What happens if you don't join the landlord register

Once your region's window has closed, your council can take action against landlords who haven't registered. The fines matter, but the consequence most landlords miss is that you can't get your property back through the courts without an active registration.

Fines

• Up to £7,000 for advertising a property without an active registration, or for not updating your entry when something changes.
• Up to £40,000 for knowingly or recklessly giving false or misleading information, or for a breach that continues or is repeated.

No possession order without registration

A court can't grant a possession order while you don't have an active entry for both yourself and the property. The only exception is possession on anti-social behaviour grounds. If you ever need to sell, move in or deal with rent arrears, an unregistered property leaves you stuck.

Rent repayment orders

Tenants can apply for a rent repayment order where a landlord has given false information to the register, or still hasn't registered within 28 days of receiving a penalty.

In serious cases

Councils can investigate properties they suspect are let without registration, and the worst offenders can be banned from letting.

How to stay safe

Register within your region's window, renew every year, and update your entry within 28 days when a certificate is renewed, the rent changes or the number of people living there changes. Most problems come from forgetting an update, not from refusing to register.