Landlords and letting agents are facing a new compliance requirement under the Renters’ Rights Act after the long-standing “How to Rent” guide was replaced this month by the new mandatory “Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet 2026”.
The document, which must now be provided to tenants in England, is designed to explain how the reformed rental system operates following the introduction of the Renters’ Rights Act.
Produced by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the four-page document outlines changes to tenancy structures, possession rules, rent increases and landlord responsibilities under the new legislation.
From 1 May 2026, all new tenants must receive the document at the start of their tenancy, while existing tenants on assured or assured shorthold tenancies with written agreements must be provided with it by 31 May 2026.
£7,000 fine
Landlords who fail to issue the Information Sheet correctly could face fines of up to £7,000 under the legislation.
The rules also contain strict instructions on how the document must be served. The Government says landlords and agents must provide the exact PDF downloaded from the official GOV.UK page, either as a printed hard copy or as the PDF attached directly to an email or text message.
Simply sending tenants a link to the document is not valid under the guidance.
The Government has also warned landlords not to amend, summarise or recreate the document themselves, stating the Information Sheet is “only valid when downloaded from this page”.
Copies for all tenants
A copy must be provided to every tenant named on the tenancy agreement.
The document reflects the wider restructuring of the private rented sector under the Renters’ Rights Act, which has replaced assured shorthold tenancies with assured periodic tenancies and abolished Section 21 “no-fault” evictions.
Unlike the previous How to Rent guide, which acted as a broader consumer guide to renting, the new Information Sheet is more tightly tied to the updated legal framework and focuses specifically on how the reformed tenancy system operates.
The move is one of the less high-profile changes introduced under the Renters’ Rights Act, but it still carries significant compliance implications for landlords and agents adapting to the new rules.
There are also potential risks for landlords relying on managing agents to handle compliance requirements. Government guidance states that where an agent manages the property, the agent must provide the Information Sheet even if the landlord has already done so.
Responsibility lies with landliord
However, responsibility for ensuring compliance ultimately still rests with the landlord.
The guidance also confirms landlords do not need to reissue or rewrite existing tenancy agreements because of the new rules.
For landlords with fully verbal tenancy agreements created before 1 May 2026, different requirements apply. Instead of issuing the Information Sheet, they must provide tenants with separate written information explaining key terms of the tenancy.
Further guidance and the official PDF can be downloaded from GOV.UK.
