The Renters' Rights Act's new Information Sheet, explained

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 introduces a new obligation for landlords and agents in England. Every existing tenant must receive a government-prescribed information sheet by 31 May 2026.

Miss the deadline, and you could face civil penalties of up to £7,000 per breach. This is not a soft requirement as local authorities have been funded to enforce it.

This article breaks down the two new document obligations, what each one contains, who must serve them, and what the penalties look like if you get it wrong.

What is the Information Sheet?

The Renters' Rights Act creates two separate written information requirements.

The Information Sheet

A fixed, government-produced PDF (published on the government website on 20 March 2026). It applies to all tenancies that existed before 1 May 2026 and explains how the new rules affect those tenants. Topics covered include the end of Section 21 "no-fault" evictions, the conversion of assured shorthold tenancies into periodic tenancies, reformed rent increase rules, and updated possession grounds.

Landlords cannot edit, rebrand, or alter this document. It must be served exactly as published.

The Written Statement of Terms

A separate requirement for all new tenancies created from 1 May 2026 onward. Unlike the Information Sheet, this is not a standard form. Landlords or agents draft it themselves, but it must include all content prescribed by the regulations.

Something to note, if an existing tenancy before 1 May 2026 was entirely verbal with nothing in writing, the landlord must provide a Written Statement of Terms instead of the Information Sheet.

What must the written statement include?

The Written Statement of Terms covers five areas of prescribed content:

• Party and property details: full names of all landlords and tenants, a service address for the landlord, and the property address
• Tenancy terms: rent amount and payment dates, deposit details, the date possession begins, whether utilities and council tax are included, and confirmation that rent increases must follow the Section 13 process
• Termination information: minimum notice periods, confirmation that landlords can only end tenancies via court order, and the Section 8 notice process
• Safety and compliance: references to obligations under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, Electrical Safety Standards Regulations 2020, and where gas is supplied, the Gas Safety Regulations 1998
• Tenant rights: the landlord's duties around disability-related improvements under the Equality Act 2010, the tenant's right to request a pet, and for supported accommodation, an explanation of why the property qualifies

The NRLA and Propertymark have published compliant templates that cover these requirements.

Deadlines and delivery rules

For existing tenancies with written agreements, the Information Sheet must reach every named tenant by 31 May 2026.

For new tenancies from 1 May 2026, the Written Statement must be provided before the tenancy agreement is signed.

Delivery can be a printed hard copy (posted or hand-delivered) or the PDF sent as an email or text attachment. Sending a hyperlink to the document does not count as valid service.

If a landlord has a letting agent managing the property, the agent must provide the Information Sheet to the tenant even if the landlord has already done so. The letting agent is legally responsible for issuing the Information Sheet on behalf of the landlord.

Penalties for non-compliance

In the old system, failing to serve the "How to Rent" guide simply blocked Section 21 notices. However, the new regime has tightened its enforcement measures.

• First breach: civil penalty of up to £7,000, with government guidance suggesting a starting point around £4,000
• Continued non-compliance beyond 28 days: escalation to a criminal offence and civil penalties of up to £40,000
• Repeat offenders (penalised for a similar breach in the previous five years) automatically face the higher penalty threshold

Local housing authorities handle enforcement, backed by £18.2 million in government funding allocated in 2025/26.

How rules differ across the UK

Housing law in the UK is devolved, and each nation has its own framework. Thus, the Information Sheet requirement applies only to England.

Wales operates under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016. Landlords must issue a Written Statement of Contract within 14 days of the occupation date. The only part of the Renters' Rights Act that reaches Wales is the anti-discrimination provisions, effective from 1 June 2026.

Scotland uses the Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Act 2016. Landlords must provide written terms, with failure enforceable through the First-tier Tribunal and damages of up to three months' rent.

Northern Ireland requires a Tenancy Information Notice under the Private Tenancies Act (NI) 2022 within 28 days of a tenancy starting, with a fixed penalty of £500 for non-compliance.

The "How to Rent" guide is going away

The existing "How to Rent" booklet will be withdrawn on 1 May 2026. The Information Sheet replaces it for existing tenancies, though it serves a narrower, transitional purpose.

For new tenancies, the Written Statement of Terms goes much further than the old guide. It sets out specific terms of the individual tenancy, safety obligations, and statutory rights, combining what used to be an information leaflet with core tenancy documentation.

What this means for property managers and lettings agents

For anyone managing residential portfolios, this creates an immediate operational challenge. The deadline is tight, the delivery requirements are specific, and the penalties are real.

Consider what this looks like at scale. If you manage 200 tenancies, you need to serve the correct document to every named tenant across every property, track who has received it, retain proof of delivery, and flag any tenancies that fall into the verbal-agreement edge case requiring a Written Statement instead.

Multiply that across a growing portfolio and it becomes a significant administrative burden, especially when the consequences of a single missed tenant could mean a £7,000 fine.

This is where operational tooling matters. Automation tools like LightWork AI are built to help property managers track compliance obligations across their portfolios, surface upcoming deadlines, and maintain audit trails for exactly these kinds of requirements. Rather than relying on spreadsheets or memory, AI-driven compliance tracking ensures nothing falls through the cracks, even as regulations evolve.

How to stay compliant

• Download the official Information Sheet from GOV.UK.
• Serve it on every named tenant on existing written tenancies before 31 May 2026.
• Retain proof of delivery for every tenant. Email read receipts, signed acknowledgements, or recorded delivery all work.
• Audit your portfolio for verbal tenancies. These require a Written Statement of Terms, not the Information Sheet.
• Update your onboarding process for new tenancies from 1 May. The Written Statement must be provided before the agreement is signed.
• Ensure agents and landlords both serve the document independently. One does not cover the other.
• Use compliance tracking tools to manage deadlines and evidence across your portfolio. LightWork AI can help you stay on top of these obligations without manual tracking.

The deadline is close, preparation is now

The 31 May 2026 deadline is less than two months away. For property managers handling large portfolios, the combination of tight timelines, specific delivery rules, and significant penalties means this is not something to leave until the last week.

Getting ahead of it now, with the right documents, delivery processes, and tracking systems in place, is the difference between a smooth compliance exercise and an expensive scramble.

Frequently Asked Questions