How to Rent Guide: Withdrawn for Most Tenancies from 1 May 2026

In most cases, you do not now need to provide your tenants with the How to Rent guide. That is the current position on the GOV.UK Renters' Rights Housing Hub for private renting in England. This page explains what the guide was, why it used to matter, and what replaced it from 1 May 2026.

This article is for general information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Landlords should seek independent legal advice for their specific circumstances. It describes the position in England.

What the How to Rent guide was

The How to Rent guide, formally titled How to Rent: The Checklist for Renting in England, was a government document aimed at tenants. It set out rights and responsibilities across a tenancy, from searching for a home to moving out. Landlords of assured shorthold tenancies in England had to give the current version to the tenant at the start of the tenancy.

Its main legal consequence was as a precondition for a valid Section 21 notice. If the current guide had not been given, a Section 21 notice could fail. Section 21 has been abolished. That specific consequence no longer applies.

What replaced it from 1 May 2026

From 1 May 2026, the How to Rent guide has been effectively replaced by two new obligations under the Renters' Rights Act 2025. For existing written tenancies that were in place before 1 May 2026, landlords must serve the Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet 2026 on every named tenant by 31 May 2026. For new tenancies created on or after 1 May 2026, landlords must provide a Written Statement of Terms before the tenancy is agreed. Failure to provide either carries a civil penalty of up to £7,000, with a starting point of £4,000 per the statutory guidance.

Two points on the Information Sheet still matter. Government guidance states that sending the tenant a link to the PDF is not valid service. It must be provided as a PDF attachment to an email or text message, or as a printed hard copy.

Older tenancies and records worth keeping

If you served the How to Rent guide on a tenancy that started before 1 May 2026, keep that record. It can still show what the tenant was given and when. It is not a current legal requirement for new tenancies in most cases, but an older service record can still be useful if the start of that tenancy is later queried.

You do not need to re-issue the How to Rent guide to existing tenants simply because a new version was published. For new tenancies, use the Written Statement of Terms instead.

What this means for landlords

Do not treat the How to Rent guide as a current condition of a new letting. For most tenancies from 1 May 2026, the live documents are the Information Sheet (existing written tenancies, deadline 31 May 2026) and the Written Statement of Terms (new tenancies). Keep any older proof that the guide was served.

This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.

Frequently asked questions

What is the How to Rent guide?

The How to Rent guide was a government checklist that landlords in England had to give tenants at the start of an assured shorthold tenancy. From 1 May 2026, in most cases you do not now need to provide it.

Do I still have to serve the How to Rent guide on a new tenancy?

In most cases, no. For new tenancies created on or after 1 May 2026, landlords must provide a Written Statement of Terms before the tenancy is agreed. For written tenancies that already existed before 1 May 2026, the Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet had to be served by 31 May 2026.

What happens if I did not serve the How to Rent guide on an older tenancy?

Failure to serve it previously prevented a valid Section 21 notice. Section 21 is abolished, so that specific consequence no longer applies. Keep any record showing the guide was served on an older tenancy. For current duties, use the Information Sheet or Written Statement of Terms instead.