The Renters' Rights Act 2025 commenced on 1 May 2026. On that date, a 31-day window opened for landlords to serve the official Information Sheet on every existing tenant. That window closed on 31 May 2026 and has passed. On every new letting since, the Information Sheet must be served at the start of the tenancy.
Serving the Information Sheet is not optional and it is not the tenant's responsibility to request it. It is a statutory obligation on the landlord, or the managing agent, where one is used. Failure to comply is a civil offence enforced by local authorities, with civil penalties up to £7,000 for a first breach and up to £40,000 for a continued or repeat breach.
What is the Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet?
The Information Sheet is an official government document published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). It is a four-page summary explaining to existing tenants how the Renters' Rights Act 2025 changes their tenancy.
The document covers: the automatic conversion of their Assured Shorthold Tenancy to a Periodic Assured Tenancy; the abolition of Section 21 'no-fault' evictions; how rent can now only be increased via Section 13; their new right to submit a pet request; and how contractual rent review clauses no longer apply.
- Official GOV.UK document, must be served without alteration or editing
- Must be provided as an attached PDF, not linked from an email or website
- Each named tenant on the tenancy agreement must receive their own copy
- If a letting agent manages the property, the agent must also serve it even if the landlord has already done so
Who must receive the Information Sheet?
You must give the Information Sheet to every named tenant with a written tenancy under the Housing Act 1988 that was in place before 1 May 2026. This includes:
- All named tenants on a standard Assured Shorthold Tenancy
- All named tenants on a periodic AST (statutory or contractual)
- All named tenants on an HMO per-room tenancy agreement
- Joint tenancies: each individual named on the agreement must receive a separate copy
Where the 31 May 2026 deadline did not apply
The 31 May 2026 existing-tenant deadline did not apply to:
- Wholly verbal tenancies (no written agreement), these required a Written Statement of Terms instead, same deadline
- New tenancies granted on or after 1 May 2026, these fall under the ongoing new-letting duty (serve the Information Sheet at the start of the tenancy), not the one-off 31 May deadline
- Tenancies in Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland, the RRA 2025 is England-only
- Lodger arrangements under a licence rather than a tenancy
How to serve the Information Sheet correctly
Serving incorrectly is the same as not serving at all. Follow these steps to ensure compliance:
- Step 1, Download the official PDF from GOV.UK (search 'Renters Rights Act Information Sheet 2026'). Do not edit, annotate or reformat it.
- Step 2, Attach the PDF to your communication. Do not send a link to the document, only the attached PDF constitutes valid service.
- Step 3, Choose a valid service method: email with the PDF attached (retain the sent copy with timestamp); hand delivery of a printed copy (note date and obtain a signature if possible); first-class post with printed copy (retain certificate of posting).
- Step 4, Serve each tenant individually. On a joint tenancy, each named tenant must receive their own copy.
- Step 5, Keep a service record. Document every service: date, method, and confirmation. If a tenant disputes receipt and you have no record, the local authority may treat you as non-compliant.
What if I have a letting agent?
If a letting agent manages your property, the agent is also required to serve the Information Sheet, even if you have already done so as the landlord. This is a separate statutory obligation on the agent, not a delegation of your obligation.
If you use an agent, check with them urgently whether they have served the Information Sheet on all managed properties. If they have not, both you and the agent may be liable.
Penalties for non-compliance
Local authorities have the power to impose civil penalty notices on landlords who fail to serve the Information Sheet, whether the 31 May 2026 existing-tenant deadline or the ongoing new-letting duty:
- First breach: civil penalty up to £7,000
- Continued or repeat breach: civil penalty up to £40,000
- Tenants have the right to report non-compliance directly to the local authority
- If you missed the existing-tenant deadline, serving now may reduce but not eliminate liability
What if I cannot contact my tenant?
If you have genuinely been unable to contact a tenant despite reasonable efforts, document every attempt: date, method, and any response (or absence of one). Courts and local authorities will consider whether the landlord took all reasonable steps to comply.
Attempt service by email (attach the PDF), first-class post to the property address, and any other contact details held. Keep records of all attempts.
Frequently asked questions
Does a link in an email comply with the Information Sheet obligation?+
No. Providing a link to the Information Sheet, whether to GOV.UK or any other website, does not constitute valid service. The obligation requires you to serve the PDF itself as an attachment. A link that the tenant may or may not click does not meet the statutory requirement.
Do I need to serve the Information Sheet on new tenants?+
Yes. On every new letting granted on or after 1 May 2026, the Information Sheet must be served on each named tenant at the start of the tenancy. The one-off 31 May 2026 deadline was specific to tenants already in place before 1 May 2026; it has passed. The new-letting duty is ongoing and separate.
My tenant lives overseas, can I email them?+
Yes, but you must attach the PDF, not provide a link. Email with the PDF attached is valid service. For overseas tenants, email with attachment plus a request for read-receipt confirmation is the recommended approach. Keep a copy of the sent email with the attachment visible.
The 31 May 2026 deadline has passed. What should I do now?+
The existing-tenant deadline was 31 May 2026 and it has passed. If you did not serve an existing tenant in time, serve them now, serving late before any enforcement action may reduce the penalty if challenged. Document when you served and why you missed the deadline, context can be relevant to the local authority's penalty decision. It does not, however, eliminate liability. Going forward, serve the Information Sheet on every new letting at the start of the tenancy.
We have a joint tenancy with three named tenants. Do all three need their own copy?+
Yes. Each named tenant on the tenancy agreement must receive their own copy. Serving one copy and expecting tenants to share it is not compliant. With three named tenants, you need three separate services, by email with PDF attachment, post, or hand delivery to each person individually.
Is the Information Sheet obligation the same in Wales?+
No. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 applies to England only. Wales has separate legislation under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016. If you let property in Wales, the Information Sheet obligation does not apply, but Wales had its own compliance requirement, a variation notice obligation for the discrimination fundamental terms whose service window ran from 1 to 14 June 2026 and has now passed.
This page is drafted against the legislation below. Always check the current text of the law before acting.
- Renters' Rights Act 2025 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Housing Act 1988 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 (legislation.gov.uk)