Skip to content
RenterCheck
Check a property

Landlords

Can I check whether my landlord is registered?

The short answer, in England, is no — not in the way the question assumes. There is no national register of private landlords here, so there is nothing to look someone up in. That surprises most people, because Wales and Scotland both have one.

What exists instead

Three separate records cover parts of the same ground. None is a landlord register, and a landlord absent from all three is not necessarily doing anything wrong.

The council licensing register
The closest thing England has. If the property needs an HMO or selective licence, the council holds a public register naming the licence holder and the manager. It covers the property rather than the landlord, so an unlicensed home simply will not appear — which is itself worth knowing. Check whether the property needs a licence.
Companies House
If the landlord or agent is a limited company, the register is free and definitive: status, registered address, incorporation date, directors and filing history. A dissolved company or one in liquidation letting a property is a real signal. Look up a landlord or letting agent.
Letting agent redress schemes
Every letting agent in England must belong to a government-approved redress scheme and display which one. An agent who cannot tell you theirs is not compliant, and the scheme itself will confirm membership if you ask.

Rogue landlord records

There is a national database of rogue landlords and agents, but it is not open to the public — only councils and central government can search it. In London, the Mayor runs a rogue landlord and agent checker that anyone can use, drawing on enforcement action taken by London boroughs.

A blank result means no recorded enforcement, not a clean record. Most disputes never reach enforcement at all.

If the property is in Wales or Scotland

Both do have a register, and both are public. Rent Smart Wales requires landlords to register and agents to be licensed. Scottish Landlord Register lets you search by property or registration number.

RenterCheck itself covers England only.

What to do instead

Since there is no register to clear them against, judge a landlord on what can be verified: who actually owns the property, whether the company letting it is trading, whether the home is licensed if it needs to be, and whether your deposit ends up protected.