The Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet 2026: What You Need To Know

The government has now published the official Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet 2026.

This is not just guidance in the background. It is a document that landlords and letting agents must give to certain existing tenants, and they must do so by 31st May 2026. If they do not, they could face a fine of up to £7,000.00.

That matters because this is a straight compliance point. It is not about what landlords might need to do in some future possession claim. It is something many landlords will need to do now, even if they already have tenants in place. The rule applies where the tenancy is: an assured or assured shorthold tenancy, was created before 1st May 2026, and there is at least some written record of what was agreed(including a written tenancy agreement). In those cases; the information sheet must be given by 31st May 2026 to every tenant named on the tenancy agreement. Lodgers do not need to be given it.

There are some easy traps here. Landlords must give the exact PDF published on the GOV.UK page. The government says the information sheet is only valid when downloaded from that page. It can be given either as a hard copy, posted or handed to the tenant, or as the PDF itself attached to an email or text message. Sending a link to the PDF is not enough.

There is also an important exception. If the tenancy was made before 1st May 2026 but is based entirely on a verbal agreement, the landlord cannot use the information sheet. In that situation; the landlord must instead give written information about the key terms of the tenancy, and that also has to be done by 31st May 2026.

Landlords who use agents should not assume this can be ignored because someone else is dealing with it. The government says that if a letting agent manages the property, the agent must provide the information sheet to the tenant, even if the landlord has also provided it. In practice; landlords and agents should make sure responsibility is clearly allocated and recorded, because the risk of confusion is obvious.

Many landlords may think of the Renters’ Rights Act as a big future reform about possession, rent changes, and tenancy structure. But this point is much more immediate. It is an upcoming and imminent fixed deadline, applying to a large number of existing tenancies, backed by a potential financial penalty. For plenty of landlords, this will be the first place where the new law affects them in a direct and practical way.

The sensible approach is to act now. Landlords should identify which existing tenants need the information sheet, make sure the correct PDF is used, ensure it goes to every named tenant, and keep a clear record of service. That is likely to be far more useful than waiting until May and trying to work it out in a rush.

If you would like advice on the issues raised in this update, or on residential tenancy and property disputes more generally, please get in touch. Our Commercial & Residential Property Litigation team would be pleased to assist.

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