The important requirement is to give tenants the prescribed written information, not simply to obtain a signature on a document labelled tenancy agreement. This archive article was updated on 17 October 2026 to reflect the rules explained in current government guidance for England.
New tenancies
For tenancies created on or after 1 May 2026, landlords must provide the required information about key terms before signing an agreement or otherwise agreeing the tenancy. The information can be included in a written tenancy agreement or supplied separately.
Use the government's final published requirements rather than a draft circulated before the rules began. Check the information against the actual tenancy before sending it.
Existing agreements
Where an agreement was signed before 1 May 2026 and there was a written record, the government's guidance required the Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet 2026 to be given to all named tenants by 31 May 2026. It could be supplied on paper or as an electronic PDF attachment.
For an entirely verbal agreement made before 1 May, written information about the key terms was required instead, also by 31 May. That deadline has now passed.
Keep a clear record
Create a checklist showing which document was required, who received it and when it was provided. Retain the version sent and evidence of delivery. If records are incomplete or the deadline was missed, obtain advice about putting matters right; do not backdate documents or assume a later delivery erases an earlier failure.