Tenancy deposit protection: the 30-day rule and prescribed information
By Laura at Domovita Taking a deposit is one of the most common - and most commonly mishandled - parts of letting a property. The rules are tightly defined and the penalties for missing them are some of the harshest in lettings law. Get the basics right and the process is genuinely simple. Last reviewed: 30 May 2026. What deposit protection actually requires Under section 213 of the Housing Act 2004, if you take a deposit for an assured tenancy in England, you must do two distinct things within a fixed time limit: Protect the deposit in one of the three government-approved schemes. Serve the prescribed information - a specific set of written details - on the tenant and anyone who paid the deposit on their behalf. These are two separate obligations. Protecting the money is not enough on its own; you must also give the tenant the prescribed information. Both must happen inside the same window. This applies whether you let the property yourself or use an agent - the legal duty sits with the landlord, so if an agent handles it, confirm in writing that both steps are done. The three approved schemes There are three authorised tenancy deposit schemes in England and Wales. You must use one of them; you cannot simply hold the money in your own bank account. The Deposit Protection Service (DPS) mydeposits Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS) Each scheme offers two models, and the difference matters for your cash flow: Custodial - you hand the deposit to the scheme, which holds it for the duration of the tenancy. This is usually free to the landlord. Insured - you keep the deposit but pay the scheme a fee to insure it. You hold the cash, the scheme guarantees it. All three run a free dispute-resolution service at the end of the tenancy, so a disagreement over deductions does not have to go to court. You can compare the options on the official gov.uk deposit protection schemes page. The 30-day rule You have 30 days from receiving the deposit to both protect it and serve the prescribed information. This is a hard deadline, not a target - the clock starts the day the money reaches you, not the day the tenancy begins. A frequent and costly mistake is treating these as two different deadlines. They are not. Both the protection and the prescribed information must be completed within the same 30-day window. If you protect the deposit on day 5 but do not serve the prescribed information until day 40, you have breached the rules even though the money was safe the whole time. Practical tip: protect the deposit the moment it clears, generate the scheme's prescribed-information certificate the same day, and serve it straight away. Treating it as a single same-day task removes the risk entirely. The deposit cap The Tenant Fees Act 2019 caps how much deposit you can take: Up to 5 weeks' rent where the annual rent is under £50,000. Up to 6 weeks' rent where the annual rent is £50,000 or more. To convert monthly rent into the weekly figure the Act uses, multiply the monthly rent by 12 and divide by 52, then multiply by 5 (or 6). Taking more than the cap is itself a breach, and any excess must be returned. If you are unsure which band you fall into, check the current figures on the gov.uk Tenant Fees Act guidance before you take the money. What the prescribed information must contain The detail of what you must give the tenant is set by The Housing (Tenancy Deposits) (Prescribed Information) Order 2007. In broad terms, the written notice must cover: The name and contact details of the scheme protecting the deposit. The amount of the deposit and the address of the property it relates to. The landlord's name and contact details (and the agent's, if one is used). How the deposit is protected and how the tenant can apply to get it back at the end of the tenancy. What happens if there is a dispute over deductions, and how the scheme's free dispute-resolution service works. Each scheme provides a template or auto-generated certificate that captures the required points, so you rarely need to draft this from scratch. The tenant - and any third party who paid the deposit, such as a guarantor or parent - must sign or otherwise confirm receipt. Keep that confirmation; it is your evidence the obligation was met. Because the exact required content is set in law and the schemes update their templates, always use the scheme's current prescribed-information document rather than an old copy. Why getting it wrong is so serious Deposit protection carries two distinct consequences if you miss the rules, and both bite hard. 1. A financial penalty If you fail to protect the deposit, or fail to serve the prescribed information in time, the tenant can apply to the county court. The court can order you to repay the deposit and to pay the tenant a penalty of between one and three times the deposit amount. The multiple is at the court's discretion, but on a 5-week deposit a three-times award is a substantial sum - and it is owed to the tenant on top of returning their money. 