How to Rent Guide 2026 — Landlord Obligation to Serve the Government Booklet

What is the How to Rent guide?

The How to Rent guide is a Government-published PDF explaining tenants' rights and landlord responsibilities. It covers:

• What to check before renting — landlord's gas safety certificate, deposit scheme, EICR, EPC
• What should be in a tenancy agreement
• Tenant and landlord responsibilities during the tenancy
• What happens at the end of the tenancy and deposit disputes
• What to do if things go wrong — repairs, rent arrears, possession

Who must serve it and to whom?

The How to Rent guide obligation applies across private residential lettings in England:

• Who must serve: Every landlord (or letting agent acting on their behalf) of a private residential property in England letting under a new assured tenancy (now a Periodic Assured Tenancy from 1 May 2026)
• To whom: Every adult tenant named on the tenancy agreement. Where there are joint tenants, each tenant must receive a copy or be given clear access to the electronic version
• Not applicable in Wales: The How to Rent guide obligation applies in England only. Welsh landlords are subject to the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 — different documentation requirements apply
• HMOs: The obligation applies equally to HMO tenancies. Each adult occupant on the tenancy agreement must receive the guide
• Renewals and re-lets: If you grant a new tenancy — even to the same tenant at the same address — you must serve the current version of the guide again. Check whether the version has been updated since the last tenancy

Which version must you serve?

This is the question that trips most landlords up. The legal requirement is to serve the CURRENT version at the time of service.

• Current at commencement: You must serve the version of the How to Rent guide that is current on the date the tenancy begins (or, if served before commencement, on the date it is served)
• DLUHC updates regularly: The Government updates the guide, typically when the law changes. The most recent major update coincided with the Renters' Rights Act 2025 commencement (1 May 2026). A new version was published reflecting the abolition of Section 21, periodic tenancies, and the Information Sheet obligation
• Where to download: The current version is available from GOV.UK — search 'How to Rent guide'. Always download fresh immediately before serving to ensure you have the latest version. Do not use cached copies
• Re-serve on update: If a new version is published while your tenancy is running, you must re-serve the updated guide to existing tenants promptly. Best practice is to email or post it within 14 days of a new version being published

How to serve it

The How to Rent guide may be served in paper or electronic form. Proof of service is essential.

• Email: The most common method. Send as a PDF attachment to the tenant's email address. Keep the sent email in your records — this is proof of service
• Post: Post a hard copy to the property address. Keep a certificate of posting or use recorded delivery. Note: once the tenancy has started, the tenant may not be at the property yet — verify the correct service address
• In person: Hand deliver a hard copy to the tenant. Have the tenant sign a receipt noting the date
• Tenant agreement to electronic delivery: There is no requirement to obtain the tenant's consent to serve electronically — email service to the tenant's provided email address is sufficient
• Proof of service: Keep evidence of service permanently — sent email, delivery receipt, signed acknowledgment. A landlord who cannot prove service has no evidence that the obligation was fulfilled

Consequence of not serving — pre and post RRA 2025

The How to Rent guide has been a prescribed document since 2015. Failure to serve had serious consequences under the old regime and continues to be a compliance failure post-May 2026.

• Pre-1 May 2026: Failure to serve the current version of the How to Rent guide at the start of the tenancy meant the landlord could not serve a valid Section 21 notice. Many Section 21 notices were successfully challenged on this basis — wrong version served, no version served, or version served after the tenancy started were all common defects
• Post-1 May 2026: Section 21 is abolished. The consequence of failing to serve is now a civil compliance failure rather than voidance of a Section 21. The Government may add non-service as a civil penalty offence as the Renters' Rights Act implementation bed in. In addition, the prescribed information set out in the Assured Tenancy Prescribed Conditions Regulations 2025 (effective from 1 May 2026) includes the requirement to serve the guide
• Ongoing tenancies: For tenancies that converted to Periodic Assured Tenancies on 1 May 2026, the How to Rent guide obligation under the converted regime continues — re-serving the updated May 2026 version is strongly recommended
• Court proceedings: In any possession claim, a landlord who cannot demonstrate compliance with all pre-tenancy obligations is at risk of having their claim delayed or struck out

Pre-tenancy checklist — what to serve alongside the How to Rent guide

The How to Rent guide is one of several prescribed documents landlords must serve before a tenancy begins in England:

• How to Rent guide — current version from GOV.UK
• Gas Safety Certificate — annual; must be given to tenant before occupation or within 28 days of renewal
• Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) — minimum E rating; must be given at marketing and before tenancy start
• EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) — give a copy to each new tenant before occupation
• Deposit protection prescribed information — if a deposit is taken, protect within 30 days and serve prescribed information
• RRA 2025 Information Sheet — from 1 May 2026, landlords must give new tenants the Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet (separate to the How to Rent guide)

Frequently asked questions