PRS Database West Midlands: Register by 14 March 2027

PRS Database West Midlands: register by 14 March 2027

Landlords with let property in the West Midlands must register it on the PRS Database by 14 March 2027, the first deadline in England. The requirement starts on 15 December 2026, registration costs £65 per property per year, and the property's location decides the deadline, so a London landlord with a Birmingham flat is in this first wave.

This article is for general information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Landlords should seek independent legal advice for their specific circumstances. It describes the position in England as at 8 October 2026.

When is the PRS Database deadline in the West Midlands?

The deadline is 14 March 2027. Regulation 1(3) of the draft Private Rented Sector Database Regulations 2026 brings the registration rules into force for West Midlands properties on 15 December 2026, and the government's Get ready guidancegives a three month window after that date. Once the window closes, the guidance says councils in the region can begin enforcement.

The regulations were still awaiting parliamentary approval at the time of writing. The deadline falls on a Sunday, which is a practical reason not to leave registration to the final weekend.

Which council areas count as the West Midlands?

Schedule 1 to the draft regulations defines the West Midlands region as the areas of 14 councils, as they existed on 15 December 2026. For the three county councils, every district council area within the county is included.

If a property sits in any of these areas, the 14 March 2027 deadline applies to it regardless of where the landlord lives. Properties elsewhere follow their own region's date, set out in our step by step registration guide.

Which properties in the region must be registered?

Every property in the region let on an assured or regulated tenancy must have an active landlord entry and an active dwelling entry, under section 82(3) of the Renters' Rights Act 2025. For now, the government's guidance says that applies to properties currently let or let during the rollout; empty properties will follow under future legislation. Supported exempt accommodation is excluded. Our article on which properties must be registered covers the letting types that fall outside the scheme.

Which West Midlands licensing schemes must you declare?

Each dwelling entry asks whether the property needs an HMO licence, an additional licence or a selective licence, and for the licence numbers where available. That is paragraph 10 of Schedule 3 to the draft regulations. Mandatory HMO licensing applies across the whole region to HMOs with five or more occupiers forming two or more households. On top of that, these discretionary schemes were in force in the region when this article was checked in October 2026.

Licensing schemes change often, and several councils in the region are at proposal stage. Stoke-on-Trent announced a proposed citywide additional HMO scheme in August 2026, subject to consultation. Tamworth opened a consultation on an additional HMO scheme on 20 May 2026. Wolverhampton has tendered for a consultation on additional and selective licensing. Telford and Wrekin's planned boroughwide additional scheme was revoked in September 2026, before it took effect.

Check your council's own licensing page before registering, and see our guide on how to check whether your area has a selective licensing scheme. Since the General Approval 2024 took effect on 23 December 2024, councils no longer need the Secretary of State's confirmation for selective schemes of any size, so new designations can arrive with less notice than before.

An unlicensed licensable property is a separate offence under section 72 or section 95 of the Housing Act 2004. The civil penalty maximum for licensing offences rose to £40,000 from 1 May 2026. Registering on the database does not replace a local licence, and declaring "no licence needed" for a property that does need one would put inaccurate information on the record.

What will a West Midlands landlord need for each property?

For each let property, have the following ready before 15 December 2026:

• Gas safety record and its issue date, if the property has a gas supply.
• EICR and the date the next inspection is due, or an appropriate EIC for a new installation.
• EPC, if one had to be given to the current tenant, and details of any registered MEES exemption if the rating is below band E.
• Licence numbers for any HMO, additional or selective licence.
• Rent, payment frequency and utilities included, plus occupant and household numbers and whether the property is furnished.

The tenancy and safety information can be added up to 28 days after the dwelling entry is created, but the entry becomes inactive if it is not. Our PRS Database information checklist lists every field.

What happens after 14 March 2027 if you have not registered?

The enforcement provisions below (sections 82, 90, 91 and 92 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025) are not yet fully in force. The draft regulations' explanatory memorandum says a separate Commencement No. 4 Regulations will bring them in; that instrument had not been made at the time of writing. If it is made on the expected timetable, a council will be able to impose a civil penalty of up to £7,000 for a breach of the registration duty under section 91 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025, and up to £40,000 for the offences in section 92, such as knowingly or recklessly giving false information or continuing a breach after a penalty. Possession will also be restricted. Section 90 of the Act will insert section 7(5ZC) into the Housing Act 1988, so that a court may not make a possession order while the landlord is in breach of the duty to hold active entries, unless the ground is 7A or 14.

If the restriction is commenced region by region, West Midlands landlords are likely to feel it first. A landlord without active entries could then reach court unable to obtain an order on the most common grounds, including rent arrears. Our article on PRS Database penalties sets out each consequence.

What if you also own property outside the West Midlands?

You can register every property from 15 December 2026, including those in regions whose requirement starts later. Doing it in one sitting has a practical advantage: under regulation 10(4) of the draft regulations, later dwelling entries take the same renewal date as your existing ones, so the whole portfolio renews together. The government has also said fees will be pro-rated during the rollout so early registrants do not pay more.

West Midlands landlords are the first to find out how quickly they can produce a current gas safety record, EICR, EPC and licence number for every property. LLCR holds each one against its property with its expiry date, so the registration upload is a matter of minutes. Run the free compliance checker to see what is missing before 14 March 2027.