A leading think tank has called for a mandatory £46 annual landlord registration fee to fund enforcement of housing standards in the private rented sector (PRS), arguing it would significantly improve council capacity and come at minimal cost to landlords.

In a new briefing, the New Economics Foundation (NEF) said that the forthcoming compulsory landlord database, part of the Renters’ Rights Bill, represents a “unique opportunity” to fix the chronic under-resourcing of local housing enforcement teams. “Too many renters are stuck in damp, dangerous, and insecure homes, while rogue landlords go unchallenged and enforcement teams are stretched to breaking point,” said NEF senior economist Christian Jaccarini.

“For less than the cost of a meal out for two each year, charging fees to sign up to a landlord registry could finally end the postcode lottery in enforcement and make decent housing a right.”

Massive Gaps in Local Authority Capacity

According to NEF’s analysis, England has an average of 3,300 private rented properties per enforcement officer, but this headline figure hides “stark” inequalities between councils.

• Nottingham has the strongest enforcement coverage, with one officer for every 267 PRS homes.

• By contrast, Huntingdonshire — ranked worst — has almost 25,000 properties per officer, nearly 100 times as many.

NEF argues that such disparities leave many local authorities with “largely symbolic” enforcement powers, as overstretched teams cannot meaningfully inspect or respond to complaints, particularly in high-demand areas.

The Case for a £46 Annual Fee

The proposed £46 fee — less than £1 per week — would be paid by all landlords annually upon registration in the new national database. NEF estimates this would:

• Ensure no enforcement officer covers more than 1,000 properties,

• Triple PRS enforcement staffing nationally on average,

• Reduce landlord yields by less than 0.03 percentage points, even in low-rent areas.

The Foundation argues that this level of investment would fund a new era of proactive enforcement, shifting councils away from reactive, complaint-led models and enabling them to target non-compliant landlords before tenants are harmed. “Councils, tenants, and even landlords agree: we need a landlord registry that holds bad actors to account and gives responsible landlords the credit they deserve,” NEF’s statement read.

Political and Sector Support

The government’s proposed landlord registry, part of a wider PRS database due to come into force under the Renters’ Rights Bill, has been broadly welcomed by housing campaigners and many in the local government sector.

While some landlord groups have expressed concern about additional red tape, NEF points to surveys showing over half of landlords support stronger regulation of the PRS. Many argue that good landlords have little to fear from a system that rewards compliance and targets rogue operators.

Despite the database’s promise, NEF warns that without dedicated funding for enforcement, the system risks becoming “just another administrative burden” on councils already struggling to meet statutory housing duties.

Next Steps

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities is expected to consult on the final design of the landlord database, including fee structures and how revenue is distributed. Campaigners are now pressing for fees to be ringfenced to support enforcement and housing standards work at the local level.

With parliamentary scrutiny of the Renters’ Rights Bill ongoing, NEF’s intervention adds pressure on ministers to ensure the registry delivers real change — not just better data, but better conditions for renters across the country.