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Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet: Who Must Give It and How (England)

Reviewed: 8 September 2026 | Applies to: landlords and letting agents in England dealing with the tenancy situations described in the current GOV.UK guidance. This is general information about the official document, not legal advice on a particular tenancy, notice, court case or compliance outcome.

The government’s Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet is a specific document for tenants. Most landlords and letting agents who needed to give it had to do so by 31 May 2026. This guide is limited to the remaining practical question: whether the current GOV.UK guidance says the sheet is required, who should receive it, and how to give the official version. It is not a general guide to the Renters’ Rights Act, possession notices, rent increases or tenancy agreements.

Who needs to give the Information Sheet?

GOV.UK says that most landlords and letting agents had to send the official Information Sheet to tenants by 31 May 2026. It also sets out a defined situation in which the sheet may still need to be given after that date. The ongoing rule is not a general new deadline for every tenancy.

After 31 May 2026, the GOV.UK guidance applies only where a landlord gave the tenant a valid Section 21 or Section 8 notice before 1 May 2026 and either the notice is no longer valid or court proceedings have finished without possession being granted. The tenancy then becomes an assured periodic tenancy and the Renters’ Rights Act rules apply to it.

For that transition case, GOV.UK says the Information Sheet must be given where the tenancy:

  • is an assured or assured shorthold tenancy;
  • becomes an assured periodic tenancy after 1 May 2026 because the notice is no longer valid or proceedings ended without possession; and
  • has a wholly or partly written record of its terms, including a written tenancy agreement.

A landlord with a managing letting agent should not assume that sending a duplicate makes the agent’s role irrelevant. GOV.UK says the agent must have given the sheet to the tenant even if the landlord has also given it. GOV.UK also says lodgers do not need to receive it. A social landlord letting a non-social tenancy may also have needed to provide it, so that situation should be checked against the official guidance rather than treated as part of this private-rented-sector workflow.

When to give it in a post-31 May transition case

In the narrow transition situation above, the landlord has one month to give the tenants the Information Sheet. The month runs from the date the notice is no longer valid, or from the date the court process finishes. This timing depends on the actual notice or proceedings. It is not a substitute for advice on notice validity, possession procedure or the effect of a court order.

For wider context on the changes that took effect in England, see the Renters’ Rights Act guide. If a file involves an older notice, a disputed date or a live possession case, obtain qualified housing or legal advice before deciding that the transition rule applies.

How to give the official PDF

Use the current GOV.UK Information Sheet publication page. GOV.UK says the sheet is valid only when downloaded from that page and that landlords and agents must give the exact PDF found there. Do not substitute a locally edited copy, a summary, or an older downloaded version.

Give a copy to every tenant named on the tenancy agreement. GOV.UK confirms two delivery routes:

  • a printed hard copy, posted or handed to the tenant; or
  • the PDF sent electronically as an attachment, for example by email or text message.

Sending only a web link to the PDF by email or text is not valid delivery under the GOV.UK guidance. If an accessible version is needed, GOV.UK’s alternative-formats guidance says the tenant must also receive the official Information Sheet PDF.

Written tenancy records and new written-information duties

The Information Sheet does not require a landlord to change or reissue an existing written tenancy agreement. That is different from the written-information duties for other tenancy situations.

GOV.UK says a tenancy created after 1 May 2026 needs certain key terms in writing before the agreement is signed or the tenancy is agreed. A tenancy made entirely by oral agreement before 1 May 2026 also had a separate written-information requirement, with the historical deadline of 31 May 2026. The current GOV.UK written-information guidance explains that separate requirement. This page does not provide a tenancy template or decide what an individual agreement should say.

Keep a simple delivery record

The GOV.UK publication explains what must be given and how. A clear internal record can also help a landlord or agent keep the tenancy file organised. Record the current PDF used, the date, the delivery method, the names of the tenants sent or given a copy, and any delivery confirmation or returned post. Where an agent is involved, agree who holds that record and check that the official PDF, rather than a link alone, was sent.

Keeping a record does not decide whether a particular service or tenancy is legally compliant. It is an administrative step, not a conclusion about a disputed case.

Practical checklist

  • Check the tenancy route: distinguish the historic 31 May 2026 requirement from the defined transition case for a valid pre-1 May Section 21 or Section 8 notice.
  • Confirm the written-record test: for a transition case, check whether there is a wholly or partly written record of the tenancy terms.
  • Use the live source: download the exact current PDF from the GOV.UK publication page.
  • Send it to everyone named: give every named tenant a copy, using a printed copy or the PDF as an attachment.
  • Do not send a link alone: a link by email or text is not valid delivery under the current GOV.UK guidance.
  • File the evidence: retain a straightforward record of what was sent or handed over and when.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Using a copy from a third-party website, a locally amended document or an old saved version instead of the exact PDF on the current GOV.UK page.
  • Emailing or texting only a link to the PDF rather than attaching the PDF itself.
  • Sending one copy to a joint household but not giving a copy to every tenant named on the agreement.
  • Confusing this document with the separate written-information requirements for new tenancies and wholly oral older tenancies.
  • Assuming that an unresolved or unusual Section 21 or Section 8 case fits the one-month transition rule without checking the facts and obtaining advice where needed.

Where this fits in the wider compliance picture

This is a narrow document-delivery guide, not a replacement for the broader regulation framework. The Landlord Regulation Guide is the useful starting point for wider England-led compliance topics and links to the relevant specialist guidance. It does not change the need to use current official material for a tenancy or notice decision.

Official sources

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