Address rulesEngland
Landlord address rules in England
Last reviewed
In short
Section 48 and the written statement for new tenancies ask for an address in England and Wales where notices can be served, so a correspondence address can be used. Section 47 rent demands may need your own address. Deposit paperwork depends on your scheme and licence registers on your council. The PRS database takes your residential address plus a correspondence address for each property that is not a PO Box.
What address does a landlord have to give in England?
Every rule that asks a landlord in England for an address, in one table. The last column says whether you can give a correspondence address instead of your home.
| Rule | Source | What it asks for | Can a correspondence address be used? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Address for notices | Landlord and Tenant Act 1987 s48 | A notice giving tenants an address in England and Wales where notices, including notices in court proceedings, can be served on you. Until you give it, rent is treated as not due. | Yes Any address in England and Wales that works. An agent's address can meet it. |
| Written rent demands | Landlord and Tenant Act 1987 s47. Beitov Properties Ltd v Martin [2012] UKUT 133 (LC) | Your name and address on every written demand, plus an address in England and Wales for notices if yours is elsewhere. | Depends The Upper Tribunal held this means your own address, where you live or carry on business. A correspondence address alone may not be enough. |
| Written statement of terms from 1 May 2026 | SI 2026/324, Schedule Part 1 | Your name and an address in England and Wales where notices can be served on you. | Yes It asks for an address for notices, not your home. |
| Tenant's written request | Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 s1 | A written statement of the landlord's name and address within 21 days of a written request. | Depends The Act does not say home address and a working correspondence address is widely treated as enough. Take advice if unsure. |
| Deposit prescribed information | Housing (Tenancy Deposits) (Prescribed Information) Order 2007 | The landlord's name, address, telephone number and any email address. | Depends Some scheme templates allow agent details but whether that complies is debated. Check with your scheme. |
| Land Registry title | HM Land Registry practice guide 55 and form COG1 | Up to three addresses for service for each owner, at least one of them postal. Anyone can buy a copy of the register. | Yes A care-of address is accepted and it does not have to be in the UK. |
| Licence registers | Housing Act 2004. SI 2006/373 reg 11 | A public register with the name and address of the licence holder and of the person managing the house. | Depends It is up to your council. Ask what it will accept. |
| PRS database | Register your rental property, GOV.UK Housing Hub | For individual landlords a residential address. For each property your name and a correspondence address. | Yes for each property's correspondence address, which cannot be a PO Box. No for your residential address, which is still collected. |
General information about the rules in England, checked 31 October 2026. Not legal advice.
Section 47 vs section 48: what is the difference?
They sit next to each other in the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987 and are easy to mix up. They ask for different things and a correspondence address works for one but may not work for the other.
| Question | Section 48 | Section 47 |
|---|---|---|
| What it covers | An address for notices, given to the tenant by notice | Every written demand for rent or other sums |
| Which address | Any address in England and Wales where notices can be served on you | Your own name and address, plus an address in England and Wales for notices if yours is elsewhere |
| Can an agent's address be used? | Yes | No. The Upper Tribunal held it needs the landlord's own address |
| If you do not comply | Rent, service charge and administration charge are treated as not due until you give the notice | Any service charge or administration charge in the demand is treated as not due until you give the information by notice |
| How to put it right | Give a valid notice. Rent held back then becomes due | Give the missing information by notice |
In practice section 48 is a notice you give at the start of each tenancy and again whenever your address changes. Section 47 applies to each written demand you send. That is why a landlord can use a correspondence address for notices and still need their own address on demands.
Read the full guides to section 48 notices and section 47 rent demands.
Which address should a landlord use?
If you want to keep your home private, the rules point to a simple split:
- a correspondence address for the section 48 notice, the written statement, the Land Registry title and the correspondence address for each property on the PRS database
- your own address on written rent demands, or advice on what to use there
- whatever your deposit scheme and council confirm they will accept
Whichever address you give for notices has to work, because a notice served there counts as served on you. That is the point of a managed address like ours: every item is logged the day it arrives and legal or official post is flagged to you the same working day. See how we handle your mail or compare every option.
If you are not sure which rules apply to you, check which address you need in two minutes.
Common questions
Can I use my letting agent's address?
For section 48 notices, yes, if your agent agrees to accept notices for you. Not for section 47 rent demands, where the Upper Tribunal held an agent's address is not enough. It also changes when you change agent. See using your letting agent's address.
Can a landlord use a PO Box?
Not as the correspondence address on the PRS database, which excludes PO Box numbers. Section 48 does not mention PO Boxes, but a street address where post can be received and signed for is the safer choice. See PO Box addresses.
What if I live abroad?
You still need an address in England and Wales for section 48 notices. Written rent demands must also give an address in England and Wales for notices when your own address is elsewhere. See our page for overseas landlords.
Does this page cover Wales?
This page covers England, including the written statement rules that apply to assured tenancies in England. We focus on England, and landlords in Wales can join our waiting list.
Guides to each landlord address rule
- Section 48 notices
The address for notices every tenant must have, with a free template.
- Section 47 and rent demands
Why rent demands may need your own address.
- The address on a tenancy agreement
What the written statement asks for from 1 May 2026.
- When a tenant asks for your address
Who must reply, what to give and the 21 day deadline.
- Must I give my tenant my home address?
What you must give and when your own address is needed.
- Your Land Registry address
Who can see it and how to change it with form COG1.
- Deposit prescribed information
Which landlord details go on deposit paperwork.
- Can a landlord use a PO Box?
Where a PO Box is refused and what to use instead.
- Can a landlord use a virtual office?
What to check before you give one to tenants.
- Using your letting agent's address
When it works and what happens when you change agent.
- Changing your landlord address
Everyone to tell when you move or switch address.
Sources
- Landlord and Tenant Act 1987, section 48, legislation.gov.uk, checked 31 October 2026.
- Landlord and Tenant Act 1987, section 47, legislation.gov.uk, checked 31 October 2026.
- Addressing the issue: sections 47 and 48 and Beitov Properties Ltd v Martin, Gatehouse Chambers, checked 31 October 2026.
- But that isn't what it says, Nearly Legal, checked 31 October 2026.
- The Assured Tenancies (Private Rented Sector) (Written Statement of Terms etc and Information Sheet) (England) Regulations 2026, legislation.gov.uk, checked 31 October 2026.
- Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, section 1, legislation.gov.uk, checked 31 October 2026.
- The Housing (Tenancy Deposits) (Prescribed Information) Order 2007, article 2, legislation.gov.uk, checked 31 October 2026.
- Prescribed information that does not include the landlord's name, LexisNexis, checked 31 October 2026.
- Practice guide 55: address for service, HM Land Registry, updated 18 May 2026, checked 31 October 2026.
- Updating registered owners' contact address (form COG1), HM Land Registry, checked 31 October 2026.
- The Licensing and Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation and Other Houses (Miscellaneous Provisions) (England) Regulations 2006, regulation 11, legislation.gov.uk, checked 31 October 2026.
- Get ready to register, GOV.UK Housing Hub, updated 29 October 2026, checked 31 October 2026.