Landlord Database – Mandatory registration

Big news today from the Government which affects the Private Rental Sector. From December, starting in the West Midlands (with other regions to follow) landlords who have active tenancies will have to register with the new “landlord registration service”. This is the first step towards establishing the new PRS database. Our view at SLL is that this is completely unnecessary, but it has been discussed for a long time in Government circles. How this will improve anything for landlords or tenants is questionable.

The government has also announced that the Valuation Office, as opposed to the FTT, will become responsible for hearing challenges to rent increases, at least in the interim period. The danger is that the FTT will be inundated with rent increase challenges under the Act, particularly because there is very little incentive for tenants not to challenge rent increases, especially now everyone has access to AI software to write the challenges. According to Matthew Pennycook, transferring responsibility for making initial rent determinations to the VO “will ensure that challenges to proposed rent increases are determined faster and pressure on the tribunal system is reduced”.

We remain unconvinced, and will keep a close eye on progress of this item of the Renters Reform Act.