Detailing the database | New Economics Foundation

The Renters’ Rights Bill presents a once in a generation opportunity to tackle England’s long-standing crisis in the private rented sector (PRS). Among its most consequential components is the introduction of a national PRS database. If ambitiously implemented, this new system could transform the enforcement landscape by driving up transparency, enabling accountability, and giving local authorities the tools and funding they need to uphold standards.

This report explores how the PRS database can act as a springboard for systemic improvement. Drawing on mixed-methods research including interviews with stakeholders from local authorities, landlord bodies, tenant groups, and industry actors, we assess how the database could help rebalance power in the PRS and repair England’s fragmented enforcement framework. Our analysis is underpinned by economic modelling that demonstrates how even modest fees could significantly boost local authority enforcement capacity. 

The PRS accounts for approximately 4.7 million households in England, yet it remains one of the tenure types with the poorest property standards. While existing enforcement duties lie with local authorities, our research reveals a postcode lottery in capacity: in the most stretched areas, a single officer is responsible for up to 25,000 properties; in better-resourced areas, the ratio is closer to 650. Many councils are forced to rely on tenant complaints, but tenants themselves face barriers to enforcement including fear of eviction and a lack of information or legal support. 

Against this backdrop, the PRS database represents a rare opportunity to introduce a national, consistent framework to support local enforcement while raising expectations of landlord behaviour. Participants across the housing ecosystem — including tenants, landlords, and councils — recognised this potential and were in broad agreement on key data priorities and system design features.

The effectiveness of the PRS database depends on its ambition. If designed as a simple register, its impact will be marginal. But if implemented boldly, the database can:

• Require landlords to upload essential documents such as compliance certificates, tenancy agreements, rent data, and enforcement histories.
• Enable tenants to make informed decisions and report concerns through a publicly accessible interface.
• Provide local authorities with a robust tool for proactive enforcement, replacing opaque, manual systems.
• Serve as an educational platform with rights-based guidance for tenants and best-practice training for landlords.
• Fund a step-change in enforcement capacity through modest annual fees — estimated at £46.08 per property, which could reduce average workloads from 3,300 properties per officer to fewer than 1,000.

Modelling shows that even assuming 65% compliance, a modest annual per-property fee could lead to a +233% uplift in PRS enforcement-related staffing nationally. This would ensure every council could maintain a meaningful enforcement presence. Critically, the revenue must be ringfenced for local enforcement functions rather than be diverted to general administration or lost to central budgets.

To realise its full potential, the PRS database must:

1. Mandate essential data: Including property-level compliance, landlord identity, rent levels, enforcement history, and basic accessibility features.
2. Ensure access: Local authorities must have full access; tenants should have visibility of core compliance information; and stakeholders like lenders and ombudsmen should have functional data sharing
3. Ringfence revenue: Fees must directly fund frontline enforcement teams. Local authorities must have financial certainty to plan, recruit, and sustain capacity.
4. Support participation: Landlords should see reputational benefits from compliance. Training, optional reviews, and early-bird incentives should all be built in
5. Complement, not replace, licensing: The database and licensing schemes must work together to cover reactive and proactive enforcement needs.

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