The landlord database, the ombudsman, and licensing: checks you can make
From 15 December 2026 every private landlord in England must register on the Private Rented Sector Database, region by region, and join the landlord ombudsman. Shared houses and some areas need a licence. What each one gives you, and how to check.
England. Checked against the law on 27 September 2026. Information, not legal advice.
The landlord database
The Private Rented Sector Database opens region by region from 15 December 2026 (the West Midlands first, every region by November 2027). Once your region's date has passed, your landlord must be registered, and so must the property, before it can be advertised or let. A landlord who is not registered cannot get possession and faces a penalty of up to £7,000. You will be able to search it.
The landlord ombudsman
After the database, every private landlord must join the Private Rented Sector Landlord Ombudsman. It is free for tenants. You complain to the landlord first; if they do not put it right, the ombudsman investigates and can order an apology, action or compensation. It is for how the landlord dealt with you, not for the council's safety enforcement and not for possession cases.
Licensing
- A house in multiple occupation (three or more people from more than one household sharing a kitchen or bathroom) usually needs an HMO licence; larger ones always do.
- Some councils run selective licensing: every rented home in the area needs a licence.
- Councils publish their licence registers. If the property should be licensed and is not, you can apply to the First-tier Tribunal for a rent repayment order of up to 12 months' rent, and the council can fine the landlord up to £30,000.
What MyLandlordPA does
The tenant check asks whether the home is shared or in a licensing area and points you to the council register. When the database opens for your region, the check tells you and links to the search. MyLandlordPA never applies for you and never takes a fee for a claim.
Questions tenants ask
How do I find out if my landlord needs a licence?
Search your council's website for "HMO licence register" or "selective licensing". If your home is shared by three or more people from different households, it is likely an HMO.
What is a rent repayment order?
An order from the First-tier Tribunal that the landlord repay you rent, up to twelve months' worth, when they committed an offence such as letting an unlicensed property or an illegal eviction. Councils can help you apply.
Can I complain to the ombudsman about repairs?
Once your landlord must be a member, yes, about how they handled your repair. For an unsafe home, the council can act sooner.
More guides
Your deposit: protected within 30 days, capped at five weeks, and the 1 to 3 times rule
A private landlord in England must protect your deposit in a government scheme within 30 days and tell you where it is. If they did not, you can claim up to three times the deposit, and some possession grounds are blocked. How to check for free.
The safety certificates your landlord must give you
Gas safety record every year, an electrical report every five years, an EPC rated E or better, and working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. What you should have been given, when, and what to do if you were not.
Rent increases: once a year, two months' notice, and how to challenge one
In England since 1 May 2026 a private landlord can only raise the rent by a section 13 notice on the prescribed form, once a year, with at least two months' notice. Anything else is not valid. You can ask the tribunal to set a market rent, free.
Repairs, damp and mould: what the landlord must fix, and how fast
Your landlord must keep the structure, heating, water, gas and electrics in repair, and deal with damp, mould and other hazards within set times under Awaab's law. How to report a problem so it counts, and who to go to when nothing happens.
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