2. Possession implications This is where the position has changed significantly. Before 1 May 2026, the most-quoted consequence of mishandling a deposit was losing the right to serve a Section 21 "no-fault" notice. Section 21 has now been abolished under the Renters' Rights Act 2025, so that specific lever no longer exists - all assured tenancies are now periodic, and possession runs through the Section 8 grounds process. Deposit protection has not gone away, though: the financial penalty above still applies. Because this area is in active transition, check the current position on gov.uk's private renting pages before relying on any older guidance you find online, much of which still describes Section 21 as if it were live. Practical checklist StepWhenDetail Check the cap before you take the deposit Before move-in 5 weeks' rent (under £50,000 annual rent) or 6 weeks' (£50,000+). Never take more. Choose a scheme Before or on receipt DPS, mydeposits, or TDS. Decide custodial or insured up front. Protect the deposit Within 30 days of receipt Pay it to the custodial scheme, or register it with the insured scheme. Serve the prescribed information Within the same 30 days Give the scheme's certificate to the tenant and any third party who paid. Get and keep confirmation of receipt At the same time Signed acknowledgement or dated email trail. This is your evidence. Re-check on renewal Each new fixed term or statutory change Confirm the protection and information are still valid and current. Pair the deposit paperwork with a detailed move-in inventory and dated photographs. The deposit scheme's free dispute service decides end-of-tenancy deductions on the evidence, and a clear inventory is the single best protection against a disputed claim. Listing with the paperwork in order Deposit protection sits alongside the rest of your pre-tenancy obligations - the gas safety certificate, EICR, EPC, and Right to Rent checks. When you list a rental on Domovita you can manage the listing yourself or bring in a local agent to handle it, whichever suits you; either way the legal duty to protect the deposit and serve the prescribed information stays with you as the landlord. If you want the full picture, our Renters' Rights Act compliance overview runs through every requirement and its deadline. This guide is general information, not legal advice. For your specific circumstances, and for anything local-authority specific, check the current gov.uk guidance or take professional advice. Frequently asked questions How long do I have to protect a tenancy deposit? You have 30 days from the day you receive the deposit to both protect it in an approved scheme and serve the prescribed information on the tenant. The clock starts when the money reaches you, not when the tenancy begins. Both steps must be completed inside the same 30-day window - protecting the money alone is not enough. Which deposit protection schemes can I use? There are three government-approved schemes in England and Wales: the Deposit Protection Service (DPS), mydeposits, and the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS). Each offers a custodial option (the scheme holds the money, usually free) and an insured option (you hold it and pay a fee). All three run a free end-of-tenancy dispute-resolution service. How much deposit can I legally take? Under the Tenant Fees Act 2019 the cap is five weeks' rent where the annual rent is under £50,000, and six weeks' rent where it is £50,000 or more. To find the weekly figure, multiply the monthly rent by 12 and divide by 52. Taking more than the cap is a breach and the excess must be returned. What is the prescribed information? It is a set of written details, defined by the Housing (Tenancy Deposits) (Prescribed Information) Order 2007, that you must give the tenant. It covers the scheme protecting the deposit, the amount and property address, the landlord and agent contact details, how the tenant gets the deposit back, and how disputes are resolved. Each scheme provides a template certificate. What happens if I do not protect the deposit or serve the information in time? The tenant can apply to the county court, which can order you to repay the deposit and pay a penalty of between one and three times its value, at the court's discretion. Since Section 21 was abolished on 1 May 2026, the old loss of no-fault eviction rights no longer applies, but the financial penalty still does. Does deposit protection still matter now that Section 21 is abolished? Yes. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 removed Section 21, but it did not remove the deposit protection rules. The financial penalty of one to three times the deposit still applies if you fail to protect the money or serve the prescribed information. Always check the current gov.uk guidance. 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. 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The Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet 2026 (it replaces How to Rent)
By Laura at Domovita The Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet 2026 is the government's plain-English summary of a tenant's rights under the new system. It is the direct replacement for the How to Rent guide, which was withdrawn when the Renters' Rights Act 2025 came into force on 1 May 2026. Serving it correctly is a legal duty, not a courtesy - get it wrong and your ability to seek possession can be affected, and you can face a financial penalty. Last reviewed: 30 May 2026. What the Information Sheet 2026 is The Information Sheet 2026 is a short official document, published by the government, that explains to tenants how the new tenancy system works: that assured shorthold tenancies have become assured periodic tenancies, that no-fault possession under Section 21 has been abolished, the rules around rent, deposits, repairs and where to get help. It is written for tenants, in plain language, and updated by the government as the law settles. It does the same job the How to