How to Rent Guide Withdrawn June 2026, What Landlords Must Serve Instead

The How to Rent guide is withdrawn, what this means for landlords

• The How to Rent guide explained rights and responsibilities under the Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) regime, which was abolished by the Renters' Rights Act 2025 on 1 May 2026
• With the AST regime gone, the guide's content became legally superseded, it referred to Section 21 notices, fixed-term tenancies, and other features of the old system that no longer exist
• The government withdrew the guide from GOV.UK in June 2026 and it is no longer available to download or serve
• Separate Home Office guidance on right to rent immigration checks remains available on GOV.UK, this covers identity document checking for immigration purposes, which is a different requirement from the pre-tenancy information booklet
• For new tenancies from 1 May 2026, the prescribed pre-tenancy information document is the Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet

What must landlords serve instead, the Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet

For all new Periodic Assured Tenancies granted in England from 1 May 2026, landlords must provide the Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet to every tenant before or at the start of the tenancy. This is a mandatory prescribed document, failure to serve carries a civil penalty of up to £7,000 per tenancy.

• What it covers: The Information Sheet explains tenant rights under the new regime, the right to a periodic tenancy from day one, how rent increases work under Section 13, the right to request a pet, repair obligations under Awaab's Law, and how to raise complaints via the Private Rented Sector Ombudsman
• Who must serve it: Every landlord (or letting agent) of a private residential property in England granting a new tenancy from 1 May 2026. Applies to all Periodic Assured Tenancies, single lets, HMOs, and re-lets to existing tenants
• When to serve: Before or at the start of the tenancy. Serving it late is still preferable to not serving it at all, but the obligation crystallises at tenancy commencement
• How to serve: Email (PDF attachment), post, or in person. Retain proof of service, a sent email, delivery receipt, or signed acknowledgement
• Existing tenants (deadline 31 May 2026): Landlords with tenancies that converted to Periodic Assured Tenancies on 1 May 2026 were required to serve the Information Sheet on existing tenants by 31 May 2026. If that deadline has passed and you have not yet served it, do so as soon as possible, the obligation persists
• Penalty for non-service: Up to £7,000 per tenancy as a civil penalty. Local housing authorities can investigate and levy the penalty on complaint

What the How to Rent guide was, historical context

Understanding the old How to Rent guide obligation is still relevant for landlords with older tenancies, ongoing possession claims, or who need to demonstrate pre-tenancy compliance for a pre-RRA letting.

• The How to Rent guide was introduced in October 2015 and was a prescribed document under the Assured Tenancies and Agricultural Occupancies (Forms) Regulations 1997 (as amended). Landlords had to give the current version to every assured shorthold tenant before or at the start of the tenancy
• Failure to serve the correct version of the How to Rent guide prevented a landlord from serving a valid Section 21 notice, many possession claims were defeated on the basis that the wrong version was served, or that no version was served at all
• Section 21 was abolished on 1 May 2026. For tenancies that began before 1 May 2026, the How to Rent guide was still required to have been served at the tenancy start, evidence of that service remains relevant in any possession proceedings brought on those older tenancies
• For any possession claim involving a pre-RRA tenancy, ensure you can produce evidence that the correct version of the How to Rent guide was served at the time the tenancy began. The tenant's copy, a sent email, or a signed receipt are all acceptable evidence

Pre-tenancy documents for new tenancies from 1 May 2026

The prescribed pre-tenancy documents for a new Periodic Assured Tenancy in England from 1 May 2026 are:

• Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet, replaces the withdrawn How to Rent guide; penalty up to £7,000 for non-service
• Gas Safety Certificate (CP12), annual; must be given to tenant before occupation or within 28 days of issue if the tenancy is already running
• 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 of receipt and serve the prescribed information within the same period
• Written Statement of Terms, from 1 May 2026 the Assured Tenancy Prescribed Conditions Regulations 2025 require landlords to provide a written statement of the tenancy terms; the Periodic Assured Tenancy Agreement satisfies this

How the Information Sheet obligation differs from the old How to Rent requirement

There are key differences between the withdrawn How to Rent guide obligation and the new Information Sheet requirement that landlords should understand:

• Content: The How to Rent guide described the old AST regime; the Information Sheet describes the new Periodic Assured Tenancy regime including Section 13 rent reviews, pet requests, Awaab's Law, and the PRS Ombudsman
• Timing: The How to Rent guide had to be served before the tenancy commenced, and re-served when new versions were published. The Information Sheet must be served before or at commencement of each new tenancy from 1 May 2026
• Consequence of non-service: Under the old regime, failing to serve the How to Rent guide voided any subsequent Section 21. Under the new regime, failing to serve the Information Sheet is a standalone civil penalty offence (up to £7,000), there is no Section 21 to void
• Update obligation: The old How to Rent guide required re-service when new versions were published. The Information Sheet obligation has not yet been accompanied by a formal re-service requirement for updated versions, but landlords should serve the current version at the start of each tenancy

Frequently asked questions