Editor's note: This brief was summarised by The Property AI Newsroom from a report by The Negotiator. Read the original article for full details.
Landlords to pay £65 per property per year under new mandatory landlord register
Every landlord renting out a home in England will have to pay £65 a year, per property, to be listed on the new mandatory landlord register. The scheme, called 'Register your rental property', goes live on 15 December this year, starting in the West Midlands before rolling out nationwide.
Landlords will have a three-month window to sign up once their area is called forward, and face a fine if they miss the deadline. For a landlord with a small portfolio, the costs add up quickly: 10 properties means a charge of £650 a year, every year, just to stay listed and compliant.
How the fees and rollout work
The fee will be pro-rated during the rollout, so those registering early are not charged more than those signing up later. Charges will then reset annually. Landlords with properties in more than one region can register everywhere at once from 15 December, rather than waiting for each area's deadline.
Only properties currently let, or let during the rollout, need registering for now. Unoccupied properties will need to be registered before marketing once the public-facing side of the service launches.
The new charge is the latest registration cost facing landlords, with selective licensing fees averaging around £700 a property in areas where councils run their own schemes.
What the money funds — and what agents need to know
Officials say the charges are required to cover the cost of running the scheme, and that funds will also be used to run enforcement work against non-compliant landlords, rather than simply covering admin costs.
Registration will require a GOV.UK One Login, and the details required will include the rent charged, the number of occupants, and copies of gas, electrical and energy performance certificates.
Letting agents can upload some of that information on a landlord's behalf, but landlords remain responsible for starting and completing the process themselves. It is a point worth communicating clearly to landlords on your books ahead of the December launch.
Source: The Negotiator