What is the Renters' Rights Act information sheet?

It is a 4-page government PDF explaining how the Renters' Rights Act changed tenancies in England. Landlords with a written tenancy agreed before 1 May 2026 had to give it to every named tenant by 31 May 2026.

The sheet exists because older tenancy agreements still describe the old rules: fixed terms, section 21 and rent review clauses. Rather than rewrite every agreement, the law requires landlords to hand over one official document. The rules below follow GOV.UK and legislation.gov.uk as checked on 16 October 2026, and apply to England only.

Where the duty comes from

Schedule 6 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 says the landlord of an existing tenancy that is wholly or partly in writing must give the tenant whatever written information about the Act's changes regulations require, within one month of the commencement date. Section 146 of the Act defines that date as the day the new tenancy rules (Chapter 1 of Part 1) came into force, and the Act's second commencement regulations (SI 2026/421) set that day as 1 May 2026 for private assured tenancies. A month beginning on 1 May ends on 31 May. A separate set of regulations (SI 2026/324) names the document: "The Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet 2026", as produced by the Secretary of State. GOV.UK puts the deadline at 31 May 2026.

Who must give it, and to whom

One group still has a live deadline. If you served a valid section 21 or section 8 notice before 1 May 2026, the old rules carried on for that tenancy. Once the notice stops being valid, or the court process ends without possession, the tenancy becomes an assured periodic tenancy, and you then have one month to give the sheet. That applies where the tenancy has a wholly or partly written record of its terms.

How to give it so it counts

GOV.UK is strict about the format. The sheet is only valid when downloaded from its GOV.UK page, and you must give that exact PDF.

Large print and Easy Read copies are on GOV.UK for tenants who need them, and a braille version can be requested. GOV.UK says it does not provide translations.

What the sheet tells tenants

It is written for the tenant and covers, in brief: that assured shorthold tenancies became assured periodic tenancies on 1 May 2026; that fixed terms became rolling tenancies; that rent review clauses stopped working and rent can rise once a year through Form 4A; that section 21 ended and a landlord now needs a ground for possession; how a tenant gives at least 2 months' notice to leave; the right to ask to keep a pet; and the student ground. It also says the new rules apply even if the landlord never updates the agreement.

How it relates to written tenancy terms

The sheet and the new written statement of terms are two routes to the same goal. Schedule 6 switches off the written statement duty for existing tenancies that are already in writing, and puts the information sheet in its place. A tenancy agreed only verbally had nothing to update, so it needed the full written information instead. New tenancies from 1 May 2026 skip the sheet and get the written information, whose contents are set by SI 2026/324. Do I still need to give tenants the How to Rent guide? lists what that covers, and what happens to assured shorthold tenancies explains the tenancy changes themselves.

What this means for you

If you let a property in England on a written agreement that started before 1 May 2026, check now that each named tenant received the official PDF in a valid way, and that you can prove when. Under section 16I of the Housing Act 1988, added by the Renters' Rights Act, the local council can impose a financial penalty of up to £7,000 if it is satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that the duty was broken. If you missed 31 May 2026, the sheet cannot now be on time, but giving it properly means your tenants have it and you have a dated record. If an agent manages the property, ask them for their proof too.

Steps to give the information sheet

1. List every tenancy, its start date, whether it is written or verbal, and every named tenant.
2. Download the PDF from the GOV.UK publication page, not from a third-party site.
3. Send it to each named tenant as an email or text attachment, or post or hand over a printed copy.
4. Keep a dated record: the sent email, a certificate of posting, or a signed note of hand delivery.
5. For any tenancy where a section 21 or section 8 notice was served before 1 May 2026, diary the one-month deadline for when the notice lapses or the court process ends.
6. For new tenancies, give the written information about the key terms instead.

Rent from these lets may also bring you into Making Tax Digital; the free MTD check shows when, and the landlords section has more guides on the new rules.