Veco questions whether landlord registration will catch rogue operators as it pledges support for letting agents

Registration begins in the West Midlands on 15 December 2026, with other English regions following in stages until August 2027. Landlords will have three months to register properties in each region, with an annual registration fee of £65 per property. 

Richard Murray, CEO of Veco, believes that while the legislation has positive intentions, there is a risk that the greatest burden will fall on landlords and agents who are already operating responsibly. 

“I support measures that raise standards in the Private Rented Sector, but there is an obvious question: will registration really flush out rogue landlords, or will those determined to operate outside the rules simply choose not to register? 

“My concern is that the immediate cost and administrative burden will fall most heavily on good landlords who already do the right thing, and on reputable letting agents managing properties professionally on their behalf. 

“The real test will be whether local authorities have the resources and determination to identify and pursue those who fail to register. Otherwise, we risk creating another layer of administration for the compliant majority without effectively tackling the minority who cause the problems.” 

Veco's registration pledge 

Under its new PRS Registration Pledge, Veco has committed to keeping clients informed as further Government guidance becomes available and adapting its technology to help agents prepare for registration and ongoing compliance. 

The company is developing functionality to identify affected properties, highlight missing information and record registration details, including identification numbers and relevant dates. 

Planned warnings, reminders and workflows will help agents monitor registration deadlines, compliance documents and changes to property or tenancy information that may need to be reported. 

Veco will also explore opportunities to integrate Veco Plus with the Government's registration service once the technical requirements and available integration options become clear. 

Murray believes that one of the biggest opportunities to reduce the administrative burden lies in the information already held within professional property management systems. 

“For fully managed properties, much of the information required for registration is already held within Veco and Veco Plus. Agents are maintaining landlord details, property records, tenancy information and compliance documentation as part of their everyday operations. 

“It makes little sense for professional agents to have to duplicate information they already maintain. 

“Our pledge is that Veco will continue adapting our technology to support the regulations, help agents understand what needs to be done and when, and make the best possible use of information already held within our systems. 

“Technology should be reducing the administrative burden of compliance, not adding to it.” 

Preparing for registration 

Veco is encouraging letting agents to begin reviewing their landlord, property, tenancy and compliance records ahead of the phased rollout, rather than waiting until registration becomes mandatory in their region. 

The company is also reminding agents that the legal responsibility for registration remains with landlords, although letting agents may be able to assist by providing certain information on their behalf. 

For Murray, the pledge reflects Veco's longstanding approach to customer relationships, combining software development with personal support and a practical understanding of the businesses using its systems. 

“Regulatory change is never straightforward, particularly for agents managing hundreds or thousands of properties on behalf of different landlords.

“Our responsibility is to support those businesses through the changes, both through the technology we provide and the relationships we have built with our clients. 

“Good landlords and professional agents shouldn't be disadvantaged for doing things properly. Our job is to make sure the technology helps them.”