For many months we've been telling landlords that the new Private Rented Sector (PRS) Database is going to become one of the biggest administrative changes introduced by the Renters' Rights Act.

While the Government has yet to confirm a launch date, we now have a very good indication of the information landlords and agents will need to provide in order to register every rental property and obtain its unique registration number.

This is no longer something landlords should be putting off.

What information will be required?

The information expected to be requested includes:

• Property postcode and house number. 
• Property type (detached, semi-detached, terraced, flat or other). 
• Ownership type (freehold, leasehold, share of freehold or commonhold). 
• Licensing status, including whether the property has a selective licence or HMO licence. 
• Whether the property is currently occupied. 
• Number of households living at the property. 
• Total number of occupants, including children and babies. 
• Number of bedrooms (excluding rooms under 4.64m²). 
• Whether bills are included within the rent. 
• Whether the property is furnished, part-furnished or unfurnished. 
• How often rent is charged. 
• Current rent amount. 
• Whether the property has a gas supply or gas appliances. 
• Upload of a valid Gas Safety Certificate within 28 days to maintain registration. 
• Details of the property's electrical certification (EIC or EICR). 
• Confirmation of the property's EPC, with the system expected to cross-reference the national EPC register. 

Why this matters

At first glance this may seem like fairly straightforward information. However, when you multiply this across several properties, landlords will quickly realise just how much information needs to be accurate and readily available.

More importantly, the PRS Database is expected to become the central record for rental properties in England. The information entered will be available to local authorities and will form part of wider compliance monitoring under the Renters' Rights Act.

Missing information, expired certificates or inaccurate records could create unnecessary compliance issues and delays.

What should landlords do now?

Now is the perfect time to carry out a compliance audit.

Make sure you know:

• Where all of your safety certificates are stored. 
• When your Gas Safety Certificate, EICR and EPC expire. 
• Whether your licensing information is up to date. 
• The exact occupancy details for each property. 
• Your current rent and tenancy information. 

Having this information organised now will make registration far simpler when the Database opens.

How Boydens can help

At Boydens, we've been preparing for the Renters' Rights Act for well over a year. As part of our fully managed service, we already maintain much of the information expected to be required, meaning our landlords will be in a far stronger position when registration becomes mandatory.

If you manage your own property and aren't sure whether your paperwork is complete, now is the time to check.

The PRS Database is coming, and while the registration process may appear straightforward, it's clear that landlords who leave it until the last minute could find themselves scrambling to locate documents and update records.

If you'd like a free tenancy compliance health check, get in touch with your local Boydens office today. We're here to make sure you're ready long before the new rules come into force.