rentready / Landlord database guides
The true first-year cost of the landlord database
Registering a rental property on England's landlord database costs £65 a year, but the real first-year bill is about £125 to £155 a property once you add the annual gas safety record, and about £305 to £555 if the EICR and EPC also fall due before you register. You upload all three certificates when you register, so any that have expired, or will before your deadline, have to be renewed first.
Averaged over the life of each certificate, keeping one property compliant costs about £155 to £223 a year, of which the new fee is £65.
Work out your first year
Enter how many properties you will register and how many need each certificate renewed in the next 12 months. Nothing leaves your browser.
Certificate prices are typical ranges from published 2026 cost guides (sources below); London and the South East run higher. The fee is the full year; the service pro-rates it during the rollout, so your first payment can be lower.
Find out which certificates you need
Free check: shows, for each property, which certificate runs out before your region's deadline.
The fee
£65 per property per year, paid to the "Register your rental property" service, with one renewal date for the whole portfolio (fee guide). It is per property, not per landlord.
The certificates you upload
| Certificate | How often | Typical price |
|---|---|---|
| Gas safety record (CP12) | Every 12 months | £60 to £90, plus £10 to £20 per extra appliance |
| EICR (electrical report) | At least every 5 years | £120 to £280 (1-bed flat £120 to £180; 2 to 3 bed house £180 to £280) |
| EPC | Valid 10 years | £60 to £120 |
A property with no gas supply needs no gas safety record. Prices are what landlords typically pay, not fixed fees; get two or three local quotes.
First-year cost for 1, 3 and 10 properties
| Properties | Fee | Fee + gas records | Fee + all three certificates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | £65 | £125 to £155 | £305 to £555 |
| 3 | £195 | £375 to £465 | £915 to £1,665 |
| 10 | £650 | £1,250 to £1,550 | £3,050 to £5,550 |
"All three" is the worst case, where every EICR and EPC also falls due in the year. Most portfolios sit between the two columns.
The average yearly cost per property
Spread each certificate over the years it lasts and the steady cost of one property is: £65 fee + £60 to £90 gas + £24 to £56 EICR (a fifth of £120 to £280) + £6 to £12 EPC (a tenth of £60 to £120) = £155 to £223 a year. For three properties that is about £465 to £669; for ten, about £1,550 to £2,230.
Which certificates fall due before your deadline
That depends on your region. Landlords register in stages from 15 December 2026, region by region (deadlines by region); the West Midlands is first, with a 14 March 2027 deadline. Our analysis of government EPC data found about 243,000 rental EPCs reach ten years before their region's deadline. The free check works this out for each of your properties from the dates on your certificates and gives you a calendar file with a reminder before each one runs out.
Skipping is the expensive option: penalties go up to £7,000 for a breach and up to £40,000 for the offences in the Act (penalties guide).
Questions
How much does the landlord database cost in the first year?
The fee is £65 a property. With the annual gas safety record, the first year costs about £125 to £155 a property. If the EICR and EPC also fall due, about £305 to £555.
What does compliance cost a property on average each year?
About £155 to £223: the £65 fee, an annual gas safety record (£60 to £90), an EICR every 5 years (£120 to £280) and an EPC every 10 years (£60 to £120), spread over their lifetimes.
Do I need new certificates to register?
No new ones, only valid ones. You upload the current gas safety record, EICR and EPC. Any that have expired, or will before your deadline, need renewing first.
Related guides
Sources
- Get ready to register: Register your rental property (official guidance, housinghub.campaign.gov.uk)
- Draft Private Rented Sector Database Regulations 2026 (legislation.gov.uk; not yet made)
- Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, regulation 36: checks at intervals of not more than 12 months
- Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020, regulation 3: at least every 5 years
- gov.uk: an EPC is valid for 10 years
- Logbook: gas safety certificate cost, £60 to £90 for a single boiler (updated 19 Aug 2026)
- HomeBuyerCheck: gas safety certificate cost 2026, £60 to £90 (updated 11 Sep 2026)
- Elec-Mate: EICR cost, £120 to £280 by size (updated 10 Oct 2026)
- CostToBuild: EICR cost UK, 2026 market data
- Uswitch: EPCs cost £60 to £120 (updated 27 Jul 2026)
- EPC Advisor: EPC cost 2026, £60 to £120 (reviewed 1 Jun 2026)
Not legal advice. Prices are typical ranges, not quotes. Check gov.uk before relying on this. Last checked 31 Oct 2026.