The Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet 2026 is a short government document that explains to tenants how the Renters' Rights Act 2025 changed their tenancy. It is often described as the replacement for the How to Rent guide, but that is only half the story. The Sheet was for tenancies that already existed, and most landlords had to give it by 31 May 2026. If you are letting to a new tenant, the duty you need is a different one: giving written information about the key terms of the tenancy before you agree it. Missing either can lead to a fine of up to £7,000 (gov.uk: Information Sheet, written information). Last reviewed: 22 October 2026.
These duties apply to landlords in England only. They come from the Renters' Rights Act 2025, whose tenancy provisions reach assured tenancies in England. There is no equivalent Information Sheet duty in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland - but each has its own tenant-information requirements, so check gov.wales, mygov.scot or nidirect.
Which document does your tenancy need?
| Tenancy | What you must give | When |
|---|---|---|
| New tenancy (created on or after 1 May 2026) | Written information about the key terms of the tenancy - in the tenancy agreement or separately. Not the Information Sheet. | Before you sign or otherwise agree the tenancy |
| Existing tenancy with a written agreement (signed before 1 May 2026) | The Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet 2026 | By 31 May 2026 |
| Existing tenancy agreed only verbally (before 1 May 2026) | Written information about the key terms (the Sheet cannot be used) | By 31 May 2026 |
| A Section 21 or Section 8 notice given before 1 May 2026 later lapses | The Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet 2026 | Within one month of the tenancy becoming an assured periodic tenancy |
Sources: gov.uk Tenancy agreements: written information for your tenant and The Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet 2026. Both carry a fine of up to £7,000.
Letting to a new tenant: written terms, not the Sheet
For a new tenancy created on or after 1 May 2026, you must give the tenant certain written information about the key terms of the tenancy. You must do this before you sign a tenancy agreement or otherwise agree the tenancy - the government's guidance gives agreeing it verbally as an example. You can include the information in a written tenancy agreement, or give it separately. If you do not give it, your tenant could complain to the local council and you could be fined up to £7,000 (gov.uk guidance). The duty is set out in The Assured Tenancies (Private Rented Sector) (Written Statement of Terms etc and Information Sheet) (England) Regulations 2026.
The government's landlord guidance on the written information sets out the minimum you must cover. Among other things, it includes:
- the landlord's name, and a postal address in England or Wales where the tenant can send notices
- the names of all tenants, the property address, and the date the tenant is first entitled to move in
- the rent and when it is due, and a statement that any proposed rent increase will be made by a notice under section 13 of the Housing Act 1988
- which bills, if any, the rent covers, and the amount of any deposit
- the minimum notice the tenant must give to end the tenancy, which cannot be more than two months
- how you can end the tenancy, your duties on repairs, fitness for human habitation, and gas and electrical safety, and the tenant's rights to ask to keep a pet and to request disability adaptations
That is a summary, not the full list - work from the official guidance, which also covers giving "prior notice" of certain possession grounds and supported accommodation. You do not need to copy the wording of the legislation, but everything on the list must be covered. A letting agent or property manager acting for you can give the information on your behalf. Only the tenants you are entering into the tenancy with need it, not people who are just viewing.
What the Information Sheet 2026 was, and who it was for
The Information Sheet is an official government PDF that explains to tenants how their tenancy is affected by the Renters' Rights Act 2025. In gov.uk's words, "most landlords and letting agents must have given this Information Sheet to their tenants by 31 May 2026" (gov.uk).
- Who it was for: tenancies signed before 1 May 2026 where there is a written tenancy agreement or other written record of the terms. The legislation does not require you to change or re-issue that existing agreement.
- Who had to receive it: every tenant named on the tenancy agreement.
- Letting agents: if an agent manages the property for you, the agent must have given it too, even if you also did. It does not need to be given to lodgers.
- Verbal tenancies: if a tenancy made before 1 May 2026 was agreed entirely verbally, the Sheet could not be used - the tenant had to be given the written information about key terms by 31 May 2026 instead (gov.uk).
After 31 May 2026, landlords and tenants can still read the Sheet to understand how their tenancy changed.
The one case where the Sheet is still needed after 31 May 2026
According to the gov.uk Information Sheet page, you must still give the Sheet if you gave a valid Section 21 or Section 8 notice before 1 May 2026, and the tenancy later becomes an assured periodic tenancy because the notice is no longer valid, or the court process has finished without possession being granted. This applies where the tenancy is an assured or assured shorthold tenancy with a wholly or partly written record of its terms. You then have one month to give the Sheet, counted from the date the notice stopped being valid or the court process finished.
How to Rent was withdrawn on 1 May 2026
The How to Rent: the checklist for renting in England guide was withdrawn on 1 May 2026. gov.uk has kept it only for tenancies where the landlord served a Section 21 notice before 1 May 2026. Do not give it to new tenants. For a new let, the document you must give is the written information about key terms described above.
Giving the Information Sheet: the actual PDF, never a link
Where the Sheet is required, gov.uk is specific about how to give it (gov.uk Information Sheet page):
- Only the official version counts. The Sheet is only valid when downloaded from the gov.uk page, and you must give the exact PDF found there.
