Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet: What Landlords Must Do by 31 May 2026

What is the Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet?

The information sheet is a government-produced document explaining the new rights tenants acquire under the Renters' Rights Act 2025. It is separate from the existing How to Rent guide and is specific to this legislation.

The purpose of the sheet is to ensure that every tenant in England — including those who have been renting for years under their existing tenancy — understands the significant new protections they now have. Key changes tenants need to know about include the abolition of no-fault evictions, their entitlement to two months' notice under the new possession regime, their right to challenge rent increases, and new protections around pet requests and benefits discrimination.

The government has committed to publishing the information sheet in March 2026, giving landlords and agents approximately eight weeks to serve it on tenants before the 31 May 2026 deadline. At the time of writing it has not yet been released, but this page will be updated as soon as it becomes available. Landlords should monitor GOV.UK for the official publication.

This requirement is distinct from — and in addition to — the existing obligation to provide the How to Rent guide at the start of a new tenancy. Both remain in force.

Who needs to send it?

All private landlords in England with existing assured or assured shorthold tenancies must provide the information sheet to their tenants. There are no exemptions based on portfolio size or whether you use a letting agent.

You must send the information sheet if you:

• ✓ Let a residential property in England on an assured or assured shorthold tenancy
• ✓ Have an existing tenancy in place on 1 May 2026 (even if you are between tenants)
• ✓ Let through a managing agent (you remain personally liable)
• ✓ Own a portfolio — every individual tenant must receive their own copy
• ✓ Let an HMO — each tenant in the property must be served separately

The requirement does not apply to:

• Tenancies that are not assured or assured shorthold (e.g. company lets, most lodger arrangements)
• Properties in Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland (separate legislation applies)

If you use a letting agent, speak to them now about who will handle service. Many agents will take on this task as part of their management service, but the legal obligation — and the fine — sits with you as the landlord if it is not done. Do not assume your agent is handling it without confirming explicitly.

The deadline and fine

Existing tenants must receive the information sheet by 31 May 2026. For new tenancies starting from 1 May 2026, the sheet must be provided at the point the tenancy begins. The fine for non-compliance is up to £7,000.

The £7,000 maximum civil penalty is enforced by local housing authorities. Enforcement activity is expected to be meaningful: the government has allocated £18.2 million in 2025/26 specifically to strengthen local council enforcement capacity for the Renters' Rights Act. Councils that have historically been under-resourced now have significantly greater capacity to pursue non-compliant landlords.

The fine is imposed per breach, not per portfolio. A landlord with ten properties who fails to serve the sheet on all ten tenants is exposed to multiple separate penalties. For portfolio landlords, the risk scales with the number of tenants.

One month is not long to act once the sheet is published. If the government releases it in March 2026 as expected, that leaves approximately eight weeks to identify every tenant who needs a copy and arrange service. For landlords with multiple properties, start building your tenant contact list and service plan now.

How to serve the information sheet

The information sheet can be delivered in person, by post, or by email (where the tenant has agreed to email communication). Keep a record of service for every tenant.

The Renters' Rights Act follows the same service methods used for other tenancy documents such as the How to Rent guide. The three permitted methods are:

In person

Hand the document directly to the tenant. Make a note of the date and ask the tenant to sign an acknowledgement if possible, though they are not obliged to sign. This is the most straightforward method if you have a local property.

By post

Post to the tenancy address. Use recorded or tracked delivery so you have proof of postage and delivery. First-class post to the tenancy address is generally sufficient, but recorded delivery eliminates any dispute about whether the letter arrived.

By email

You may serve the information sheet by email only if the tenant has previously agreed — explicitly or implicitly — to receive tenancy communications by email. If you have been corresponding with your tenant by email throughout the tenancy, this is likely satisfied. If you are unsure, use post as well to be safe.

Whichever method you use, keep a record. Log the date, the method, and any evidence of receipt (a delivery confirmation, a read receipt, or a signed acknowledgement). If a tenant later claims they did not receive the sheet, this record is your defence against a penalty notice.

What the information sheet will contain

The sheet will explain the key rights tenants gain under the Renters' Rights Act 2025. Based on the Act's provisions, it is expected to cover the following areas.

Conversion to periodic tenancy

From 1 May 2026, all existing assured shorthold tenancies automatically convert to assured periodic tenancies. There is no fixed end date; the tenancy continues until either the tenant gives notice or the landlord successfully uses a valid ground for possession. The sheet will explain what this means for tenants and how it differs from a fixed-term arrangement.

Two-month notice entitlement

When a landlord serves a valid possession notice under the new Section 8 regime, tenants are entitled to a minimum two-month notice period for most grounds. The sheet will set out how much notice tenants can expect in different circumstances.

Right to challenge rent increases

Landlords can only increase rent once per year and must use the Section 13 notice procedure. Tenants have the right to challenge any increase they consider above the market rate at the First-tier Tribunal. The sheet will explain this process and the timescales involved.

Pet request rights

Tenants now have the right to request permission to keep a pet. Landlords must respond within 28 days and cannot unreasonably refuse. Refusal must be in writing with a valid reason. The sheet will explain the process for making and responding to pet requests.

Benefits discrimination ban

Landlords and agents are banned from refusing to let to tenants in receipt of housing benefit or universal credit. The sheet will explain this prohibition and the enforcement mechanism.

Section 21 abolition

The no-fault eviction route under Section 21 is abolished from 1 May 2026. Landlords can only recover possession using valid grounds under Section 8. The sheet will explain what this means for tenants' security of tenure and their rights if they receive a possession notice.

Decent Homes Standard

The Renters' Rights Act extends the Decent Homes Standard to the private rented sector for the first time, giving tenants the right to live in a property that meets minimum habitability standards. The sheet will outline what this standard requires.

What to do now

The information sheet has not yet been published, but there are practical steps you can take today to be ready to serve it the moment it becomes available.

• Compile your tenant contact list — for every tenancy you hold, note the tenant name, tenancy address, email address (if agreed for correspondence), and preferred contact method
• Confirm your agent's position — if you use a letting or managing agent, ask them in writing whether they will handle service of the information sheet and get confirmation of their plan
• Monitor GOV.UK for the sheet's release — the government expects to publish it in March 2026; once it appears, you have until 31 May 2026 to serve it on all existing tenants
• Set up a service log — prepare a simple record to note the date, method, and evidence of delivery for each tenant so you can demonstrate compliance if challenged
• Review your broader compliance position — use the LandlordOS compliance checklist to check you are meeting all your obligations, not just the information sheet requirement

The information sheet is one of several actions required in the run-up to 1 May 2026. Landlords also need to understand the new periodic tenancy regime, the replacement possession grounds now that Section 21 is abolished, and the changes to the Section 8 eviction process.