Deadline for landlords to issue government factsheet and statements of terms for pre-existing tenancies

Landlords of private rented tenancies in England that started before 1 May 2026 must issue the government's Renters' Rights Act information sheet to their tenants by 31 May 2026, and landlords of pre-existing agreements that were never put in writing must issue a statement of terms by the same date¹. The deadline follows the commencement of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 on 1 May 2026, which Shelter says "introduced significant reforms to the private rented sector"¹.

Where a tenant was an assured shorthold tenant who becomes an assured tenant from 1 May 2026, the landlord must issue a government factsheet outlining key changes, by 31 May 2026 at the latest¹. For agreements that existed before 1 May 2026 but had no written agreement, landlords must issue a statement of terms, also by 31 May 2026¹. Barclays states that for verbal agreement tenancies, landlords need to give tenants the specific terms of the agreement in writing before 31 May 2026, rather than the government's information sheet³. Landlords who fail to comply can be fined by the local authority up to £7,000¹.

The wider reforms took effect on 1 May 2026. Shelter says the Act abolishes section 21 "no-fault" evictions and replaces all assured shorthold tenancies with periodic assured tenancies, which landlords can only end for a legal reason, meaning fixed term tenancies in the private rented sector are abolished¹. Coventry Building Society describes the change as replacing fixed-term lets with open-ended, rolling tenancies². Barclays states that most new and existing tenancies in the private rental sector in England become rolling tenancies from 1 May 2026³.

National Debtline states that for new tenancies after 1 May 2026, asking for payment of rent in advance before a tenancy agreement is signed is not allowed⁴. Shelter notes that the Act does not override existing terms requiring rent in advance, so a clause signed before 1 May 2026 that genuinely says rent must be paid in advance can still be enforced¹. On deposits, Shelter says there are no changes to the tenancy deposit protection rules¹.

Why it matters for households

Tenants in England whose private tenancy began before 1 May 2026 should receive the government information sheet from their landlord by 31 May 2026, and those on verbal agreements should receive a written statement of terms¹. The information sheet is separate from the tenancy agreement and does not replace it¹. Failure to issue either document can lead to a local authority fine of up to £7,000 for the landlord¹.

For renters, the change from fixed terms to periodic assured tenancies means tenancies continue on a rolling basis until valid notice is given¹. Shelter says tenants can end a tenancy by serving a valid notice to quit of at least two months, unless the landlord or tenancy agreement provides for a shorter period, and that a shorter period of no less than four weeks is possible if the landlord agrees in writing¹. Rent increases for private tenants are restricted to once a year from 1 May 2026⁵. National Debtline states that from 1 May 2026, if a private tenant's rent arrears are caused by delays paying the housing costs element of Universal Credit, this will be ignored when deciding the rent arrears level⁴.

What happens next

The 31 May 2026 deadline for the factsheet and statement of terms is the immediate date for landlords of pre-existing tenancies¹. Coventry Building Society sets out further phases: a Private Rented Sector landlord database and a landlord ombudsman service are expected from late 2026, with the extension of the Decent Homes Standard to private rented properties at a date not yet confirmed². Where a landlord served a valid section 21 or section 8 notice before 1 May 2026, National Debtline states they must begin court possession proceedings by asking the court to issue a claim form by the earlier of 31 July 2026 or the expiry of the notice⁵.