After initial jubilation about the launch of a landlord database, the Generation Rent activist group has identified what it calls “gaps” which it wants filling.

The group complains:

Firstly there is no obligation for the landlord to lodge eviction notices with the property’s register entry. 

And the group says: “This will make it harder for renters and councils to prove that a landlord has broken the rules – and to claim back rent as a consequence.”

Secondly the group claims there is no way for prosecutions or other enforcement to be recorded on the register – al though landlords with banning orders will be prevented from registering.

Thirdly, the group wants the landlord database to be combined with an upcoming database short lets.

Fourthly the activists say the register could have made it easier for disabled and older renters to find suitable homes by including details of accessibility features.

Fifthly it wants the database to include information as to the protection for the deposit.

Sixthly it demands contact details (of whom is not made clear by Generation Rent) for neighbours and tenants with unspecified concerns about a property.

The seventh demand is for “clear information about the penalties for failure to register if a renter finds their landlord isn’t on there – as there could be a chance to claim back rent.”

An eighth demand is that the register must have clear information about renters’ rights and where to get help.

The group says: “The timetable for the database is a big step forward for our campaign, but until we can all type in our postcode and check our landlord is legit and our home is up to scratch, the work isn’t over.”

The database rolls out regionally between late this year and autumn 2027.