Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet: Every Landlord Must Issue This by 31 May 2026

The UK Government published the Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet on 20 March 2026. If you are a private landlord in England with an existing written tenancy, you must give it to every named tenant by 31 May 2026 — or face a civil penalty of up to £7,000. This guide tells you exactly what the sheet is, whether it applies to your tenancy, and how to serve it correctly — including the specific email attachment rule that most landlords get wrong.

For the full picture of what's changing, see our Renters' Rights Act full overview and the full 1 May 2026 action plan for landlords.

⚠️ Deadline: 31 May 2026. Failure to issue the Information Sheet to existing tenants by this date carries a civil penalty of up to £7,000.

What Is the Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet?

The Information Sheet is a 4-page PDF published by the UK Government on 20 March 2026 and available to download from gov.uk. Its legal basis is Schedule 6, Paragraph 7 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025.

The document explains to tenants what changes under the Act from 1 May 2026: the abolition of the fixed term, the end of Section 21 'no-fault' evictions, new notice periods, updated rent increase rules, and tenants' new right to keep a pet. Think of it as a replacement for the How to Rent booklet — but specific to the RRA transition.

You must use the official PDF from gov.uk. You cannot modify it, adapt it, or substitute a third-party version.

The document gives a plain-English summary of what changes from 1 May 2026 so that tenants understand their new rights before those changes take effect.

Do You Need to Send It?

Run through this checklist first. You must send the Information Sheet if all of the following apply:

✅ You are a private landlord in England
✅ The tenancy is an assured or assured shorthold tenancy (AST)
✅ The tenancy was created before 1 May 2026
✅ There is a wholly or partly written record of the tenancy terms

You do not need to send it if:

The tenancy is based entirely on a verbal/oral agreement made before 1 May 2026 (see FAQ below — you have a different obligation)
Your tenant is a lodger and not an assured tenant
You let purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA)
Your tenant is signing a new tenancy on or after 1 May 2026 — they receive a new Assured Periodic Tenancy (APT) agreement instead

One copy per property is not enough. You must send a copy to every individual named on the tenancy agreement. If four tenants are named, four copies must be issued (source: NRLA).

How to Serve the Information Sheet — Step by Step

Step 1 — Download the Official PDF

Download the Information Sheet directly from the official gov.uk publication page:
👉 gov.uk/government/publications/the-renters-rights-act-information-sheet-2026

The file is 282KB and runs to 4 pages. Do not send a third-party hosted version, a reformatted copy, or a screenshot. If the document has been updated since you last downloaded it, download a fresh copy.

Step 2 — Serving in Person or by Post

You can print a hard copy and either:

Hand-deliver it directly to the tenant at the property, or
Post it to the tenancy address

If you post it, use Royal Mail Tracked or Signed For so you have proof of delivery. A standard second-class letter with no tracking record is risky — if a tenant later denies receiving it, you have no evidence. Keep the proof of postage receipt with your property records.

Step 3 — Serving by Email or Text — The Rules

⚠️ Attachment, not link. This is the rule most landlords get wrong.

If you serve electronically — email or text — you must attach the PDF directly to the message. Sending a link to the document (even a gov.uk link) is not valid electronic service. The legislation requires that you give the tenant the document, and a link does not constitute giving it to them (source: NRLA, gov.uk publication page).

There is a second requirement for electronic service: either

the tenant must respond to confirm receipt, or
your tenancy agreement must contain a clause expressly permitting electronic service

If neither condition is met, electronic service is not valid.

Step 4 — Confirm and Document Compliance

Documentation is what separates a defended position from an undefended one if a penalty notice arrives.

Recommended covering email:

Dear [Tenant Name],

As required by the Renters' Rights Act 2025, please find attached the official Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet published by the UK Government on 20 March 2026.

Please reply to this email to confirm you have received it. If you have any questions about the changes described in the document, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

[Your name]

After sending:

Save the sent email including the attached PDF, with a timestamp
Chase for confirmation — if no reply within 7 days, follow up. If still no reply, send a hard copy by tracked post as a backup
Log the send in your property management records: date sent, method used, whether confirmation received
If you use a letting agent: confirm in writing that they have also issued the sheet (see FAQ below)

What Happens If You Miss the 31 May 2026 Deadline?

Missing the deadline exposes you to a civil penalty issued by your local council:

First breach: up to £7,000
Continuing non-compliance more than 28 days after the first penalty: up to £40,000, or criminal prosecution

These figures are confirmed by both the gov.uk press release and the NRLA. The enforcement mechanism is the same as for EPC non-compliance — local council civil penalties — so if you've been following the EPC compliance space, you know how EPC fines are enforced by local councils.

There is currently no published guidance confirming whether issuing the sheet late (after a penalty notice but before 28 days) eliminates further liability. Do not rely on issuing it late as a safety net. Comply before 31 May.

FAQs

Does This Apply to HMOs?

Yes. If you have a written HMO tenancy created before 1 May 2026, every tenant named on the agreement must receive a copy. If five tenants are named, five copies must be served.

I Have a Verbal Tenancy — What Should I Do?

If your tenancy before 1 May 2026 is based entirely on an oral agreement — no written record at all — you are exempt from issuing the Information Sheet. However, this does not mean you have no obligation. You must instead provide a Written Statement of Terms covering the minimum tenancy information required under the Act. This is a distinct requirement from the Information Sheet and has its own documentation standards. Check the NRLA guidance for the required content.

I Use a Letting Agent — Do I Still Need to Send It?

The obligation is dual. If your agent manages the property, the agent also has a legal duty to issue the Information Sheet — even if you have already issued it yourself. This does not mean you are off the hook. If your agent fails to issue it, you remain exposed to the civil penalty as the landlord. Confirm with your agent in writing that they will issue the document and ask for evidence that it has been served.

My New Tenant Is Signing After 1 May 2026 — Do I Need to Send It?

No. New tenancies from 1 May 2026 operate under the new Assured Periodic Tenancy (APT) framework. Instead of the Information Sheet, you must provide a Written Statement of Terms — the APT equivalent of the old AST agreement. The Information Sheet applies only to tenancies created before 1 May 2026.

What Does the Information Sheet Say About EPCs?

The Information Sheet references upcoming energy efficiency requirements as part of the RRA changes, flagging that landlords will be required to meet new EPC standards. This is a reference to the 2030 EPC C requirements. If a tenant asks you about this after reading the sheet, our full EPC compliance guides cover what you need to do and by when.

How This Fits With Your 2030 EPC Compliance

The 31 May 2026 Information Sheet deadline and the 2030 EPC C requirement land close together in your compliance calendar. The Information Sheet signals to your tenants that change is coming — including energy efficiency standards. If you haven't yet assessed your property's current EPC rating or estimated what it would cost to reach EPC C, now is a practical moment to do both tasks at once.

Mortgage lenders are already factoring EPC ratings into affordability decisions on buy-to-let remortgages, and the 2030 deadline is closer than it looks when retrofit works are involved. Check your property's EPC position with the GreenLord EPC tool before the deadline conversation becomes urgent.

Next Steps

1. Download the official Information Sheet:
👉 gov.uk/government/publications/the-renters-rights-act-information-sheet-2026

2. Check your 2030 EPC compliance position:
Use the GreenLord EPC checker to find out where your property stands and what it would cost to reach EPC C by 2030.
👉 Check your EPC rating →