Landlords in England will need to provide a written statement of terms to tenants from 1 May 2026 under the Renters’ Rights Act as secondary legislation has now been published in draft.
The rules set out what information must be included in tenancy agreements, giving landlords and agents time to update documentation ahead of the Act’s implementation.
The new requirements apply to all new tenancies signed on or after 1 May 2026, as well as to current verbal agreements in place before that date.
Failure to provide a compliant written statement could expose landlords or agents to enforcement action, including fines.
GOVERNMENT INFORMATION SHEET
For tenancies created before May 2026, landlords will not need to issue new agreements but must provide all tenants with a government-issued Information Sheet by 31 May 2026. This sheet, which will be published in March, can be delivered electronically or in hard copy.
Timothy Douglas (main picture, inset), Head of Policy and Campaigns at Propertymark, says: “For new tenancies entered on or after 1 May 2026, tenants must be provided with the Written Statement of Terms and Information.
“Also, this applies to any current tenancies that are based on verbal agreements started before 1 May 2026. This will need to be done before a tenancy agreement is signed or otherwise agreed.
“The information can be provided within a written tenancy agreement or given separately.”
ENFORCEMENT ACTION
And he adds: “Failure to provide a compliant written statement can expose landlords and agents acting on their behalf to enforcement action, including a fine.”
“The list of information that will need to be included has been published in a draft Statutory Instrument.
“This information list is a draft and may change with a final version expected in March.
“Following feedback, we are pleased that the UK Government has clarified when and how the information must be provided alongside tenancy agreements.
“Furthermore, the Written Statement of Terms includes an address where notices can be served on the landlord by tenants. However, the document should include the agent’s details if one is used and be future-proofed to include space for the landlord’s unique identifier to match information on the PRS Database.
“For existing tenancies (created before 1 May 2026), landlords won’t need to change a current tenancy agreement if one is in place or issue a new one.
“Instead, landlords with existing tenancies will need to provide tenants with a copy of the UK Government published ‘Information Sheet’ on or before 31 May 2026.
“This will be published in March 2026. The information sheet must be given to all tenants named on a tenancy agreement. It can be provided electronically or in hard copy.”
