Preparing a tenancy involves more than agreeing the rent and handing over keys. For new assured tenancies in England, landlords must give tenants specified written information before the tenancy is signed or otherwise agreed.
If you manage one or two properties yourself, the useful approach is to make this an early step in your letting process. Check the information while preparing the agreement, keep a copy of the version supplied and distinguish it from the separate safety and deposit documents.
Quick answer: For a new assured tenancy in England created on or after 1 May 2026, give the tenant the required written tenancy information before either signing or otherwise agreeing the tenancy. It can be part of the tenancy agreement or a separate document. It covers the parties, property, rent, relevant bills, deposit, ending the tenancy and specified rights and responsibilities. Existing tenancies have separate transition rules.
Who does the requirement cover?
The GOV.UK written-information guidance explains the rules for England. Its detailed checklist covers assured tenancies granted by private landlords and relevant non-social-housing tenancies granted by private registered providers. Agents can provide the information on a landlord’s behalf.
Do not apply this checklist indiscriminately to lodgers, licences or other excluded arrangements. Check the tenancy type first. Nor is this information required simply because someone is viewing the property: it is for the tenants with whom you will enter into the tenancy.
When must the tenant receive it?
For a new tenancy created on or after 1 May 2026, provide it before the agreement is signed or otherwise made. A verbal agreement can also create a timing issue, so do not assume “we will send the paperwork on moving-in day” is sufficient. The official timing rule applies before agreement, not merely before keys are handed over.
Build in enough time to correct names, dates and amounts. If an agent handles the letting, agree who supplies the information and ask for the actual version and delivery record. Avoid having two parties each assume that the other has done it.
Can it be included in the tenancy agreement?
Yes. The information can be included in the agreement or supplied separately. The official checklist is a minimum, not a complete tenancy-agreement template. Any additional terms still need to comply with the law.
Review the whole document rather than adding a new cover sheet to an outdated template. Inconsistent rent, notice or pet clauses can confuse tenants. If you use a professionally supplied agreement, check that it is current and suitable for your particular tenancy.
What information must be included?
This is a practical summary of the final government guidance for landlords and agents. Use the complete guidance and the linked statutory instrument when preparing legal wording. The “where applicable” qualifications matter.
| Item | What to cover |
|---|---|
| Landlord and service address | Name every landlord and provide a postal address in England or Wales where legal notices can be received. A suitable business address can be used. |
| Tenants, home and start date | Name all tenants, give the property address and state the first day the tenant is entitled to possession. |
| Rent | State the amount and when it is due. Include the required statement that a proposed rent increase will be notified in accordance with section 13 of the Housing Act 1988. |
| Relevant bills | Identify bills covered by rent. Where tenants pay you or a connected person separately, explain the permitted bills, amounts and due dates, or how and when those details will be supplied. |
| Tenancy deposit | State the amount if one has been taken or is planned. This does not replace the separate deposit prescribed-information requirements. |
| Tenant ending the tenancy | Where the relevant notice-to-quit rules apply, state the minimum notice period. You cannot require more than two months. |
| Landlord ending the tenancy | Explain the usual requirement for a possession order and its execution; the usual need for a possession notice using the correct form and grounds; and that the notice period depends on the grounds. |
| Relevant prior-notice grounds | If applicable, explain at the start that you may seek possession using the relevant ground. Specialist grounds require careful checking. |
| Fitness for habitation | Where section 9A of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 applies, explain the duty to ensure fitness to the extent required by that section. |
| Repairs | Where required, explain section 11 duties covering the structure and exterior, relevant supplies and sanitation, and heating and hot water. Check the specific exceptions in the guidance. |
| Electrical safety | Where regulation 3 applies, cover safety standards, qualified inspection and testing at least every five years or sooner if the report requires it, obtaining the report and supplying it to the tenant. |
| Gas safety | Where relevant gas fittings serve the property, cover safe maintenance, checks by an appropriately approved person at intervals determined under the 1998 Regulations, and obtaining and supplying the required record. |
| Disability adaptations | Where applicable, cover section 190 of the Equality Act 2010, unreasonable withholding of consent, its qualifications, and where the statutory definitions can be found. |
| Pets | Explain that a tenant can request consent under section 16A of the Housing Act 1988 and that consent cannot be unreasonably refused. |
| Supported accommodation | Where the statutory definition applies, explain that this is the purpose of the tenancy and why the occupation meets that definition. |
Three details that are easy to overlook
Bills: the guidance distinguishes bills included in rent or paid separately to the landlord from bills tenants arrange and pay directly to suppliers. The specified list includes council tax, utilities, a TV licence, communications services and relevant Green Deal payments. Check the permitted-payment rules instead of adding an unrestricted “other bills” charge.
