An address in England for landlords who live abroad

Do overseas landlords need a UK address?

You need an address in England and Wales for notices. Section 48 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987 says a landlord must give the tenant, by notice, an address in England and Wales where notices, including notices in court proceedings, can be served. If you have not done so, rent, service charges and administration charges are treated as not due until you do. Once you give a valid notice, rent held back in the meantime becomes due.

The same applies to new paperwork. For assured tenancies in England from 1 May 2026 the written statement of terms must include the landlord's name and an address in England and Wales where notices can be served. A home address outside England and Wales meets neither rule.

You could use a letting agent's office, a relative or a friend. Those can work, but they depend on someone else passing on legal post quickly, and they change when the agent or the relative does. See your address options compared.

What address goes on a rent demand if you live abroad?

Section 47 says any written demand for rent or other sums must contain the landlord's name and address. Where that address is not in England and Wales, the demand must also give an address in England and Wales where notices, including notices in proceedings, can be served.

The Upper Tribunal has held that the landlord's address in section 47 means your own address, such as where you live, and not an agent's. So a demand should still show your own address abroad, with an address in England and Wales for notices added. A landlord address can be that second address. If a demand does not comply, any service charge or administration charge in it is treated as not due until the information is given. Read section 47 and rent demands for the detail.

What if legal post arrives while you are hours away?

Living abroad makes it easy to miss a letter. Post that sits at an empty flat, or in a relative's hallway until the next phone call, can include a notice from a tenant or a letter from a court. Some of those come with deadlines, so the sooner you see them the better.

With Landlord Address every item is logged the day it arrives under your reference. Post from tenants, courts, councils, HMRC and deposit schemes is flagged and you are told the same working day by email, whatever time it is where you are.

Can I read my post online from abroad?

Yes. Letters are scanned within one working day and appear in your online mailbox with the sender, type and date. Scans are kept for 12 months, so download anything you need to keep for longer. If you need a paper original we post it on at the cost of postage, with no handling fee. Legal and official originals are never shredded without your instruction. See mail handling and service levels.

Does my Land Registry address have to be in the UK?

No. HM Land Registry lets each owner have up to three addresses for service. At least one must be a postal address, but it does not have to be in the UK, and the others can be an email address or a DX address. A care-of address is accepted. You can use form COG1 to update it. Anyone can buy a copy of a title register online for £7, so choose the address you are happy to have on it. See our Land Registry guide.

Can I pass the identity check if I live abroad?

We check the identity of every customer before issuing an address, including landlords who live abroad. The check is done online through a link we email you after you apply. We will confirm the documents we accept when you apply. Read why we verify every landlord.

Do overseas landlords register on the PRS database?

If you let on assured or regulated tenancies in England, yes. Register your rental property opens region by region from 15 December 2026, and landlords must register themselves and each property at £65 per property, renewed every year. Individual landlords give their name, date of birth, residential address, phone number and email, and for each property a correspondence address in England or Wales that cannot be a PO Box, so living abroad you will need an address here. You can agree that your letting agent provides certain information for you, but you remain responsible. Read the PRS database explained and check when your region opens.

Does this cover the non-resident landlord tax rules?

No. HMRC has separate rules for the tax of landlords who live abroad. They are not about your address for notices, and this site does not cover them. Speak to HMRC or a tax adviser about your tax position.

Questions from overseas landlords

Can I use a friend's or relative's address in England?

You can if they agree and pass on notices quickly. The risk is legal post sitting unopened while they are away, and needing new notices for every tenant if they move or no longer want to help.

What happens if I move back to the UK?

Your landlord address stays the same wherever you live, so your tenants do not need a new address for notices when you move. Records that hold your residential address, such as the PRS database, may still need updating.

Can joint owners share one plan?

Yes. Joint owners of the same properties can share one plan, and each of you has an identity check before the address is issued.