Hi
Ref: Urgent
Important changes under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 are now in force for residential tenancies in England.
If you have an existing tenancy that was created before 1 May 2026, you may now be required to provide your tenant(s) with additional prescribed documents.
The compliance deadline for serving these documents is 31 May 2026. Failure to comply may result in enforcement action and financial penalties by the local authority.
What landlords must provide depends on the type of tenancy agreement you currently have:
If your tenancy is wholly or partly in writing (including Assured Shorthold Tenancies and most standard tenancy agreements), you must provide:
• The official Government “Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet 2026”
If your tenancy is based entirely on an oral/verbal agreement made before 1 May 2026, you cannot use the Information Sheet alone. Instead, you must also provide:
• A written statement containing the key terms of the tenancy (“Tenancy Written Statement”)
Many landlords have already downloaded and served the Government Information Sheet. However, we are finding that a significant number of landlords with older oral or informal tenancy arrangements have not yet provided the required Tenancy Written Statement.
We strongly recommend that all landlords review their tenancy arrangements immediately to ensure compliance before the 31 May 2026 deadline.
If an existing tenancy agreement does not contain all the prescribed terms now required under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, the safer approach is for the landlord to provide a compliant Written Statement of Terms in addition to the Government Information Sheet.
BLA members can download the relevant documents from the Pre-Tenancy
Documents section of our website.
Important reminders:
• The Government Information Sheet must be served exactly as issued and should not be amended
• A link to the document alone may not be sufficient
• You should retain evidence of service
• The requirements apply to existing tenancies in England created before 1 May 2026
If you require assistance, please contact the Landlord Advice Line.
Kind Regards
The British Landlords Association
Mrs Helen Cartwright
Legal Team
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