All landlords in Northern Ireland must register their details with a central database.
The rules for the registration scheme come from
- Article 65A of the Private Tenancies (NI) Order 2006, and
- The Landlord Registration Scheme Regulations (NI) 2014.
What happens if you don't register as a landlord?
You must register as a landlord before you set up a tenancy.
The council can make you pay a penalty or prosecute you if you do not register. The penalty charge is £500. The maximum fine a court can charge is £2500.
You must provide your information to the registrar even if an agent manages the tenancy.
How do you register as a landlord in Northern Ireland?
You can
- register online, or
- register by calling 0300 200 7821, or
- complete a paper application form.
Fees and renewals
You have to pay a fee to register. The fee is
- £70 for online and telephone registrations,
- £80 for paper registrations.
You have to renew your registration every 3 years. You will receive a reminder 4 weeks before the date your registration ends.
You do not have to pay the registration fee if you are a licensed HMO landlord.
Do joint owners all have to register?
Anyone named as an owner of the property has to be on the register. The fee only has to be paid once, no matter how many people are joint owners.
What information do you need to provide to the landlord registrar?
You need to provide the following information:
- your full name
- your address, email address and telephone numbers, including any mobile numbers
- a correspondence address for you in Northern Ireland if this is different to the other address you have provided
- your date of birth
- the company registration number if the landlord is a company
- the name, address and contact number of any agent acting on your behalf
For every property you let you'll need to supply:
- the address, including the postcode
- the date the house was built
- the name and contact details of any joint owners
If you are a HMO landlord, you will need to provide
- information about your HMO license and
- the addresses of your HMO properties.
Is the information you provide public?
Most of the information you provide is private. People can only see this information if they need it to carry out an official role and they are employees of
- a council
- the Housing Executive's housing benefit unit
- the Department for Communities's Universal Credit team
- Land & Property Services.
Members of the public can
- search a person's name to see if they are a registered landlord, or
- search a property's address to see if the landlord is registered.
You can't use the public search to match a property to its owner or to see what properties a landlord owns.
Changing your information
You can update your registration details by logging in to the register. You'll need to enter your email and password to access your records. There won't be a charge for updating your details.
Offences
You'll be guilty of an offence if
- you rent out a property without registering your details
- you give the registrar false information
- you fail to provide evidence of your registration in particular circumstances
The council can order you to pay a penalty charge if you commit an offence. If you don't pay the charge the council can take you to court. At court the judge can order a maximum fine of £2500.
Printer-friendly version