- On paper - print a hard copy and post it or hand it to the tenants.
- Electronically - send the PDF as an attachment, for example to an email or a text message.
- Never a link. Emailing or texting a link to the PDF is not valid.
Download a fresh copy from gov.uk each time, so you give the version that is current on that date.
How to prove you gave it
This applies to the written information for a new tenancy and to the Information Sheet alike. If a dispute or a council enquiry ever arises, you will want to show what you gave, and when. Build the proof in at the point of giving it.
By email
- Attach the document itself - for the Information Sheet, a link is not valid.
- Use a subject line that names the document and the date, for example "Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet 2026 - given [date]" or "Written information about your tenancy - [date]".
- Keep the sent email, with the attachment, in a dedicated tenancy folder. That email is your timestamped evidence.
On paper
- Hand it over in person, or post it.
- Ask the tenant to sign and date a short acknowledgement that they received it - one line is enough ("I confirm I received [document] on [date]").
- If you post it, ask the Post Office for proof of posting so you have a dated record of sending.
Whichever method you use
- Save a copy of exactly what you gave. Keep the actual PDF or document, not just a note that you sent it, so you can show which version the tenant got.
- Record the date. A simple log - tenant, property, document, version date, date given, method - is enough.
- For a new tenancy, record the order. Your record should show the written information was given before the tenancy was signed or otherwise agreed.
The penalty for getting it wrong
Failing to give the written information for a new tenancy can lead to a fine of up to £7,000, and gov.uk says the tenant could complain to the local council (gov.uk guidance). Failing to give the Information Sheet where it was required can also lead to a fine of up to £7,000 (gov.uk Information Sheet page). The safest position is simply to give the right document at the right time and keep proof. Where a figure or deadline matters to a decision you are about to make, check the current gov.uk pages rather than relying on a number from memory.
Where this fits in the wider compliance picture
The written information is one item on a longer letting checklist that also covers your Right to Rent check, the gas safety certificate, the EICR, the EPC, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and protecting the deposit with the prescribed information given within the required time. Missing any one of them can cause problems later, so it is worth working from a single checklist each time you let.
If you manage your own lettings, Domovita lets you list your rental yourself - or bring in a local letting agent if you would rather someone else handled it. Either way, build these documents into your standard letting routine and keep the proof.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Letting rules differ across the UK and continue to change, so always check the current gov.uk guidance for your situation before you act.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to give the Information Sheet 2026 to a new tenant?
No. For a new tenancy created on or after 1 May 2026 you must instead give the tenant written information about the key terms of the tenancy, before you sign or otherwise agree it. It can be in the tenancy agreement. Failing to give it can lead to a fine of up to £7,000. The Information Sheet was for tenancies that already existed on 1 May 2026.
Is the How to Rent guide still valid?
No. It was withdrawn on 1 May 2026. gov.uk keeps it only for tenancies where the landlord served a Section 21 notice before 1 May 2026. Do not give it to new tenants.
By when did existing tenants need the Information Sheet?
By 31 May 2026, for most tenancies that existed before 1 May 2026 and have a written tenancy agreement or other written record of their terms (gov.uk guidance). A tenancy agreed only verbally before 1 May 2026 could not use the Sheet - the tenant had to be given the written information about key terms by 31 May 2026 instead.
When is the Information Sheet still needed after 31 May 2026?
Only where a landlord gave a valid Section 21 or Section 8 notice before 1 May 2026 and the tenancy later becomes an assured periodic tenancy, because the notice is no longer valid or the court process ended without possession. The landlord then has one month to give the Sheet (gov.uk Information Sheet page).
Can I just send my tenant a link to the Information Sheet?
No. gov.uk says an emailed or texted link to the PDF is not valid. Give the exact PDF downloaded from the gov.uk page, either as a printed copy posted or handed over, or as an attachment to an email or text message.
What happens if I get this wrong?
Failing to give the written information for a new tenancy, or the Information Sheet where it was required, can each lead to a fine of up to £7,000 (written information; Information Sheet). For the written information, gov.uk says the tenant could complain to the local council. Keep dated proof of what you gave and when.
How do I prove I gave it?
Keep evidence at the point of giving it. By email, save the sent message with the document attached. On paper, ask the tenant to sign a short dated acknowledgement, or keep proof of posting. Save a copy of the exact version you gave, and log the date and method. For a new tenancy, make sure the record shows the written information was given before the tenancy was signed or agreed.
Related guides
- The Renters' Rights Act: what private landlords need to do in 2026
- Tenancy agreements and periodic tenancies
- Lettings Compliance in England - the Landlord Checklist
- A Landlord's Guide to Lettings in England (2026)
- List your rental on Domovita - free for private landlords
General information, not legal advice. This guide explains the rules in plain English and is kept under review, but the law changes and every situation is different. Always check the current position on the official gov.uk pages linked above, and take professional advice - a solicitor, or your local council for licensing questions - before relying on it for a specific decision.