Landlord Registration deadline looming

All landlords of properties which are rented out to tenants in Northern Ireland must register their details by the 25 February 2015.

The Department for Social Development, which is responsible for overseeing the private rented sector, is currently promoting the Landlord Registration Scheme throughout Northern Ireland. Any property owners who fail to comply with the scheme may face a fine of up to £2,500.

Who needs to register?

All landlords of properties let under a private tenancy in Northern Ireland will have to register their details and the details of each rental property.  "Landlord" includes anyone who is named as an owner on the deeds of a rental property.  So, if the property is owned by two people, but only one of these actually is involved in collecting rent or managing the property, both people will still need to register their details and pay the registration fee. 

People who rent out rooms in their homes to lodgers will not need to register.

Landlords who are already on the HMO register will need to supply their details to the new registrar, but will not have to pay a fee. Registration must be renewed after 3 years.

Deadline for registration

The absolute deadline for registration is the 25 February 2015.  However, if a landlord creates a new tenancy before then, he or she must be registered immediately before creating this tenancy.  

A periodic tenancy rising out of a fixed term agreement ending will count as a new tenancy, so landlords should make sure they are registered before any fixed term agreements renew.

How to register

Registration can be completed:

• online
• by calling the advice line on 0300 200 7821 where an agent will register on the landlord’s behalf; or
• by completing a paper form and returning this to NI Direct, 3rd Floor, Causeway Exchange, 1-7 Bedford Street, Belfast, BT2 7EG.  Paper forms are available online, from your local council or rates office or can be requested by calling 0300 200 7821.  

How much does it cost

Online registration costs £70, while registering by telephone or using the paper form costs £80.  Online registration is encouraged as it is the cheaper option. Registering over the phone or using the paper form is more expensive as this process costs more to administer.

Information required by the registrar

Landlords will have to supply the following information:

• full name
• address, email address and telephone numbers, including any  mobile numbers
• a correspondence address in Northern Ireland if this is different to the other address provided
• date of birth
• the company registration number if the landlord is a company
• the name, address and contact number of any agent acting on the landlord’s behalf

For each property registered, landlords must supply

• the address, including the postcode
• the date the house was built
• the name and contact details of any joint owners

Landlords who do not have to pay fees because they have already paid to register a House in Multiple Occupation will also need to supply:

• the HMO registration certificate number and
• the address of each HMO

Publicly available information

Most of the information on the register will only be visible to people who need to access the register to carry out official work, such as officers from the local council, Land & Property Services or the Housing Executive. Limited information is available to members of the public through the website.  On entering a property's address, a member of the public can see if there is a registered landlord for this property.

On entering a landlord's name the system confirms whether or not that person is registered.   It will also provide them with the registration number, name and contact details of any agent. The landlord’s name will not be linked to a property on any public search facility.

Checking the register

Tenants and advisers can check the register to see if a landlord has registered.  It is possible to search by landlord name or by property address.

Help and information for landlords

Housing Rights Service publishes advice and guidance for private landlords on our housingadviceNI website, which is funded by the NI Housing Executive.