Prior notice: the detailed guidance identifies grounds 2ZA–2ZD, 4, 4A, 5–5H and 18. Whether a ground is relevant depends on the letting. Missing the required notice can have consequences, including preventing reliance on the student ground 4A. Obtain advice before relying on a specialist possession route.
Exceptions: the repair and safety statements depend on the underlying duties applying. The repair guidance includes particular circumstances involving a court order or a right-to-manage company. The disability-adaptation section also contains qualifications and references to statutory definitions. Do not remove these nuances merely to shorten an agreement. The full checklist explains them.
What about tenancies agreed before 1 May 2026?
For existing tenancies with a written agreement or another written record of their terms, the transition requirement was generally to give the government’s Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet 2026 by 31 May 2026. That is different from giving the new-tenancy checklist.
Where the existing tenancy was entirely verbal, the required key written information had to be supplied instead, also by 31 May 2026. These dates have already passed. If your records do not show that the relevant requirement was met, investigate and obtain advice on putting matters right; do not record a historic delivery date that you cannot evidence.
The official page says the Information Sheet must go to all named tenants, either as a printed copy posted or handed to them, or as an electronic PDF attachment. Sending only a web link is not the delivery method described there. Use the current government document and instructions.
There is also a transition exception for certain valid section 8 or section 21 notices given before 1 May 2026. Where the tenancy becomes assured periodic after the notice ceases to be valid or proceedings conclude without possession, the current Information Sheet guidance gives a one-month period from the relevant event. Check that guidance if this applies to you, rather than assuming 31 May was your only possible deadline. Where an agent manages the property, the guidance also places the Information Sheet duty on the agent even if the landlord has supplied it.
Which documents are separate?
Deposit prescribed information is separate. Stating the deposit amount in the tenancy information does not fulfil the deposit-protection information requirement. The official deposit guidance sets out what must be supplied within 30 days of receiving the deposit.
Safety records, electrical inspection reports and energy performance documents also have their own rules and timing. Explaining your safety duties in the agreement is not the same as giving the tenant the relevant report. Use a separate document checklist for the property and tenancy, checking current official requirements rather than assuming every document follows one deadline.
Our guide to documents landlords should keep can help organise the record set. Keeping a document and supplying it to a tenant are different tasks, so record both where required.
A simple process before agreeing the tenancy
- Confirm the arrangement. Check the jurisdiction, tenancy type and any specialist circumstances.
- Prepare the information. Use the current official checklist alongside a suitable agreement.
- Check the details. Review names, address, start date, rent, bills, deposit and all relevant explanations.
- Supply it before agreement. Build this into the workflow before signature or verbal acceptance.
- Save the record. Retain the version supplied, recipients, date, method and relevant delivery evidence.
- Track separate requirements. Give deposit and safety documents according to their own rules.
If something changes while the tenancy is being negotiated, make sure everyone receives the correct final information before the agreement is made. Retain earlier versions where useful, clearly marked, so they are not accidentally reused.
How can Propiva help with the records?
Propiva supports property and tenant-specific document storage, including tenancy agreements and deposit documents. Tenants can be invited by email to view and acknowledge documents, and the landlord can see the acknowledgement date.
This gives you an organised, dated record. It does not prove valid legal service, supply legal wording or guarantee compliance. Follow the requirements for each document and use appropriate delivery methods. Keep tenancy documents and dated tenant acknowledgements organised in one place. Sign up free.
Frequently asked questions
Does every existing tenant need a new agreement?
No. The transition guidance distinguishes existing written records from entirely verbal agreements. A new agreement is not the universal answer.
Must I include my telephone number and email?
The checklist requires a service address in England or Wales. Phone and email details may be helpful, but the guidance does not list them as mandatory in that requirement.
Can an agent provide the information?
Yes. Agree responsibilities and retain evidence of what was actually supplied.
Does a tenant’s acknowledgement prove legal service?
No. It can be useful evidence, but the legal requirements depend on the document and circumstances.
What happens if information is missing?
GOV.UK says a tenant can complain to the local council and a fine of up to £7,000 may apply. Check the omission promptly and seek advice where necessary.
Official sources checked: 14 October 2026. Recheck the final guidance and any legislative amendments before using legal wording.
Disclaimer: This guide is provided for general information only and does not constitute legal, financial or professional advice. Rules and requirements may vary depending on your location and circumstances and can change over time. Always check current official guidance and seek professional advice where appropriate.
Tenancy deposit protection in England: what must landlords do within 30 days? – Propiva
28/10/2026[…] guide to written tenancy information in England covers that separate task. For the wider document picture, see the landlord document […]