Much has been written about the Renters’ Rights Act, which came into force on 1 May this year.

Aimed at transforming the private rented sector in England, the legislation is designed to boost tenant security through the abolition of Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions and fixed-term tenancies, as well as banning bidding wars, improving housing standards, and rebalancing the relationship between landlords and tenants.

There has been considerable debate about the advantages and disadvantages of the legislation, from the impact it will have on private landlords being able to remove problem tenants, with reports of many choosing to sell up, and whether the changes designed to make it easier for those on benefits to secure a private rental will, in practice, actually make it harder.

In the meantime, one important legal obligation for both landlords and agents has gone largely unreported – the requirement to communicate the changes to tenants’ rights directly to them, via the Government’s official Information Sheet.

While the new legislation does not require landlords or agents to change or reissue existing written tenancy agreements, it does require them to provide basic information about the changes. Failure to supply the Information Sheet in the correct manner before 31 May 2026 could result in fines of up to £7,000.

The Information Sheet explains the new rules in detail and outlines how tenants may be affected. This includes the abolition of fixed terms and move to rolling contracts; the removal of rent review clauses to limit the amount and frequency of rent increases; the legal grounds for a landlord to end a tenancy; and how a tenant can give notice. It also highlights the new right to request to keep a pet.

All private landlords and agents must deliver this Information Sheet to each tenant named on the tenancy agreement if the tenancy is an assured or assured shorthold tenancy, was created before 1 May 2026, and has a wholly or partly written record of terms, including a written tenancy agreement.

Tenants who agree to tenancies after 1 May 2026 should instead be given prescribed written statements rather than an Information Sheet.

The Information Sheet must be downloaded from the Government website and either printed and supplied by hand or post to each tenant or sent as an attachment via email or text message. Simply sending a link is not sufficient.

If, as a landlord, you use a letting agent who manages the property on your behalf, they must provide the Information Sheet to the tenant even if you have already done so.

Only time will tell whether the new rules will deliver on the government’s commitment to make renting fairer, safer, and more stable. The balance between increasing security and housing quality for tenants and ensuring that the legislation does not lead to a significant number of private landlords selling properties, and therefore reducing the rental market, or increasing rents due to higher costs, will be a fine one.

In the short term, there are still hurdles for landlords and agents to overcome in order to stay within the law.

The information sheets can be downloaded here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-renters-rights-act-information-sheet-2026.

For advice on landlord obligations, tenancy compliance or the Renters’ Rights Act, we’re here to help. Please get in touch with. Get in touch with Manjit Virdee.