The Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet is the official government document that explains to existing private tenants in England how the Renters' Rights Act 2025 may affect their current tenancy from 1 May 2026. Most landlords and letting agents had to give it to tenants by 31 May 2026, or could be fined up to £7,000.
Key points
✓It is one specific official document on GOV.UK. The sheet is only valid when downloaded from its GOV.UK page, and the landlord must give the exact PDF.
✓It had to go to every tenant named on a tenancy agreement signed before 1 May 2026, where there is a written record of the terms, by 31 May 2026.
✓Some landlords must still give it after 31 May: those whose tenancy became an assured periodic tenancy after an earlier section 21 or section 8 notice stopped being valid. They have one month.
✓Lodgers do not need it. A tenancy that began on or after 1 May 2026 gets written information about its key terms instead.
✓A council can fine a landlord up to £7,000. The landlord has 28 days to make written representations before a final notice.
What is the Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet?
It is an official document, “The Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet 2026”, published by the government on GOV.UK. It explains to private tenants how the new rules may affect their current tenancy. The new rules apply to your tenancy automatically, even if your landlord does not update your tenancy agreement.
It covers tenants in the private rented sector with an assured or assured shorthold tenancy. If you live in social housing or you are a lodger, the new rules will not usually apply to you.
The sheet says these rules have been introduced by law and a landlord cannot put anything into a tenancy agreement to change or disapply them. The enforcement measures apply to landlords who let out properties on assured tenancies in England.
Who must give the Information Sheet, and who gets it?
Landlords, and any letting agent who manages the property, had to give it to tenants whose tenancy agreement was signed before 1 May 2026 and has a written record of the terms. Every tenant named on the agreement gets a copy.
✓Yes: Every tenant named on the tenancy agreement must be given a copy, including each joint tenant
✓Yes: A wholly or partly written record of the terms, such as a written tenancy agreement, brings the tenancy in
✓Yes: If a letting agent manages the property, the agent must have given it to the tenant, even if the landlord also gave it
✗No: Lodgers do not need to be given it
Existing tenants get the Information Sheet. A new tenancy gets written information about its key terms instead, which is covered below.
Does a landlord still have to give it after 31 May 2026?
Sometimes. If a landlord gave a valid section 21 or section 8 notice before 1 May 2026 and the notice later stopped being valid, or the court process finished without possession being granted, the tenancy became an assured periodic tenancy. The landlord then has one month to give the Information Sheet, counted from that date.
The sheet must be given if the tenancy:
✓Yes: is an assured or assured shorthold tenancy
✓Yes: becomes an assured periodic tenancy after 1 May 2026 because the notice is no longer valid or the court proceedings ended without possession being granted
✓Yes: has a wholly or partly written record of terms, including a written tenancy agreement
After 31 May 2026, landlords and tenants can still refer to the Information Sheet to understand how their tenancy has changed.
What is the fine if a landlord did not give it?
A local council can fine a landlord, a letting agent or anyone acting for them, other than a qualified legal representative, up to £7,000 for failing to give existing tenants the Information Sheet. The deadline for most tenancies was 31 May 2026.
A council has to follow a set process before a fine is final:
The council must be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that the breach happened
It gathers evidence and gives the landlord notice that it will issue a fine
The landlord has 28 days from the day the notice is issued to make written representations
After that the council decides whether to issue a final notice
The landlord can appeal to the First-tier Tribunal within 28 days of the final notice, against the decision to fine or the amount
A landlord who had to give the Information Sheet by 31 May 2026 and has not done so could be fined up to £7,000. If you are a tenant and have not received it, the people who had to give it are your landlord and, where one manages the property, the letting agent.
How to serve the Information Sheet correctly
1
Download the exact official PDF
Use the exact PDF on the GOV.UK publication page. The sheet is only valid when downloaded from that page.
2
Give a copy to every named tenant
A copy must be given to every tenant named on the tenancy agreement.
3
Use a valid delivery method
You can print a hard copy and post it or give it to the tenant by hand, or send the PDF as an attachment, for example to an email or text message. You must not email or text a link to the PDF, as this will not be valid.
