Mandatory private landlord registration has been in place since 2004 and it plays an important role in helping to improve standards for over 770,000 people who rely on the private rented sector to provide them with a home.

Evidence suggests that the current application process is not robust enough to ensure that all landlords understand and comply with their legal responsibilities, the government said. The consultation therefore seeks views on proposals to ask for additional information about compliance with legal duties relating to letting houses.

Landlord registration application fees have not increased since 2006, and so they do not reflect the additional work or increased costs to local authorities of administering landlord registration within an expanding private rented sector. The consultation also seeks views on amending the current fee structure to ensure that fees are proportionate and reasonable to the authorisation process undertaken by local authorities.

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The proposals are intended to strengthen the system of landlord registration in a proportionate way that will help to ensure that homes rented to private rented sector tenants are of good quality and are managed professionally.

Responses to the consultation will help to shape changes to the application process that will require landlords to demonstrate that they meet their legal responsibilities. They will also inform amendments to the way that fees are charged so that local authorities have enough resources to make informed decisions about who can be approved to operate as a landlord.

Download the consultation paper here or click here to begin the consultation.