The Renters' Rights Act information sheet: what landlords need to know

If you rented out a home in England before 1 May 2026, you had to give your tenants an official government document explaining how their rights had changed. The deadline was 31 May 2026. Many landlords missed it, and searches for the information sheet have shot up as a result. Here's what it is, who needed it, and what to do if you haven't served it yet.

What is the Renters' Rights Act information sheet?

The Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet 2026 is a document written by the government, not by you. Cherwell District Council describes it as a document produced by the government for tenants that explains how their tenancy may be affected by the Renters' Rights Act 2025.

It covers the big changes: tenancies no longer having a fixed end date, the end of Section 21 evictions, new rules on rent increases and the right to ask for a pet.

Who had to give the information sheet?

Cherwell's guidance sets out the three tests. You had to give the sheet if the tenancy:

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

If a letting agent manages the property for you, the council says the agent must provide the information sheet to the tenant, even if you have also provided it. Check with your agent that it was done.

Tenancies that were entirely spoken, with nothing in writing, were handled differently. Those landlords needed to give the tenant a written statement of the tenancy's terms instead.

What was the deadline, and what is the penalty?

The deadline was 31 May 2026. The NRLA says that failing to provide the information sheet or written statement on time can result in a civil penalty of up to £7,000 for a first offence. Your local council enforces this.

How do you serve the information sheet properly?

1. Download the official PDF from GOV.UK. Don't rewrite it or summarise it in your own words.
2. Give it to every named tenant. On a joint tenancy, each tenant needs a copy.
3. Send the document itself. Post it, hand it over, or attach the PDF to an email. A link on its own is not the same as giving the document.
4. Keep proof. Save the sent email, a certificate of posting or a signed note from the tenant.

The NRLA suggests that if you can't prove delivery another way, you should obtain confirmation from the tenant that they've received it.

What if you missed the deadline?

Serve it now. The deadline has passed, but every week you wait is another week you're out of line with the law. Send the official PDF to every tenant straight away, keep proof of when and how you sent it, and note the date in your records. If your council contacts you, being able to show you acted as soon as you realised will count for more than silence.

What about new tenancies from 1 May 2026?

For tenancies starting on or after 1 May 2026, GOV.UK states that the information sheet isn't the document required. Instead, landlords have to give tenants written information about the key terms of the tenancy. GOV.UK's guidance on repossessing your privately rented property after 1 May 2026 and the government's guide to the Renters' Rights Act explain the wider rules.

What should landlords check?

1. List every tenancy you have that started before 1 May 2026.
2. Mark which have a written agreement and which were agreed only by word of mouth.
3. For written tenancies, send every named tenant the official information sheet PDF.
4. For spoken tenancies, give a written statement of the key terms instead.
5. If you use a letting agent, ask them to confirm, in writing, that they've served it too.
6. Save proof of delivery for every tenant, in one folder you can find quickly.

What else does the information sheet tell tenants?

• Tenancies now roll on with no fixed end date, and tenants can leave with 2 months' notice.
• Section 21 has gone, so landlords need a legal reason to end a tenancy.
• Rents may only be reviewed once a year to a market rate, and landlords can't accept bids above the advertised rent.
• Tenants can ask to keep a pet, and landlords can't unreasonably refuse.

Why are so many landlords searching for this?

The Act changed a lot at once, with little time to prepare. Small landlords with one or two homes, often without an agent, were the most likely to miss the paperwork. The information sheet is just one of several new duties, and the fines add up if you miss more than one.

What if you're a tenant?

If your tenancy started before 1 May 2026 and you have a written agreement, your landlord, or their letting agent, should have given you the information sheet. If you haven't had it, you can ask for it. It explains your rights in plain English, including how to end your tenancy and what your landlord must do to end it.

Which records should you keep?

The information sheet is one of several records the new rules expect landlords to keep. It makes sense to hold, for each tenancy, a single folder with the tenancy agreement, proof you served the information sheet, gas and electrical safety certificates, the energy performance certificate, deposit protection details and any notices you've served. If your council ever asks, you'll have everything in minutes, not days.

Is it time to rethink how you let?

Some landlords are deciding the new rules are more than they want to manage. Others are looking at letting on short or medium-term stays instead, where guests have a home elsewhere and the stay is usually treated as a licence rather than a tenancy. If you're considering it, read about the rules that apply to switching, including the Renters' Rights Act letting ban, before you make any decision.

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This is general information, not legal advice. It is our own interpretation of the rules as they stand on the date shown above, and the law can change. Speak to a qualified solicitor before you act on anything here.