Renting a home involves more than agreeing the rent. Knowing who your landlord is, whether the property needs a licence and where to report concerns can help you make informed decisions and protect your rights.
England has a national database of rogue landlords and property agents, but tenants cannot currently search it directly. There are other checks you can make, including a public checker for London. This guide explains how these tools work and what to do if you suspect unlawful conduct.
Updated: 7 October 2026. This guide covers private renting in England.
What is the rogue landlord database?
The Database of Rogue Landlords and Property Agents was established under the Housing and Planning Act 2016. It helps local housing authorities identify serious offenders and share information across council boundaries.
Councils must record people subject to banning orders. They can also make entries following certain convictions or repeated financial penalties for banning order offences, subject to the statutory requirements. An ordinary complaint or disagreement with a landlord does not automatically lead to an entry.
The database supports enforcement. It does not award compensation or resolve a tenant’s individual dispute.
Can tenants search the national database?
The existing national database is an enforcement tool for local housing authorities rather than a public register.
However, you can contact the council responsible for your rental property and ask about relevant enforcement action. Government guidance encourages councils to make information about banned landlords available when a tenant requests it. This does not give tenants unrestricted access to the database or guarantee disclosure of every record.
Use the GOV.UK council finder to identify the appropriate authority, then contact its private sector housing or housing enforcement team.
Renting in London? Use the public checker
London has a separate Rogue Landlord and Agent Checker.
It contains certain records of enforcement action against landlords and agents, including council prosecutions and fines, relevant London Fire Brigade action and expulsions from letting agent redress schemes.
When searching:
- Try the landlord’s surname or one word of the business name first.
- Check the property address and other identifying details carefully.
- Read the offence, enforcement date and record expiry date.
- Save any relevant result for your records.
A search returning no results is not a guarantee that a landlord or property complies with the law. The checker covers particular enforcement outcomes, records remain publicly visible for limited periods and some information is available only to councils.
What about the new national rental database?
The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 provides for a new Private Rented Sector Database covering landlords and rental properties across England.
Government guidance states that it will roll out gradually by area from late 2026. Once live in your area, it will allow tenants to check who they are renting from and whether the landlord is registered. It should not be assumed that a nationwide public search is already available.
Read the government’s implementation update for the latest position.
Practical checks before you rent
A database search is only one part of checking a prospective home. Before committing, take these steps:
Confirm the landlord’s identity. Ask for the landlord’s full name and check it against the tenancy documents. If a company is involved, use the free Companies House search to check its registered details. A company registration is not evidence of compliance with housing law.
Check property licensing. Ask the council whether the address requires an HMO, additional or selective licence. Request confirmation of the licence status and relevant dates. Licensing requirements vary between areas, and a property can require a licence even if it is not a large shared house.
Check the agent’s complaints arrangements. Ask which redress scheme the letting agent belongs to and how to use its complaints procedure.
Ask about safety and deposit arrangements. Request the applicable gas safety record, electrical safety report and energy performance certificate. If you are paying a tenancy deposit, ask which approved scheme will protect it.
The GOV.UK private renting guide explains the main rights and responsibilities.
What should you do if you suspect unlawful conduct?
Concerns may include serious hazards, a property operating without a required licence, harassment, threatened lock changes or failure to comply with council enforcement notices.
Start by keeping a clear record:
- Your tenancy agreement and rent payment evidence.
- Dated photographs or videos of the problem.
- Emails, messages and repair requests.
- A timeline of incidents and responses.
- Council correspondence, inspection reports and notices.
For repairs, notify the landlord or agent in writing and explain what needs attention. If the issue remains unresolved, contact the council’s private sector housing or environmental health team. Where you suspect an offence or face an urgent threat, seek help promptly. You do not need to wait until a landlord appears on a database before reporting concerns. See GOV.UK guidance on complaints about private renting.
If you are threatened with violence or are in immediate danger, call 999. For threatened or actual unlawful eviction, contact the council and obtain urgent housing advice.
Could you recover rent?
Certain housing offences can support an application for a rent repayment order in the First-tier Tribunal. Examples include operating a property without a required licence and unlawful eviction or harassment.
A landlord does not need to appear on a rogue landlord database, or have a prior conviction, for an application to succeed. The tribunal must be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that the relevant offence was committed.
Under the rules introduced from 1 May 2026, qualifying claims can cover up to 24 months’ rent, with an application period of up to two years. Earlier offences and cases spanning the change in law require careful assessment of the transitional rules. The maximum award is not automatically payable in every case.
Read the official rent repayment order guidance for tenants.
Seek advice about deadlines promptly. Waiting for a council investigation does not necessarily protect your right to bring a claim.
Does reporting a landlord end your tenancy?
Making a complaint or finding an enforcement record does not, by itself, end your tenancy. Equally, it does not establish an automatic right to compensation.
Your options depend on the conduct involved, the evidence and your tenancy circumstances. Obtain advice before withholding rent, leaving without appropriate notice or assuming that an enforcement record proves your own claim.
How Privity Legal can help
Privity Legal advises tenants and landlords on residential landlord and tenant disputes, including property licensing, rent repayment orders, housing disrepair, tenancy deposits and possession proceedings.
If you are concerned about your landlord’s conduct, we can review your documents, assess the available evidence and explain the appropriate next steps.
Visit our Landlord and Tenant Law page to find out more.
Useful links
- London Rogue Landlord and Agent Checker
- Find your local council
- GOV.UK: Complaints about private renting
- GOV.UK: Rent repayment orders for tenants
- GOV.UK: Private renting rights and responsibilities
- Companies House: Check a company
- Shelter England: Housing advice
This article provides general information. Advice on your circumstances will depend on the relevant facts, documents and applicable law.
