvements within Private Sector Housing and support Local Authorities in conducting well targeted and effective enforcement that drives out rogue landlords, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has allocated up to £100,000 to explore the merits of a national landlord register.

Who needs a National Landlord Register?

The government has identified and revealed some examples of the range of users and their needs that they anticipate benefiting from a National Landlord Register. Some demographics and simple examples of circumstances are outlined below:

As a current or prospective tenant

“I need to find out basic information about my current/prospective landlord and information about renting a property. This will enable me to make an informed choice about renting a property.”

As a private landlord

“I want an easier way to demonstrate compliance with existing lettings legislation and to access information relating to letting property. This will enable me to better understand the legal requirements and more effectively demonstrate my compliance.”

As a local authority housing enforcement officer

“I want access to consistent data on the private rented sector stock in my area. This will enable me to better prioritise my time and resources when undertaking enforcement action.”

As a government official

“I want a holistic aggregated dataset on the PRS. This will enable me to better evidence suggested policy interventions.”

When, where, what?

Things are still a little vague at the moment, but it looks like the register is expected to be run by satellite organisations e.g. local authorities but it will also look to explore the merits of different organisations.

The "discovery" is due to commence on 31 August 2021 and expected to last up to 10 weeks. More details about the project can be found here.