The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 – the new requirement to provide an Information Sheet or Written Statement

Our guide to the Renters' Rights Act 2025 can be downloaded for free:  The Renters' Rights Act 2025

Our webinar on the Renters' Rights Act 2025 takes place on 4 March 2026.  You can register for it here:  The Renters Rights Act 2025 Webinar - 1pm on Weds 4 March 2026 - Burges Salmon

This is a deeper dive into the new obligations on landlords to provide different types of written information to their tenants under the Renters' Rights Act 2025.

From 1 May 2026, landlords in the private rented sector will need to provide their tenants with an Information Sheet or a Written Statement within a specific timeframe.   A failure to provide this could open the landlord up to a fine or worse. 

What is the Information Sheet and when must it be provided?

The Information Sheet is a standard Government-produced document that explains to existing Assured Shorthold Tenants the changes that will take place to their tenancy from 1 May 2026 under the Renters' Rights Act 2025.  

For an existing Assured Shorthold Tenancy that is wholly or partly written the landlord must provide all tenants named on the tenancy with a copy of the Government-produced Information Sheet by 31 May 2026.  

The approved Information Sheet has not yet been produced by the Government.  They have said that it will be published in March 2026.

What is the penalty if a landlord doesn't provide the Information Sheet?

If a landlord fails to provide the Information Sheet, the tenant could complain to the local authority and the landlord could be fined.  The usual fine is expected to be £4,000, and that could be increased or decreased depending on aggravating or mitigating factors, up to a maximum of £7,000. 

But it can get worse:  If a landlord is fined for breaching their duties under an assured tenancy and the breach continues for more than 28 days after the penalty is imposed (or after any appeal is concluded), the landlord commits a criminal offence and may be liable to prosecution, or may face a further civil fine of up to £40,000.  

Similarly, if a landlord has previously been subject to a civil fine for a breach of their duties under an assured tenancy and, within five years, receives another civil fine for a breach of the assured tenancy legislation, or is convicted of an offence for that, the new breach will be treated more seriously, and the fine could be up to £40,000, or the landlord could be charged with a criminal offence. 

The Government's guidance around penalties is set out here:  Civil penalties under the Renters' Rights Act 2025 and other housing legislation - GOV.UK

These are serious penalties.  The vigor with which they will be enforced by housing authorities is as yet unknown, but landlords will no doubt wish to be cautious, and ensure they are complying with the obligations imposed on them.

I have lots of part-written tenancies - am I ok?

• Under the current rules, you will only need to serve an Information Sheet.  Remember - rules can change.
• But - in those circumstances we suggest that you over-comply.  Serve both an Information Sheet and a Written Statement.  Having gaps in the documentation around residential tenancies is not helpful if you want to rely upon those terms, so this is an opportunity to get partly-documented tenancies sorted out.

What is the Written Statement and when must it be provided?

A Written Statement is a document provided by a landlord to a tenant setting out key information about the terms of the tenancy.

The Written Statement will need to be provided:

• no later than 31 May 2026, for any existing unwritten tenancies

• before the tenancy is entered into, for new tenancies created after 1 May 2026.

What is the penalty if a landlord doesn’t provide the Written Statement?

Like the failure to provide an Information Sheet, fines can be imposed, starting around £4,000, with a maximum of £7,000, and if the breaches continue or are repeated, the same escalation happens. 

What needs to be in the Written Statement? 

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has published draft regulations which contain what will need to be included in the Written Statement: The Assured Tenancies (Private Rented Sector) (Written Statement of Terms etc and Information Sheet) (England) Regulations 2026. 

They presently require: 

• Fundamental details such as the parties’ names, the property address, the date on which the tenant is first entitled to possession, the rent payable and when it is due. 

• A landlord's address in England and Wales where notices may be served  by the tenant.  

• A statement explaining that the landlord may only increase rent in line with Section 13 of the Housing Act 1988.

• The amount of any tenancy deposit. 

• Information on how the parties may bring the tenancy to an end, including the minimum notice period for tenant’s notice to quit and a statement on security of tenure, where applicable.  This includes provisions that require Prior Notice.

• A statement explaining the amount and due date of any bill payments payable by the tenant to the landlord.

• The landlord’s responsibilities such as ensuring the property is fit for human habitation and to keep in repair the structure/exterior of the property, water, gas, electricity (but not other fixtures/fitting/appliances for the use of those utilities), the installations for space heating and heating water.

• Information in relation to the landlords’ obligations under electrical and gas safety regulations. 

• Information on Section 190 of the Equality Act 2010, to explain the landlord’s duty not to unreasonably withhold consent for disability-related improvements.

• A statement on the tenant’s right to keep a pet with landlord consent, and that the consent  must not be unreasonably refused.

The Government have said that they will publish the final version of the Regulations in March 2026.

How should I deal with Prior Notices?

Look out for and read our forthcoming deeper dive on Prior Notices.

A Prior Notice is advance notice to a tenant that the landlord may rely on certain special Grounds to seek possession of the property.  They are frequently relevant in rural lettings and lettings to employees.  Landlords should serve a Prior Notice stating the special Grounds they might rely on before the tenancy is entered into.

If a Prior Notice is not served, then the landlord can still reply on the special Grounds, but can be subject to a fine for not having served the Notice.

Our reading of the current legislation is that it contains a gap, as there is nothing obliging a landlord to serve a Prior Notice if an Information Sheet is being served, but Prior Notices are required as part of a Written Statement.

To avoid potential problems further down the line, and to make sure that the position is very clear to a tenant, we suggest:

• All landlords who might rely on Prior Notice grounds should serve their Prior Notices before 31 May 2026.
• These should be served with Information Sheets for written tenancies.
• Where a Written Statement is being served, the Prior Notices should be referred to and served with the Written Statement. 

As a landlord, what should I do now?

We suggest:

• Clear the decks - make sure that you know which properties are let to which tenants on what terms.
• Ensure you have full copies of each existing Assured Shorthold Tenancy and the supporting documents around them - documentation will be important.
• Identify what tenancies are fully or partly written - they will need to have Information Sheets served by 31 May 2026.
• Identify any existing unwritten tenancies - they will need to have Written Statements served by 31 May 2026.
• Work out what the key terms of the unwritten tenancies are to enable you to serve Written Statements for them.
• Consider also serving Written Statements for partly written tenancies.
• Work out what Prior Notices are to be served and serve them.
• Put in place a process for new tenancies so a Written Statement is served before the new tenancy is entered into.

Can we help?  

Yes.  We are offering support and actions to landlords dealing with these changes.  Get in touch with us.

Written with Ryan Small and Lucy Mostyn

From 1 May 2026, landlords are required to provide existing or new tenants with certain information within a specific timeframe.  A failure to provide this could open the landlord up to a fine or worse.