UK RRA 2025 Information Sheet: 1-31 May 2026 Transition Window

The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 Information Sheet is the single most-overlooked compliance requirement of the May 2026 transition. Between 1 May and 31 May 2026, every existing landlord must deliver a written Information Sheet to every named tenant — a one-off transitional disclosure that explains the new APT regime and the tenant’s rights. This article walks through what the Information Sheet must contain, when it must be delivered, how to deliver it, and the pitfalls that turn a simple disclosure into a compliance breach.

1. The Statutory Hook

The Information Sheet requirement is set by the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, with the form prescribed by Government regulations and published as a Government publication.

The Government publication: The Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet 2026 — https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-renters-rights-act-information-sheet-2026

Statute: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2025/26/contents

2. Who Must Deliver, Who Must Receive

Who must deliver

Every existing landlord of an assured tenancy in England that converts to an APT on 1 May 2026.

This includes:

• Individual landlords (single buy-to-let)
• Corporate landlords (Ltd companies)
• Landlords using letting agents (the agent typically delivers on the landlord’s behalf, but the landlord is the duty-holder)
• Foreign landlords (resident outside the UK)

This excludes:

• Landlords of pre-1989 Rent Act tenancies (outside scope)
• Resident landlords with excluded tenancies (Schedule 1 paragraph 10 to HA 1988)
• Landlords of common-law tenancies (high rent, holiday lets, etc.)
• Welsh / Scottish / NI landlords (devolved regimes)

Who must receive

Every named tenant of a converting tenancy.

For joint tenancies, each named tenant receives their own Information Sheet. A single Information Sheet addressed to “the tenants” is non-compliant — the disclosure is to the individuals.

For sole tenancies with a permitted occupier (e.g. partner, spouse not on the tenancy): only the named tenant receives the Information Sheet; the occupier does not.

3. The Window — 1 to 31 May 2026

The Information Sheet must be delivered between 1 May and 31 May 2026 inclusive.

In practice, the cleanest workflow is early May: prepare the Information Sheet template in April; deliver in the first week of May; record delivery; move on. Late delivery in the last week of May creates risk if the post / email is delayed.

4. What the Information Sheet Must Contain

The Government-prescribed Information Sheet template covers:

Section A — The New APT Regime

• A statement that the tenancy is now an Assured Periodic Tenancy (APT)
• That the previous fixed term (if any) ends on 1 May 2026
• That the tenancy is periodic (the period being the rent payment period)

Section B — Tenant’s Rights

• Right to give 2 months’ written notice at any time to end the tenancy
• Right to remain in the property (no Section 21 / no-fault eviction)
• Right to challenge a rent increase at the First-tier Tribunal
• Right to request a pet, with landlord’s duty not to refuse unreasonably
• Right to repairs (LTA 1985, s.11; HFFFH Act 2018)
• Right to deposit return at end of tenancy (HA 2004 deposit protection)

Section C — Landlord’s Routes to Possession

• That possession is only available under Section 8 with a specified ground
• A list of the principal Section 8 grounds (Ground 1, 1A, 6, 8, 10, 14)
• Notice periods for each ground

Section D — Where to Get Help

• Government’s “How to Rent” guide
• Citizens Advice for tenancy disputes
• Local authority tenancy relations officer
• ACAS-style conciliation routes (Property Tribunal for rent challenges)
• Shelter (charity) for housing advice

Section E — Practical Information for the Specific Tenancy

• Property address
• Current rent
• Date the tenancy converted (1 May 2026)
• Original tenancy start date
• Deposit scheme reference (if applicable)
• Landlord’s name and address for service

5. How to Deliver

The Act allows multiple delivery methods:

Paper

• Printed copy by post (recorded delivery / signed-for ideal)
• Hand-delivered to the property and a signed receipt obtained from the tenant
• Posted through the letterbox (acceptable but no proof of receipt)

Electronic

• Email attachment (PDF) — ideal for documentary record
• Email body containing the Information Sheet text
• Secure tenant portal (where the landlord uses one)

Hybrid

• Both paper and electronic — most defensive, removes any “didn’t receive” disputes

What to retain

• Copy of the Information Sheet delivered
• Record of delivery method
• Date and time of delivery
• For email: send-receipt and read-receipt where possible
• For post: tracking number / proof of postage
• For hand-delivery: signed receipt from the tenant

The retention period should be the duration of the tenancy plus 6 years (the limitation period for breach of contract).

