Landlords across England are preparing for the next phase of the Renters’ Rights Act, with the Government now confirming further details of the new national rental property register.
For landlords in Norfolk and across the East of England, registration will open on 15 January 2027, with existing landlords required to register by 14 April 2027.
We spoke to Ed Tyman, Lettings & Operations Director at Sowerbys, about what landlords need to know, what they will need to do and how our lettings teams will be supporting them.
Ed, firstly, what is the new Landlord Register?
The new national register is being introduced as part of the next phase of the Renters’ Rights Act. It will bring information about landlords and their rental properties together in one place, including details relating to the property, tenancy and key compliance requirements.
Landlords will need to register themselves as a landlord, along with each of their properties. They will then be provided with landlord and property registration numbers, which will be required when marketing a property.
When will landlords in Norfolk need to register?
For properties in the East of England, including Norfolk, registration will open on 15 January 2027.
Existing landlords will then have until 14 April 2027 to complete their registration. The deadline is based on where the rental property is located rather than where the landlord lives.
What will landlords need to do?
Landlords will need to complete their own registration, provide the required personal information and register each qualifying rental property they own.
There will also be an annual registration fee, currently confirmed as £65 per property, with registration renewed each year.
The register will require information relating to the property and tenancy, together with evidence of key compliance requirements.
What do landlords whose properties are already managed by Sowerbys need to do?
For now, nothing.
We will be in touch with our managed landlords well before registration opens, with clear guidance on what they need to do.
One of the benefits of having your property professionally managed is that we already hold and maintain much of the information and compliance documentation associated with your property and tenancy.
While landlords will remain responsible for completing their registration and paying the fee, we will support them with the relevant property information and documentation we hold.
What sort of information does Sowerbys already hold for managed properties?
Depending on the property, this may include the Electrical Installation Condition Report, Gas Safety Certificate, Energy Performance Certificate, tenancy and property management information and any relevant licensing details.
Our aim is to make the process as straightforward as possible and ensure our landlords have the information they need well ahead of the legal deadline.
And what about landlords who don’t currently use Sowerbys?
We know there are many landlords across Norfolk who manage their own properties.
With the Renters’ Rights Act bringing further changes to the private rented sector, this may be a good time to consider whether additional support could make managing your property simpler.
If you’re a self-managed landlord and would like to understand more about the new register, your wider compliance responsibilities or how our managed lettings service could support you, we’d be very happy to have a conversation.
To speak to our Dereham, Norwich, King’s Lynn and Watton lettings teams, contact Dereham and Norwich on 01362 693560, King’s Lynn on 01553 761234 or Watton on 01953 884522.
Alternatively, email our lettings team at [email protected].