The Renters Rights Act Information Sheet 2026 – Advice for Landlords

Many of the provisions of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 come into force on 1st May 2026.
In advance of that the Government has published the Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet 2026 together with accompanying Guidance.

The Information Sheet must be given to tenants by their landlord. If a landlord has a letting agent then that letting agent must also provide the Information Sheet to the tenant even if the landlord has already done so.

If a landlord does not provide the Information Sheet by 31 May 2026 they face a fine of up to £7,000.

The accompanying Guidance for landlords and agents which can be accessed here.

Information Sheet

The purpose of the Information Sheet is to notify existing tenants of the changes introduced by the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 and explain how the new rules may affect their current tenancy. It can be can be accessed here.

The Information Sheet is in a prescribed form and is only four pages long. It states that the changes being introduced by the Act only affect assured or assured shorthold tenants in the private rented sector. It does not affect tenants in social housing or lodgers. However the Information Sheet must be provided by social landlords letting a non-social tenancy.

The changes to tenancies summarised in the Information Sheet are as follows:
• Changes to fixed terms
• Changes to the name of Assured Shorthold Tenancies
• Increasing the Rent
• If the Landlord wants to end the tenancy
• If the Tenant wants to end the tenancy
• Keeping a pet

There is also a section relevant to students who rent from a private landlord.

It does not set out the new and amended grounds for possession. The Government has previously published comprehensive guidance on this aspect of the new legislation which can be accessed here.

The Information Sheet explains that the changes set out within it might not apply to a tenancy on 1st May 2026 if a landlord had already served a notice seeking possession under section 8 or section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 before 1st May 2026.

Providing the Information Sheet

The information sheet must be provided by 31 May 2026 if the tenancy:

• is an assured or assured shorthold tenancy,
• was created before 1 May 2026 and
• has a wholly or partly written record of terms (including a written tenancy agreement).

If the tenancy is based entirely on a verbal agreement that was made before 1 May 2026, then the landlord is expected to provide the written information about the key terms of the tenancy instead.

How should the information sheet be provided to tenants?

The Guidance sets out specific requirements for providing a copy of the Information Sheet to tenants:
• The Information Sheet is only valid if it is downloaded from the GOV.UK website. It cannot be altered or branded.
• The Information Sheet must be given to every tenant named on the tenancy agreement either:
o in hard copy posted or given to the tenant(s) by hand or
o electronically as a PDF attachment via email or text message.

An email or text to the link to the PDF will not be valid.

Landlords and agents should keep documented evidence that they have provided their tenants with the Information Sheet.

Key takeaways

A landlord must give the Information Sheet in the prescribed form and via the prescribed means to assured and assured shorthold tenants by 31st May 2026 or face a fine of up to £7,000.

Landlords are not required to change or re-issue any written tenancy agreement.

Landlords who let properties to tenants via a verbal agreement are strongly advised to put those agreements in writing before 1st May 2026 and ensure that the provisions of the written agreements are compliant with the new legislation and that the Information Sheet is provided at the same time.

Although the information sheet is the final document scheduled for release before the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 comes into force, further guidance is expected and landlords and their agents should keep up to date with that.