Free landlord check
Check a landlord before renting
The short answer: before you pay anything, check the landlord or agent’s company on Companies House, who owns the home on HM Land Registry, the agent’s redress scheme, whether the home needs a council licence, and where your deposit will be protected. Look the company up free below.
England · Checked 14 October 2026
- 1Type the company name from the advert or agreement
- 2See its record on Companies House
- 3Ask the agent or landlord about anything that looks wrong
Look up a landlord or letting agent company
Search the Companies House register for the company named on your tenancy agreement. You will see its status, when it was incorporated, its registered office and whether its statutory filings are up to date.
Being on the register says nothing about the quality of a landlord or agent. It tells you the company exists, is who it says it is, and is keeping up with its filings.
Six checks before you pay anything
1. The company on the agreement
If the landlord or agent is a company, look it up above. Companies House shows whether it is active, when it was set up, its registered office and whether its filings are up to date. A company that has been dissolved, or is being struck off, is a reason to stop and ask the agent or landlord why.
2. Who owns the home
HM Land Registry’s title register shows who owns a home. The landlord and the owner are not always the same: a letting agent may manage it, or the home may be let under a lease. If they differ, ask the agent or landlord what gives them the right to let it. How to find out who owns a home.
3. The letting agent
Letting agents in England must belong to a government-approved redress scheme (The Property Ombudsman or Property Redress), and agents who hold tenants’ money must be in a client money protection scheme and give you the certificate if you ask. Ask the agent which schemes they belong to before you pay.
4. Licensing
Some rented homes need a licence from the council: shared homes with five or more people from more than one household everywhere, and in some areas most rented homes. Check whether a licensing scheme covers the home.
5. Registration
Landlords in England are joining a new national register, the PRS database, region by region. Renters can’t search it yet. What you can check about registration today.
6. The deposit
A tenancy deposit must be protected in a government-approved scheme within 30 days, and you must be told which one. Ask the agent or landlord which scheme before you pay. How to check a deposit is protected.
Check the owner and the landlord together
Complete RenterCheck shows the registered owner from HM Land Registry. A company owner is named and checked on Companies House; a private owner isn’t named, and the report links to the title register that does. It also covers licensing and the deposit limits for the rent, and compares the landlord named in your tenancy agreement with the owner on record.
One-off payment · No subscription · Secure Stripe checkout · Private report link · Agreement check included
We don’t publish landlord ratings, reviews or scores. A register can tell you who somebody is; it can’t tell you what they are like to rent from. This is general information for England, not legal advice.
Questions about checking a landlord
How do I check a landlord before renting?
Before you pay anything: look up the landlord or agent’s company on Companies House, check who owns the home on HM Land Registry, ask which redress and client money protection schemes the agent belongs to, check whether the home needs a council licence, and ask which scheme will protect your deposit.
How do I find out who owns a rented property?
HM Land Registry’s title register names the owner of most homes in England and Wales, for a £7 fee per title. The owner and the landlord aren’t always the same: an agent may manage it, or it may be let under a lease. If they differ, ask what gives the landlord the right to let it.
Is there a register of landlords in England?
Not one renters can search yet. Landlords are joining a new national register, the PRS database, region by region under draft regulations, and renters can’t look landlords up in it so far. Some councils keep licensing registers for the homes their schemes cover.
How do I check a letting agent is legitimate?
Letting agents in England must belong to a government-approved redress scheme (The Property Ombudsman or the Property Redress Scheme), and agents who hold tenants’ money must be in a client money protection scheme. Ask for both before you pay, and check them on the scheme’s own website.
Can I see reviews or ratings of a landlord?
There is no official rating of private landlords in England. Public registers can tell you who a landlord is, whether their company is active and whether the home is licensed, but not what they are like to rent from.