Rent guide used to do - making sure a tenant starts a tenancy understanding their basic rights - but it reflects the post-1-May-2026 legal position rather than the old one. It replaces the withdrawn How to Rent guide The How to Rent: the checklist for renting in England guide has been withdrawn. You should no longer serve it for new or continuing tenancies under the new system. The only narrow exception is a tenancy where a valid Section 21 notice was already served before 1 May 2026 and is still being relied on - those legacy cases continue under the old rules until they conclude. For everything else, the Information Sheet 2026 is the document to serve. If you are still handing tenants the old How to Rent guide, stop and switch to the current Information Sheet. Always take it from the government's own page rather than a cached or third-party copy, because the content is revised from time to time and only the current official version discharges your duty. You can find the official document via the gov.uk Renters’ Rights Act collection; check the publication date on the page each time, and if you are unsure which version is current, follow the current gov.uk guidance on renting out a property. Who must be served, and by when There are two groups to think about: tenants who already live in your property, and tenants you take on from now. TenantWhat you must doDeadline Existing tenants (already in occupation on 1 May 2026) Serve the current Information Sheet 2026 By 31 May 2026 New tenants (tenancy starts on or after 1 May 2026) Serve the current Information Sheet 2026 At the start of the tenancy For existing tenancies, the duty is one-off and time-limited: existing tenants must be given the Information Sheet by 31 May 2026. For anyone you take on after that, serve it at the outset of the tenancy as part of your move-in paperwork, alongside the gas safety certificate, EPC and deposit prescribed information. Because the law and the document are both new, treat the deadlines and the precise scope as live - confirm against current gov.uk guidance for landlords before you rely on them, especially if your situation is unusual. You must serve the actual PDF - a link is not valid This is the point most often missed. To discharge the duty you must serve the actual government document - the PDF itself - not a hyperlink to it. Sending a tenant a web address and asking them to find and download it does not count as serving the Information Sheet. What this means in practice: By email - attach the PDF to the email. Do not just paste a gov.uk link in the body. (Email may only be valid where your tenancy terms allow electronic service and the tenant has agreed to it - check this before relying on email.) On paper - print the current PDF and hand or post a physical copy. Always the current version - download a fresh copy from gov.uk each time you serve, so you are giving the version that is current on that date. The reasoning is simple: a link can break, change, or point to an outdated version, and there is no record of what the tenant actually received. Serving the document itself removes that ambiguity - the tenant has the exact thing the law requires, and you have a copy of exactly what you sent. The penalty for failing to serve it Two consequences follow from getting this wrong. A financial penalty. Failing to serve the Information Sheet 2026 when required can carry a civil penalty of up to £7,000. As with other tenancy paperwork breaches, this is an enforcement matter, so the safest position is simply to serve correctly and keep proof. Possession problems. Under the old system, failing to provide How to Rent could block a Section 21 notice. Section 21 has now been abolished, so possession runs through Section 8 grounds instead. Even so, your tenancy documentation being complete and correct matters for any possession claim and for staying on the right side of the local authority. Where a figure, deadline or penalty level matters to a decision you are about to make, check the current gov.uk guidance rather than relying on a number from memory, because penalties and details in this area are still bedding in. How to serve it - and prove you did Serving the document is only half the job. If a dispute or an enforcement question ever arises, the burden is on you to show that you served the correct version on time. Build the proof in at the point of serving. Serving by email Only serve electronically if the tenant has agreed to receive documents by email. If they have not, serve on paper. Attach the PDF itself to the email - not a link. Use a subject line that names the document and the date, for example "Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet 2026 - served [date]". Keep the sent email, with the attachment, in a dedicated tenancy folder. That email is your timestamped evidence. Serving on paper Print the current PDF and 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 the Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet 2026 on [date]"). If you post it, a free or low-cost record-of-posting receipt from the Post Office gives you a dated proof of sending. Whichever method you use Save a copy of the exact version you served. Because the document is updated periodically, keep the actual PDF you sent (not just a note that you sent "the guide"), so you can show which version the tenant got. Record the date. A simple log - tenant, property, document version date, served date, method - is enough. Repeat at renewal where appropriate. If you start a new tenancy or the official