As detailed in our previous articles, The Renters Rights Act will be implemented in stages with the first parts coming into effect on 1st May 2026.
You may already know about the headline changes to tenancies but there are some key actions that must not be missed.
Rules for tenancies created before 1 May 2026:
If an existing tenancy in the PRS already has a written tenancy agreement, then landlords won’t need to change it or issue a new one.
Instead, landlords with existing tenancies will need to provide tenants with a copy of the government published ‘Information Sheet’ on or before 31 May 2026. This document will inform tenants about the changes made by the Act. This document will be published online in March 2026.
If landlords do not provide the Information Sheet to existing tenants by 31st May 2026, the local authority can impose a civil penalty of up to £7,000.
If a pre-Renters Rights Act tenancy is oral/unwritten, then the landlord will need to issue a ‘written statement of the terms’ by 31 May 2026. More information on this is expected in January 2026.
One last point to note is that the ‘How to Rent’ checklist will no longer need to be provided for new tenancies after 1st May 2026.
