Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet (2026 Legal Guide) — Rules & Requirements
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Sourced from UK Acts of Parliament, statutory instruments, and official guidance. Written in plain language for general understanding — this is educational content, not legal advice. Our editorial standards
What is this right?
One of the more immediate landlord duties under the Renters' Rights Act 2025 is the 31 May 2026 Information Sheet deadline. Every landlord with a tenant in place on 1 May 2026 must provide written information about the new regime by 31 May 2026.
The duty splits into two:
- Written tenancies (most renters): the landlord must provide the Government's official Information Sheet. The Sheet explains how the RRA 2025 changes affect the tenancy — Section 21 abolition, conversion to APT, new Section 8 grounds, pet rights, rent-in-advance ban, etc. It is published by DLUHC and free to download.
- Oral tenancies (a minority of older lets): the landlord must provide a written statement of the key terms — names of the parties, address of the property, amount and frequency of rent, deposit details, the date the tenancy began.
Why this matters for tenants: the duty creates an audit trail. If you receive the Information Sheet, you have a written record that puts you on notice of your new rights. If you don't receive it by 31 May 2026, the landlord has likely committed a civil-penalty offence — and the council can fine them up to £7,000 (first offence) or £40,000 (continued / repeated).
The Information Sheet does not replace or modify your existing tenancy agreement. It explains the statutory floor that now applies on top. Your existing rent, deposit, repair obligations all carry over unchanged unless the landlord serves a separate notice (Section 13 for rent increases; Section 8 for possession).
When does it apply?
- You were a tenant on 1 May 2026 — under an assured shorthold tenancy that converted to an APT on that date, or under a long-standing oral tenancy.
- You should have received the Information Sheet (written tenancies) or a written statement of key terms (oral tenancies) by 31 May 2026.
What should you do?
- Check your inbox, post, and any landlord communication channel. The Information Sheet may have been emailed, posted, or hand-delivered. It will be on the landlord's headed paper or attached as a Government PDF.
- If you have not received it by 31 May 2026, write to the landlord requesting it, citing RRA 2025 Schedule 6. Keep a copy of your request.
- If the landlord still does not provide it, report to your local council's private-rented-sector enforcement team. The council can issue a civil penalty up to £7,000 for the first offence.
- Read the Information Sheet carefully when you receive it. It explains: Section 21 is abolished; your tenancy is now an APT; rent increases come via Section 13; you can request a pet; the deposit cap is unchanged; the Decent Homes Standard now applies. Know your new rights.
- Keep a copy for your records. The Information Sheet may be useful evidence in any future possession dispute — e.g., to show what the landlord knew (or should have known) about their obligations.
- For oral tenancies, if the written statement you receive omits key terms, write back asking for the missing items. The written statement is incomplete and the landlord remains in breach until it is corrected.
What should you NOT do?
- Don't sign anything labelled "new tenancy agreement" that the landlord sends instead of the Information Sheet. Your existing tenancy carries over as an APT — you don't need to re-sign. A new agreement could vary your terms in ways the landlord hopes you won't notice.
- Don't assume "no Information Sheet" means "no protections." Your statutory rights under the RRA 2025 apply automatically. The Information Sheet duty is on the landlord; their failure doesn't reduce your rights.
- Don't pay any fee for an "updated tenancy agreement." The Tenant Fees Act 2019 still applies — landlords cannot charge for variations.
- Don't sit on the deadline. If 31 May 2026 has passed and nothing arrived, write to the landlord that same day. Council enforcement is much easier when the request is recent and documented.
About Housing Rights in United Kingdom
If you rent in England or Wales, your tenancy mostly runs under the Housing Act 1988. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 ends Section 21 'no-fault' evictions from 1 May 2026 and turns every assured shorthold into a rolling periodic tenancy. Repairs sit under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 and the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018, deposits must be protected within 30 days, and discrimination is covered by the Equality Act 2010. Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate rules.
Common Questions
What is the Information Sheet?
It's a Government-published document (available on GOV.UK) explaining how the Renters' Rights Act 2025 changes apply to existing tenancies. It is not a new tenancy agreement — your existing agreement carries over. The Information Sheet just notifies you of the statutory floor that now applies on top.
What if my tenancy is oral — no written agreement?
The landlord must instead provide a written statement of the key terms by 31 May 2026 — the names of the parties, the address, the rent amount and frequency, deposit details, and the start date of the tenancy. This is in addition to the general RRA explainer.
What happens if my landlord never sends the Information Sheet?
The landlord is in breach of the RRA 2025 duty. The local council can issue a civil penalty up to £7,000 for a first offence and up to £40,000 for continued or repeated failure. Report it to your council's PRS enforcement team. Your statutory rights are unchanged regardless.
Does the Information Sheet change my rent?
No. Your rent is governed by your existing tenancy agreement until the landlord serves a Section 13 notice for a rent increase (which can happen no more than once a year). The Information Sheet just explains the new procedural regime.
What is the information sheet — your landlord's 31 may 2026 deadline right in United Kingdom?
One of the more immediate landlord duties under the Renters' Rights Act 2025 is the 31 May 2026 Information Sheet deadline. Every landlord with a tenant in place on 1 May 2026 must provide written information about the new regime by 31 May 2026.The duty splits into two:Written tenancies (most renters): the landlord must provide the Government's official Information Sheet. The Sheet explains how the RRA 2025 changes affect the tenancy — Section 21 abolition, conversion to APT, new Section 8 grounds, pet rights, rent-in-advance ban, etc. It is published by DLUHC and free to download.Oral tenanci...
When does information sheet — your landlord's 31 may 2026 deadline apply?
You were a tenant on 1 May 2026 — under an assured shorthold tenancy that converted to an APT on that date, or under a long-standing oral tenancy.You should have received the Information Sheet (written tenancies) or a written statement of key terms (oral tenancies) by 31 May 2026.
What should I do about information sheet — your landlord's 31 may 2026 deadline?
Check your inbox, post, and any landlord communication channel. The Information Sheet may have been emailed, posted, or hand-delivered. It will be on the landlord's headed paper or attached as a Government PDF.If you have not received it by 31 May 2026, write to the landlord requesting it, citing RRA 2025 Schedule 6. Keep a copy of your request.If the landlord still does not provide it, report to your local council's private-rented-sector enforcement team. The council can issue a civil penalty up to £7,000 for the first offence.Read the Information Sheet carefully when you receive it. It expla...
What mistakes should I avoid with information sheet — your landlord's 31 may 2026 deadline?
Don't sign anything labelled "new tenancy agreement" that the landlord sends instead of the Information Sheet. Your existing tenancy carries over as an APT — you don't need to re-sign. A new agreement could vary your terms in ways the landlord hopes you won't notice.Don't assume "no Information Sheet" means "no protections." Your statutory rights under the RRA 2025 apply automatically. The Information Sheet duty is on the landlord; their failure doesn't reduce your rights.Don't pay any fee for an "updated tenancy agreement." The Tenant Fees Act 2019 still applies — landlords cannot charge for...