6. The Compliance Risk

Penalty for non-delivery

Local authorities have power to issue civil penalties for breach of the transitional rules. The exact maximum is set by regulations; expect a range similar to other RRA breaches — typically up to £30,000 per breach for serious or repeated cases.

Knock-on effect

A landlord in breach of the Information Sheet rule may also face:

• Restriction on Section 8 grounds that have pre-disclosure conditions (similar to old Section 21 pre-condition rules)
• Tribunal-imposed adjustments if a rent increase is challenged
• Reputational sanction in local-authority registers

Tenant’s remedies

A tenant who has not received an Information Sheet may:

• Complain to the local authority
• Apply to the First-tier Tribunal for a declaration as to the new tenancy’s status
• Seek advice from Shelter or Citizens Advice

7. The Delivery Plan — A Step-by-Step

Step 1 — April 2026: Identify all existing tenants

For each property in the portfolio, identify:

• All named tenants on each tenancy
• Each tenant’s preferred delivery address (often the let property; sometimes a different correspondence address)
• Each tenant’s preferred contact method (email / post)

Step 2 — Late April 2026: Prepare Information Sheets

Generate one Information Sheet per tenant. The MmowW Cell #8 workflow (see §10 below) automates this from the existing tenancy data.

Step 3 — Early May 2026: Deliver

Deliver in the first week of May:

• Email Information Sheets to email-preferring tenants
• Post to post-preferring tenants
• Hand-deliver to local tenants with signed receipt

Step 4 — May 2026: Track and remind

Maintain a delivery log. For tenants who have not acknowledged receipt by 15 May, send a reminder. By 31 May, every tenant should have acknowledged or received via tracked delivery.

Step 5 — June 2026: Archive

After 31 May, archive the delivery log with the tenancy file. Retain for the duration of the tenancy plus 6 years.

8. The Letting-Agent Question

Where a landlord uses a letting agent:

• The landlord is the duty-holder
• The agent typically delivers on the landlord’s behalf
• The landlord should specifically instruct the agent to deliver Information Sheets and provide documentary evidence
• A letter / email from the landlord to the agent confirming the instruction is good practice

Where a landlord uses an agent only for tenant find (not management), the landlord delivers the Information Sheet themselves. The agent has no continuing tenant relationship after handover.

9. Foreign Landlords

A landlord resident outside the UK:

• Must still deliver the Information Sheet
• May use a UK-based managing agent for the actual delivery
• Must keep documentary evidence of delivery

The Non-Resident Landlords Scheme (HMRC) is a tax matter; the Information Sheet is a separate housing-law matter.

10. The MmowW Scrib🐮 Information Sheet Workflow

Cell #8 (UK Lease — APT) generates the Information Sheet for each existing tenant. The intake captures:

• Tenant name (one form per tenant for joint tenancies)
• Property address
• Tenant’s preferred delivery address (if different)
• Original tenancy start date
• Current rent and payment period
• Deposit scheme reference (if applicable)

The output is a printable PDF + email-ready HTML, with a delivery receipt template for documentary record. Where the landlord has a portfolio of tenants, the workflow batches Information Sheets and produces a delivery log.

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Disclaimer

This article provides legal information, not legal advice. MmowW Scrib🐮 is a document preparation service operated by a licensed Gyoseishoshi (行政書士) office in Japan. We are not solicitors, barristers, or attorneys.

Sources

1. Renters’ Rights Act 2025: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2025/26/contents
2. RRA 2025 Information Sheet 2026: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-renters-rights-act-information-sheet-2026
3. How to Rent guide: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-rent
4. First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber): https://www.gov.uk/courts-tribunals/first-tier-tribunal-property-chamber