4
Check whether a letting agent has also given it
If a letting agent manages the property, the agent must have given the sheet to the tenant, even if the landlord has also given it.
The sheet is only valid when downloaded from its GOV.UK publication page. You do not have to change or re-issue an existing written tenancy agreement.
What does the Information Sheet say?
The sheet says it is only a summary of the changes, and the new rules may affect your tenancy in ways it does not describe. The table below sets out what it tells tenants.
Topic
What the sheet tells tenants
The name of your tenancy
Assured shorthold tenancies were abolished on 1 May 2026. Any tenancy previously called one automatically became an assured periodic tenancy, and your tenancy does not end because of this change.
Fixed terms
After 1 May 2026 assured tenancies cannot have a fixed term or a set end date. Your tenancy rolls on, usually monthly unless your agreement sets a shorter period such as weekly or fortnightly. Any end date in your agreement no longer applies.
Rent increases
Rent review clauses cannot be used for new rent increases after 1 May 2026. A landlord can only increase the rent once per year, with written notice on Form 4A at least 2 months before it takes effect, and you can challenge an increase above market rent at the First-tier Tribunal. See our guide to whether a landlord can increase rent every year.
Section 21 notices
A landlord cannot give a section 21 notice on or after 1 May 2026, even if your tenancy agreement says they can. They need a legal reason, called a ground for possession, in a section 8 notice. The sheet gives examples such as rent not paid on time, antisocial behaviour and not caring for the property properly. Our guide to the end of Section 21 covers what replaced it.
Going to court
If you have not left when the notice ends, your landlord has to apply to court for a possession order and show they have a valid reason. Landlords cannot use the sale or move-in grounds during the first 12 months of a tenancy. You can access free legal advice through the Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service before going to court and on the day of the court hearing. See the Section 8 grounds for possession.
Ending your tenancy
You can end the tenancy at any point by giving your landlord at least 2 months’ notice in writing, so that it ends on a day rent is due or the day before. You can agree a shorter period in writing if any other named tenants agree.
Keeping a pet
From 1 May 2026 you have the right to request to keep a pet. Your landlord cannot unreasonably refuse, and if they refuse they must tell you in writing and should tell you the reason why. You can challenge the landlord’s decision in court. More in our Renters’ Rights Act 2025 guide.
Students
A landlord may use possession ground 4A against a full-time student at the end of the academic year, with 4 months’ notice ending between 1 June and 30 September. They can only do so if they gave written notice earlier, in most cases by 31 May 2026. The Information Sheet does not count as that notice.
Notices served before 1 May 2026
The changes may not apply to your tenancy on 1 May 2026 if your landlord served a section 8 or section 21 notice before that date. They may still be able to take you to court under the previous rules, so seek advice.
What if my tenancy started after 1 May 2026, or was only a verbal agreement?
You get written information about the key terms of the tenancy instead of the Information Sheet. For a tenancy created on or after 1 May 2026 the landlord must give it before the tenancy is agreed, and may include it in the tenancy agreement. A tenancy based entirely on a verbal agreement made before 1 May 2026 also needed that written information, by 31 May 2026.
If a landlord does not give it, the tenant can complain to the local council and the landlord can be fined up to £7,000. Our tenancy agreements guide covers tenancy agreements under the new rules. More on renting rights is in our housing section.
Does the Information Sheet replace my tenancy agreement?
No. The legislation does not require a landlord to change or re-issue an existing written tenancy agreement. The sheet explains how the new rules may affect your tenancy, and they apply to it automatically.
Does the Information Sheet apply to council or housing association tenants?
Usually not. The sheet is for private tenants with an assured or assured shorthold tenancy, and says the new rules will not usually apply if you live in social housing. A social landlord letting a non-social tenancy may have needed to give it.
Know Your Rights UK. "Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet 2026: What It Is." Know Your Rights UK, https://www.knowyourrightsuk.com/housing/renters-rights-act-information-sheet