The Renters' Rights Act information sheet is the government document called The Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet 2026, which most landlords and their letting agents in England had to give to tenants by 31 May 2026. It covers private assured and assured shorthold tenancies that started before 1 May 2026 and have a written tenancy agreement or other written record of terms. Every tenant named on the agreement must receive the exact PDF from gov.uk, by post, by hand or as an attachment to an email or text message. Sending a link does not count.
The duty comes from paragraph 7 of Schedule 6 to the Renters' Rights Act 2025 and from regulations in force since 1 May 2026. If you manage tenancies for landlords, the duty is very likely yours as well as theirs, and a council can fine either of you up to £7,000.
What the Renters' Rights Act information sheet is
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government published the sheet on 20 March 2026. It is a four-page PDF written for tenants. It explains that:
- assured shorthold tenancies became assured periodic (rolling) tenancies on 1 May 2026, and fixed end dates no longer apply
- rent review clauses cannot be used for new increases; landlords must use the section 13 process with Form 4A, once a year, with at least 2 months' notice
- section 21 notices cannot be given on or after 1 May 2026, so a landlord needs a ground for possession
- tenants can end the tenancy with at least 2 months' notice in writing
- tenants can ask to keep a pet, and the landlord cannot unreasonably refuse
- landlords of full-time students may be able to use ground 4A
The sheet says it is only a summary and that the new rules apply even if the tenancy agreement is not updated. The government's page confirms that the law does not require you to change or re-issue existing written tenancy agreements.
The regulations (SI 2026/324, in force 1 May 2026) name the document as the version of The Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet 2026 "that has effect for the time being". In practice, download it from the gov.uk page each time you need it rather than reusing an old copy.
Who has to give the information sheet, and to whom
The legal duty sits with the landlord of an existing tenancy that is wholly or partly in writing. Paragraph 7(3) of Schedule 6 extends it to anyone who has a contract with the landlord that requires them to ensure compliance, whether or not the contract mentions this duty by name. For most fully managed lets, that means the agent.
The gov.uk page goes further: if a letting agent manages the property for the landlord, "the agent must have given the Information Sheet to the tenant, even if you have also given it". For let-only or rent-collection services, whether the duty reaches you depends on what your terms of business say about compliance.
The sheet must go to:
- every tenant named on the tenancy agreement, each with their own copy
- tenants of private assured or assured shorthold tenancies, not lodgers
- not social housing assured tenants, although gov.uk says a social landlord letting a non-social tenancy may have needed to give it
If an existing tenancy was wholly oral, the information sheet is not the right document. The landlord had to give written information about the key terms of the tenancy instead, also by 31 May 2026.
The deadline: 31 May 2026, and the cases that come later
The Act sets the deadline as the end of one month beginning with the commencement date, which gov.uk states as 31 May 2026. That deadline has passed for most tenancies.
One group still has a live deadline. Where a landlord gave a valid section 21 or section 8 notice before 1 May 2026, and the notice later stops being valid or the court process ends without a possession order, the tenancy becomes an assured periodic tenancy. The landlord then has one month to give the information sheet, counted from the date the notice stopped being valid or the court process finished. Gov.uk added this to its guidance in June 2026.
How the Renters' Rights Act information sheet can be given
Gov.uk allows two methods:
- a printed copy, posted or handed to the tenant
- the PDF sent electronically as an attachment, for example to an email or text message
You must not email or text a link to the PDF, because that "will not be valid". The sheet is only valid when downloaded from the gov.uk page, and you must give the exact PDF. The government does not provide an editable or Word version, and it does not provide translations.
If a tenant needs another format, gov.uk offers a large print copy and an easy read copy, and a braille version on request. These are given in addition to the official PDF, not instead of it.
What happens if the information sheet is not given
Failing to give the information sheet to existing tenants is listed by gov.uk as a breach. A local council can impose a financial penalty of up to £7,000 under section 16I of the Housing Act 1988, which the Act applies to this duty. The council must be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt before it does so.
The government's enforcement guidance for landlords, published 1 May 2026, adds that:
- councils can fine landlords, letting agents or anyone acting for the landlord (other than a qualified legal representative)
- you get 28 days from a notice of intent to make written representations
- you can appeal a final notice to the First-tier Tribunal within 28 days
- a breach that continues for more than 28 days after a penalty, or a new breach within 5 years of an earlier penalty or offence, becomes an offence, with a penalty of up to £40,000 as an alternative to prosecution
The guidance we checked does not say whether sending the sheet late removes the risk of a penalty for missing 31 May. If a tenant you manage never received it, sending it now and recording the date is the practical step, and take advice on the earlier failure.
New tenancies since 1 May 2026: the written statement of terms
Tenancies created on or after 1 May 2026 do not get the information sheet. Instead, section 16D of the Housing Act 1988 requires the landlord to give a written statement of terms before the tenancy is entered into. It can be part of the tenancy agreement or a separate document. As with the information sheet, the duty also applies to anyone whose contract with the landlord requires them to ensure compliance, and the maximum penalty is £7,000.
The Schedule to SI 2026/324 lists what the statement must include. Among other items:
- the names of the landlord and every tenant, and an address in England and Wales where notices can be served on the landlord
- the property address and the date the tenant can first move in
- the rent, when it is due, and a statement that rent increases follow section 13
- any bills paid to the landlord, and the deposit amount where deposit protection rules apply
- statements on possession, fitness for human habitation, repairs, electrical and gas safety, and the right to ask to keep a pet
Sending the information sheet: Renters' Rights Act checklist for agents
- List every tenancy you manage that started before 1 May 2026 with written terms, and every tenant named on each agreement.
- Download the PDF from the gov.uk page; do not use a saved copy, a retyped version or a link.
- Send each named tenant their own copy as an attachment, or post or hand over a printed copy of all four pages.
- Keep a record for each tenant: property address, tenant name, date sent, method, the email address, phone number or postal address used, and a copy of the message showing the attachment.
- Flag any tenancy where a section 8 or section 21 notice was served before 1 May 2026, and diary one month from the date the notice lapses or the court process ends.
- When you take over management of an existing tenancy, ask the landlord or previous agent for their sending record. If there is none, treat the tenancy as not yet served.
- For student lets, remember that the information sheet itself says it does not count as the written notice needed for ground 4A.
- For new lets, give the written statement of terms before signing.
No rule says what proof you must keep. But a council has to be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt before fining, so a dated record per tenant is the best evidence you can hold.
Other 1 May 2026 changes agents should check
The information sheet only deals with existing tenancies. The same phase of the Act changed how new lets are marketed: every written advert, including a social media post, must state one specific rent, and you cannot invite or accept offers above it. Our guide to Renters' Rights Act lettings adverts covers rent, bidding, fees and wording.
This guide explains the rules as of 30 October 2026 and is not legal advice.