Most landlords are ignorant about the upcoming mandatory private rental sector database, the authors of a survey claim.

A small survey – just 276 landlords, conducted by property management firm August – found that four in five (81%) say they understand the Renters Rights Act, at least in its main points. 

Just under half (46%) say they understand it and have already changed how they operate, while 35% understand the main points but have not yet acted. 

One in eight (12%) know the Act exists but do not understand the details, and 7% were not aware of it before taking the survey.

Asked which of seven headline measures they were aware of, landlords were most familiar with the right of tenants to request a pet, which landlords cannot unreasonably refuse (59%), and the rule that rent can only be increased once a year by formal notice (55%). 

Around half knew that landlords cannot refuse tenants with children or on benefits (49%), that all new tenancies are periodic (47%) and that Section 21 “no-fault” evictions have been abolished (46%). 

Fewer (42%) knew that no more than one month’s rent can be taken in advance.

But awareness of the new private rented sector database and landlord ombudsman, which every landlord in England will be required to join, was far lower: just 23% of landlords said they were aware of it.

Understanding rises sharply with age. 

Richard Samuel, chief executive of August, says: “Landlords have done the hard work of understanding the parts of the Act that change how they let and how they evict. What has not landed is that the database and the ombudsman are not optional extras for problem landlords; every landlord in England will have to register and sign up. 

“That is a communication failure the sector needs to fix before the registration deadline, because the penalties for not being on the database will fall on landlords who simply never heard about it.”

The full findings are published at www.augustapp.com/landlord-survey-2026.