document is updated, serve the current version again and log it. None of this is onerous. Treat the Information Sheet exactly as you already treat the gas safety certificate, EPC and deposit prescribed information: a document to serve at move-in, with the proof filed alongside it. Where this fits in the wider compliance picture The Information Sheet is one item on a longer move-in 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 served 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 and keep all of this paperwork in one place - or bring in a local letting agent if you would rather someone else handled it. Either way, the Information Sheet duty is yours as the landlord, so build it into your standard move-in 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 Is the How to Rent guide still valid in 2026? No. The How to Rent guide was withdrawn when the Renters' Rights Act 2025 came into force on 1 May 2026, and the Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet 2026 replaces it. The only exception is a tenancy still relying on a valid Section 21 notice served before 1 May 2026, which continues under the old rules. For everything else, serve the Information Sheet. Can I just send my tenant a link to the Information Sheet? No. You must serve the actual government PDF, not a link to it. A hyperlink does not discharge the duty because it can break, change or point to an outdated version. Attach the PDF to an email (only where your tenancy allows electronic service) or hand or post a printed copy, and always use the current version from gov.uk. By when must I serve existing tenants? Existing tenants - those already living in the property on 1 May 2026 - must be given the current Information Sheet 2026 by 31 May 2026. For any tenant you take on after that, serve it at the start of the tenancy. Because the rules are new, confirm the deadline against current gov.uk guidance if your situation is unusual. What happens if I do not serve it? Failing to serve the Information Sheet when required can carry a civil penalty of up to £7,000, and incomplete tenancy paperwork can cause problems in any later possession claim. Penalty levels and details are still settling in, so check the current gov.uk guidance before relying on a specific figure - and simply serve correctly to avoid the issue. How do I prove I served the Information Sheet? Keep evidence at the point of serving. By email, save the sent message with the PDF attached. On paper, ask the tenant to sign a short dated acknowledgement, or keep a record-of-posting receipt. Always save a copy of the exact version you served and log the date and method, because the document is updated periodically. Do I have to serve it again at renewal? Serve the current version at the start of every new tenancy. During a continuing tenancy you generally do not need to re-serve each year, but if the official document is updated it is good practice to serve the current version again and log it. When in doubt, check the latest gov.uk guidance, as requirements in this area are still evolving. Related guides The Renters' Rights Act 2026: what private landlords need to do UK Lettings Compliance - the Landlord Checklist A Landlord's Guide to UK Lettings (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. { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Article", "headline": "The Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet 2026 (it replaces How to Rent)", "description": "The Information Sheet 2026 replaces the withdrawn How to Rent guide. 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For any tenant you take on after that, serve it at the start of the tenancy. Because the rules are new, confirm the deadline against current gov.uk guidance if your situation is unusual." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What happens if I do not serve it?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Failing to serve the Information Sheet when required can carry a civil penalty of up to £7,000, and incomplete tenancy paperwork can cause problems in any later possession claim. Penalty levels and details are still settling in, so check the current gov.uk guidance before relying on a specific figure - and simply serve correctly to avoid the issue." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How do I prove I served the Information Sheet?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Keep evidence at the point of serving. By email, save the sent message with the PDF attached. On paper, ask the tenant to sign a short dated acknowledgement, or keep a record-of-posting receipt. 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The Renters' Rights Act 2026: what private landlords need to do
