New Landlord Register: What Bexley & Kent Landlords Need to Know
A simple guide to the new landlord register, including Bexley and Kent registration dates, what landlords need to provide and what happens if you don't register.
Another major change is coming for landlords in England.
The Government has confirmed that the new “Register your rental property” service will begin rolling out from 15 December 2026 as part of the Renters’ Rights Act reforms.
Registration will eventually be compulsory for private landlords across England, although different regions will join the scheme at different times.
The important bits at a glance
Registration will be compulsory for landlords covered by the new scheme.
You will need to register yourself and each relevant rental property.
The scheme rolls out region by region from 15 December 2026.
Landlords will have approximately three months to register once their region goes live.
The database is expected to include landlord details, property information and key safety information such as Gas Safety, EICR and EPC records.
Your letting agent can help provide some of the information, but the landlord remains responsible for registration.
Failing to register can ultimately result in financial penalties.
Government guidance provides for penalties of up to £7,000 for breaches, rising to as much as £40,000 for serious or repeated offences.
When do landlords in Bexley and Kent need to register?
This is probably the most important point for our local landlords because Bexley and Dartford fall into different registration periods.
Properties within the London Borough of Bexley, including areas such as Bexleyheath, Welling, Erith and Belvedere, fall within the London rollout.
For London:
Registration opens: 15 July 2027
Deadline: 14 October 2027
Dartford and other properties within the South East join earlier.
For the South East:
Registration opens: 15 March 2027
Deadline: 14 June 2027
So if you own several rental properties, it is important to check which region each property falls within rather than assuming they will all have the same deadline.
What information will landlords need?
The Government expects landlords to provide information about themselves and their property, including contact details, the property address and type, number of bedrooms and occupancy information.
Safety and compliance information is also expected to form part of the database, including details relating to Gas Safety Certificates, electrical safety and Energy Performance Certificates.
For most organised landlords, this should therefore be more about gathering existing information than creating anything completely new.
Can your letting agent do it for you?
Your letting or managing agent will be able to assist with parts of the process and provide certain information on your behalf.
However, the Government has made an important distinction: the landlord will remain responsible for providing the required information and completing the registration process. Further guidance for letting agents and property managers is expected before launch.
What happens if you don't register?
This isn't something landlords will be able to simply ignore.
The Renters’ Rights Act gives local authorities enforcement powers where landlords fail to comply with the database requirements. Initial breaches can attract penalties of up to £7,000, while repeated or more serious offences can lead to penalties of up to £40,000 or prosecution.
The legislation can also restrict a landlord's ability to obtain possession of a property while they are failing to comply with the database requirements, subject to certain exceptions.
What should landlords do now?
There is no need for Bexley or Kent landlords to register immediately.
However, now is a sensible time to make sure your property records are organised and that your EPC, Gas Safety Certificate, EICR and other compliance documents are easy to access.
The biggest mistake will probably be leaving everything until the registration deadline and then trying to reconstruct five years of property paperwork from emails, filing cabinets and someone's forgotten Dropbox account.
The Property Cloud will keep landlords updated
There is still further guidance to come before the scheme reaches our area, particularly around exactly how agents will be able to support landlords through registration.
At The Property Cloud, we will continue to monitor the changes and update our landlords as the new system gets closer.
If we manage your property, we will also explain what we can assist with and what you will need to complete personally once the final registration process is confirmed.
If you're a landlord in Bexley, Dartford or the surrounding areas and would like help understanding the Renters’ Rights Act changes, contact our lettings team on 020 8935 5256.
