If you’ve seen the latest headlines about a new national register for rental properties, you might be wondering what it means for you as a landlord.

The short answer for our landlords in Cumbria and is: there’s no need to register just yet, but there are a few things worth getting in order.

The Government has now confirmed when the new Register your rental property service will launch and, importantly, when landlords in our region will need to register.

The new register opens on 15 December 2026, but it won’t be rolled out across England all at once.

The West Midlands will be first, with different regions following over the next 12 months.

For properties in Cumbria and the wider North West, registration opens on 15 May 2027.

Landlords then have until 14 August 2027 to register.

So, despite the 15 December date you may have seen mentioned, Cumbria landlords don’t need to register in December.

The deadline is based on where the rental property is located, rather than where the landlord lives. So if you have properties in different parts of the country, you’ll need to follow the registration timetable for each property.

The new register is being introduced as part of the Renters’ Rights Act and will hold information about privately rented properties and their landlords.

The aim is to give councils a clearer picture of the private rented sector and make it easier to identify properties and landlords that aren’t meeting their legal responsibilities.

It will also give tenants access to some information about rental properties and their landlords.

Registration will be a legal requirement for landlords with properties covered by the scheme.

The registration fee is £65 per property, per year.

So, if you have three rental properties, you’ll pay £195 a year once all three are registered.

It’s an annual cost rather than a one-off registration fee.

There’s quite a bit of information involved, but much of it should already be familiar to landlords who keep their property records up to date.

The Government says landlords will need to provide information about themselves, the property and the tenancy, along with details such as:

• Property ownership and type
• Number of bedrooms
• Tenancy and occupant information
• Property licensing, where applicable
• Rent and payment frequency
• Whether the property is furnished
• Gas and electrical safety
• EPC and energy efficiency information
• Details of any property manager or superior landlord

You’ll also need a GOV.UK One Login to use the online service.

There’s no need to start registering now, but it would be sensible to make sure your usual property and compliance records are up to date.

The Government has also published guidance on getting ready to register your rental property.

For the initial rollout, empty properties don’t need to be registered.

The requirement initially applies to properties that are already let, or become let during the rollout period.

There are plans for vacant properties to be registered before they are marketed for rent in the future. The Government has said further guidance will be provided before this requirement comes into effect.

So, if you have an empty rental property, there’s no need to register it yet.

The landlord remains responsible for registering their property. A letting agent or property manager cannot register the property on the landlord’s behalf.

However, landlords can agree for their letting agent or property manager to provide certain information on their behalf as part of the registration process.

The Government has said it will publish specific guidance for letting agents and property managers before the service launches. This will explain what information agents can provide and how they can support landlords with registration.

Once that guidance is available, we’ll update our managed landlords on what this means for properties managed by Grisdales.

For landlords in Cumbria, there’s no need to register yet.

You can register voluntarily once the service opens on 15 December 2026, but you won’t be required to register until the North West registration period begins.

In the meantime, it’s worth keeping your property records up to date, particularly your gas safety, electrical safety, EPC, licensing and tenancy information.

For Cumbria landlords, the dates to remember are:

15 May 2027
Registration opens in the North West

14 August 2027
Registration deadline

We’ll keep our landlords updated as we get closer and as further guidance becomes available.

If you’re a Grisdales landlord and want to talk through how the new rental property register could affect you, our lettings team is here to help.

If you’re considering letting a property for the first time, expanding your portfolio or reviewing how your rental property is managed, we can also talk you through the support available.