By Laura at Domovita The Renters' Rights Act reshapes the relationship between landlords and tenants in England. Most of the headline measures took effect on 1 May 2026, so this is no longer something to plan for - it is the rules you are letting under today. This guide is the hub: it covers what changed, the order to work through it, and links to the deeper guides on each obligation. Last reviewed: 30 May 2026. Everything below is equally true whether you self-manage or instruct a letting agent. The Act sets the legal baseline; how you meet it is up to you. Always check the current gov.uk guidance on the Renters' Rights Act before acting on anything time-sensitive, because statutory detail can be updated. What changed on 1 May 2026 Five shifts matter most to a private landlord. Each is summarised here and explained more fully in the linked guides. Section 21 is abolished You can no longer end a tenancy with a no-fault Section 21 notice. The only route to possession now runs through Section 8, on a defined legal ground (more on this below). This is the single biggest change in the Act and it applies to existing tenancies as well as new ones. Tenancies are now periodic Every assured shorthold tenancy (AST) converted automatically to an assured periodic tenancy. There are no more fixed terms in the old sense. Tenancies run on monthly periods, and a tenant can leave by giving two months' notice. You do not need to issue new paperwork for the conversion itself - it happened by operation of law. Section 8 is the only possession route Because Section 21 is gone, regaining possession means relying on one of the statutory grounds under Section 8, served on the prescribed notice form. The grounds split into mandatory (the court must grant possession if the ground is proven) and discretionary (the court decides whether it is reasonable). Two changes worth flagging: the rent-arrears ground threshold and notice period have been reset, and there is a new ground for landlords who genuinely need to sell, which cannot be used in the first 12 months of a tenancy and carries a re-letting restriction. The detail is set out in our Section 8 grounds guide - read it before serving any notice, and confirm the current grounds and notice periods on gov.uk. The Information Sheet 2026 replaces How to Rent The old How to Rent guide has been withdrawn for tenancies governed by the new rules. It is replaced by the Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet 2026, which you must serve on your tenants. There is a deadline to serve existing tenants, and a civil penalty for missing it. The exact PDF from gov.uk must be supplied - sending a link is not enough. Full detail and the deadline are in our Information Sheet 2026 guide; always pull the current version from gov.uk. New rules on rent, bidding, pets and discrimination Several day-to-day practices changed at once: Rental bidding wars are banned. You advertise at a stated rent and cannot invite or accept offers above it. Rent in advance is capped. You can ask for no more than one month's rent up front before the tenancy begins. Pet requests cannot be unreasonably refused. A tenant can ask to keep a pet and you must consider it on its merits. Discrimination is banned against prospective tenants because they have children or receive benefits. Check the precise wording and any exceptions in the current gov.uk Renters' Rights Act collection. What you must do now, in order If you let property in England, work through this list. The early items are time-bound; the rest are the standing obligations that the Act sits on top of. 1. Serve the Information Sheet 2026 on existing tenants This is the most pressing deadline. Download the current PDF from gov.uk and serve it on every existing tenant within the statutory window. Keep a dated record of when and how you served it. See the Information Sheet 2026 guide for the deadline and the penalty for missing it. 2. Update your eviction process to Section 8 Retire any Section 21 templates. If you ever need possession, you now use a Section 8 notice on a valid ground. Familiarise yourself with the grounds, the notice periods, and the evidence each requires before a situation arises - see the Section 8 grounds guide and gov.uk on possession notices. 3. Confirm your deposit is protected and the prescribed information is served A tenancy deposit must be protected in one of the three government-backed schemes (DPS, mydeposits or TDS) within 30 days of receipt, and the prescribed information must be given to the tenant. Deposits are capped (broadly five weeks' rent, with a higher cap for higher-rent properties - check the current figure). Getting this wrong has always carried penalties; under the new regime it also blocks possession. The full process is in our deposit protection guide, backed by gov.uk tenancy deposit protection. 4. Check your safety certificates are current Gas Safety Certificate (CP12) - an annual check of all gas appliances and flues by a Gas Safe registered engineer, with the certificate given to the tenant. See gov.uk gas safety. EICR (electrical safety report) - the electrical installation must be inspected at least every five years under the electrical safety standards. Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms - a smoke alarm on every storey used as living accommodation, and a carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a fixed combustion appliance, kept in working order (gov.uk alarms guidance). 5. Confirm your EPC and plan for the C target A property must currently meet at least an EPC E to be let, unless a valid exemption is registered. The minimum energy efficiency standard is set to rise to EPC C by 1 October 2030, with a cost cap per property - so factor improvements into your planning now rather than later. Read our EPC and MEES guide and the gov.uk MEES guidance for the current thresholds, dates and cost cap. 6. Keep your Right to Rent checks up to date Before a tenancy starts you must check that every adult occupier has the right to rent in England, and repeat the check where someone's right is time-limited. See our Right to Rent guide and gov.uk Right to Rent. 7. Check licensing for your area A house in multiple occupation (broadly five or more occupiers forming two or more households) needs a mandatory HMO licence. Many councils also run selective or