England landlords largely unaware of mandatory property register

Research from the property management platform August indicates that a majority of landlords in England are unaware of the mandatory property register and ombudsman required under the Renters’ Rights Act. While 81% of landlords surveyed reported understanding the main points of the Act, only 23% were aware of the upcoming requirement to join the landlord database.

The government is set to roll out the database starting in December, with regional registration deadlines. The registration process involves a fee of £65 per property. Richard Samuel, CEO of August, noted a communication failure in the sector, warning that landlords could face penalties for failing to register simply because they were unaware of the requirement.

In response to these regulatory changes, the tool provider Lendlord has launched a Property Register tool. This feature is designed to help landlords compile existing portfolio information into registration packs and flag missing details to simplify the submission process. The tool also tracks regional deadlines and provides notifications for database renewals and updates.