Do I need to register if I rent a room to a lodger?
Probably not. A lodger who shares your home usually has a licence, not an assured tenancy, and the register only covers assured and regulated tenancies. It is different if you let a separate flat in a purpose-built block.
The detail
A lodger who shares your home usually has a licence, not a tenancy, and a tenancy from a landlord who lives in the same house cannot be an assured tenancy. So renting a room in your own home is outside the register.
Note: The register rules do not mention this by name. This follows from tenancy law, because the register covers landlords of assured and regulated tenancies only. The government could widen it later. In a purpose-built block of flats, a landlord who lives in a different flat does not count as resident, so that letting can be an assured tenancy.
Sources: Housing Act 1988, Schedule 1 (tenancies which cannot be assured) (opens in a new tab); Assured periodic tenancies: a guide for landlords (GOV.UK) (opens in a new tab). Last checked 21 October 2026.
The duty to register applies to private landlords of assured tenancies and regulated (Rent Act 1977) tenancies in England. Social housing is not included.
Sources: Renters' Rights Act 2025, section 63 (who counts as a residential landlord) (opens in a new tab); Get ready: 'Register your rental property' service (government Housing Hub) (opens in a new tab). Last checked 21 October 2026.
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