additional licensing covering ordinary single lets. Licensing is set locally, so your council's housing team is the authoritative source for your address - see our landlord licensing guide for how the schemes work. 8. Register with the ICO and review your privacy notice If you store tenant data digitally - which almost every landlord does - you generally need to pay the annual data protection fee to the Information Commissioner's Office and give tenants a privacy notice explaining how you handle their information. A quick reference table ObligationWhat it means nowSource Possession Section 21 abolished. Section 8 on a valid ground is the only route. gov.uk evicting tenants Tenancy type All ASTs are now assured periodic tenancies; tenant gives two months' notice to leave. gov.uk RRA collection Information Sheet 2026 Replaces How to Rent; serve the gov.uk PDF on existing tenants by the deadline. gov.uk RRA collection Deposit Protected within 30 days, prescribed information served, deposit capped. gov.uk deposit protection Rent and bidding Bidding wars banned; rent in advance capped at one month. gov.uk RRA collection EPC Minimum E now; C target by 1 October 2030 with a cost cap. gov.uk MEES Where the deeper guides go This page is the overview. Each obligation has its own guide with the procedural detail and the exact figures: Section 8 grounds explained - the possession route now that Section 21 is gone The Information Sheet 2026 - what to serve, when, and the penalty for missing it Deposit protection - schemes, the 30-day rule, and prescribed information EPC and MEES - the current standard and the road to C by 2030 Right to Rent checks - how to check and when to re-check Landlord licensing - HMO, selective and additional schemes Listing your property under the new rules Once your compliance is in order, you can advertise. On Domovita you can list your rental yourself, or bring in a local agent if you would rather someone else handled it - the choice is yours, and the listing process is the same either way. When you list your rental, you will be prompted for the details the law expects to see in an advert, including the EPC rating, the rent (with no hidden fees), the deposit and your pet policy. If you would like a structured check before you go live, the guides above walk through each requirement in turn. If anything here is unclear, or your council's local rules differ, the relevant government page and your local authority's housing team are the authoritative sources. Where a figure, date or threshold matters to a decision, confirm it against the current gov.uk guidance before you act. Frequently asked questions Is the Renters' Rights Act actually in force yet? Yes. The main provisions took effect on 1 May 2026. Section 21 is abolished, assured shorthold tenancies have converted to periodic tenancies, and the new Information Sheet 2026 has replaced the How to Rent guide. This is the law you are letting under now, not a future plan. Check the current gov.uk Renters' Rights Act collection for any later updates to the detail. Can I still use a Section 21 no-fault eviction? No. Section 21 was abolished on 1 May 2026, so the no-fault route is gone for tenancies under the new rules. To regain possession you now rely on a Section 8 notice served on a valid statutory ground, and the court decides on that basis. Read our Section 8 grounds guide and confirm the current grounds and notice periods on gov.uk before serving any notice. What is the Information Sheet 2026 and do I have to serve it? It is the document that replaced the old How to Rent guide. You must serve the exact gov.uk PDF on your tenants, including existing tenants by the statutory deadline, and a link does not count. Missing the deadline carries a civil penalty. Download the current version from gov.uk and keep a dated record of service. Our Information Sheet 2026 guide covers the deadline and penalty in full. Do periodic tenancies mean I have less control over my property? The fixed term in its old form is gone, and tenants can leave on two months' notice. You keep control through your standing obligations and the Section 8 grounds, which include a route for landlords who genuinely need to sell. That ground cannot be used in the first 12 months and carries a re-letting restriction, so plan around it. See our Section 8 grounds guide and gov.uk for the current detail. Can I still ask tenants to pay several months' rent up front? No. Rent in advance is now capped, and you can ask for no more than one month's rent before the tenancy begins. Rental bidding wars are also banned, so you advertise at a set rent and cannot invite or accept higher offers. Check the precise wording and any exceptions in the current gov.uk Renters' Rights Act collection before setting your terms. I let one property. Do these rules really apply to me? Yes. The Renters' Rights Act applies to private landlords regardless of portfolio size, so a single let is covered in the same way as a large portfolio. The safety, deposit, licensing and data protection duties that sit alongside the Act apply too. If anything is unclear for your situation, your local council's housing team and the relevant gov.uk pages are the authoritative sources. 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. { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Article", "headline": "The Renters' Rights Act 2026: what private landlords need to do", "description": "The Renters' Rights Act is in force from 1 May 2026. 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