Landlords
Can I check whether my landlord is registered?
Not yet, in England. A national register is finally on its way: landlords must register on the Private Rented Sector Database from 15 December 2026, region by region, but renters can’t search it, and no date has been published for when they will be able to. Until then there is nothing to look a landlord up in, which surprises most people, because Wales and Scotland both have a register already.
Found a place to rent? Check it free before you sign: energy rating, flood risk, crime nearby and sale history. No sign-up.
Check a property freeWhat changes from December 2026
The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 creates a database of private landlords and the homes they let. Registration opens in the West Midlands on 15 December 2026 and reaches every region by August 2027, after which a landlord can’t lawfully let a home that isn’t on it. What the PRS database is, when it reaches your region and how to check a landlord in the meantime.
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.
- HM Land Registry
- Not a register of landlords, but the title register names who owns the home, for £7 online. It shows whether the person letting it to you owns it or is linked to the owner. How to find the landlord of a property.
- 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.
Check the landlord of a home you’re about to rent
With no register to look them up in, check who owns the home. Our ownership check reads HM Land Registry data for the address. If a company owns it, we name the company and check it on Companies House, and flag one that is dissolved, insolvent or registered outside the UK. If a private individual owns it, we say so but don’t name them.
It’s in Complete RenterCheck, which also compares the landlord named in your tenancy agreement with the owner on record, or on its own for £2.99.
One-off payment · No subscription · Secure Stripe checkout · Private report link · Agreement check included
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.
- How to find the landlord of a property — including your legal right to be told who they are.
- Is my deposit protected? — the one obligation with a hard deadline and real compensation behind it.
- RenterCheck’s ownership check — who owns the home, and whether a company owner is dissolved, insolvent or registered outside the UK, for £2.99.
Questions renters ask
Can I check if a landlord is registered in England?
Not yet. Landlords register on the Private Rented Sector Database from 15 December 2026, region by region, but renters can’t search it and no date has been published for when they will. Until then, check the council licensing register, Companies House for a company landlord, and HM Land Registry for who owns the home.
Do landlords have to be registered in England?
Not until the database reaches their region. Registration opens in the West Midlands on 15 December 2026 and in every region by August 2027, with three months to register after each opening. After that, a landlord can’t lawfully market or let a home that isn’t on it. Some homes already need a council licence, which is a separate thing.
How do I check who owns the home I’m renting?
The HM Land Registry title register names the owner for £7. For a company owner, Companies House shows whether it is still trading. RenterCheck’s ownership check does both for an address, and flags a company that is dissolved, insolvent or registered outside the UK.
Check the landlord
Check who owns the home before you pay anything.