The government published the Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet 2026 in March 2026. It is a document that landlords with existing written tenancies must give to every named tenant on or after 1 May 2026 and no later than 31 May 2026. Missing this deadline exposes you to a civil penalty of up to £7,000.
This is one of the most immediate practical obligations landing on self-managing landlords in May 2026. It is separate from the broader changes to tenancy law and applies even if your tenant has been in the property for years.
What is the Information Sheet?
The Information Sheet is a standard government-produced document that explains to existing tenants how the Renters' Rights Act 2025 affects their tenancy from 1 May 2026. It covers the end of fixed-term tenancies, the move to periodic tenancies, how rent increases work under the new system, the new rules on ending a tenancy, and tenants' new right to request a pet. (Source: GOV.UK, The Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet 2026, March 2026.)
You cannot produce your own version. The legislation requires you to give tenants the exact PDF published on the government's website. A link to the PDF does not count as valid delivery.
Who must give it?
You must give the Information Sheet to every tenant named on the tenancy agreement if the tenancy meets all of the following conditions. The tenancy is an assured or assured shorthold tenancy. The tenancy was created before 1 May 2026. There is a wholly or partly written record of the tenancy terms, including a written tenancy agreement. (Source: GOV.UK, The Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet 2026, March 2026.)
If your tenancy was agreed entirely by word of mouth with no written record, the Information Sheet does not apply. Instead you are required to provide a Written Statement of Terms, which is a separate obligation.
You do not need to give the Information Sheet to lodgers.
If a letting agent manages the property on your behalf, the agent must also give the Information Sheet to the tenant, even if you have already done so.
What is the deadline?
The Information Sheet must be given to every named tenant no earlier than 1 May 2026 and no later than 31 May 2026. (Source: GOV.UK, The Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet 2026, March 2026.)
There is a one-month window. Giving it before 1 May 2026 does not count.
How must it be delivered?
You must give tenants the exact PDF from the government's website. You can deliver it as a printed hard copy, or as a PDF attachment to an email. Texting or emailing a link to the PDF is not valid delivery under the legislation. (Source: GOV.UK, The Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet 2026, March 2026.)
A copy must go to every tenant named on the tenancy agreement, not just the lead tenant.
What happens if you miss the deadline?
If you fail to provide the Information Sheet by 31 May 2026, your tenant can report this to the local council. The council can impose a civil penalty of up to £7,000 for an initial breach. If the breach continues for more than 28 days after a penalty is imposed, or if you have a history of similar breaches, the penalty can rise to £40,000 and criminal prosecution becomes possible. (Source: Gowling WLG, Renters' Rights Act 2025: the final countdown to 1 May 2026, April 2026.)
Does this mean you need to update your tenancy agreement?
No. You do not need to change or re-issue your existing written tenancy agreement. The Information Sheet is a separate document that sits alongside the tenancy, not a replacement for it. (Source: GOV.UK, The Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet 2026, March 2026.)
What about new tenancies created after 1 May 2026?
The Information Sheet applies to existing tenancies. For any new tenancy created on or after 1 May 2026, there is a different requirement: you must provide a Written Statement of Terms either within the tenancy agreement itself or as a separate document before the tenancy begins. Failure to do so can also result in a fine of up to £7,000. (Source: Gowling WLG, Renters' Rights Act 2025: the final countdown to 1 May 2026, April 2026.)
What to do now
Download the official Information Sheet PDF from GOV.UK. Check which tenancies in your portfolio have a written agreement and were created before 1 May 2026. On or after 1 May 2026, send the PDF to every named tenant on each of those tenancies, either as an email attachment or as a printed copy. Keep a record of when you sent it and to whom. Do this before 31 May 2026.
If you manage multiple properties, work through your portfolio now so you are not rushing at the end of May. LLCR tracks your tenancy compliance dates and can remind you before key deadlines pass.
Check if your property is compliant now using LLCR's free compliance checker.