What documents and information must you give a tenant?

In England, the compulsory move-in pack changed on 1 May 2026 because the How to Rent guide was withdrawn for new private tenancies. Across the UK, the exact documents depend on the nation, the tenancy type, and whether the property has gas, electrical-safety or deposit-protection duties.

What documents does a landlord have to give a tenant at the start of a tenancy?

A landlord’s start-of-tenancy documents are nation-specific: in England they commonly include the tenancy terms, EPC, gas safety record before occupation where gas applies, the latest electrical report before occupation, and deposit prescribed information within 30 days; Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland each have their own written-information rules. In England and Wales, an EPC must be made available free of charge because “The relevant person shall make available free of charge a valid energy performance certificate to any prospective buyer or tenant—”. In Great Britain, a new tenant must receive the last gas safety record “before that tenant occupies those premises”. In England, the most recent EICR must be supplied to “any new tenant of the specified tenancy to which the report relates before that tenant occupies those premises”, and deposit prescribed information is due “within the period of 30 days beginning with the date on which the deposit is received by the landlord.” Wales requires a written statement within 14 days of the occupation date; Northern Ireland requires a prescribed-form notice within 28 days of grant. Abodient can hold certificates against each property and show what is overdue, which matters because the handover deadline differs by document.

Do you have to give a tenant the How to Rent guide?

In England, you do not now have to give a tenant the How to Rent guide in most cases, because GOV.UK withdrew it on 1 May 2026 and retained it only for tenancies where a section 21 notice was served before that date. The old rule said a landlord under an English assured shorthold tenancy “must give the tenant under that tenancy the information mentioned in paragraph (2),” but that regime has ended for new post-1-May-2026 private tenancies. GOV.UK now says, “This publication was withdrawn on 1 May 2026,” and also says, “This guide has been retained for tenancies where the landlord served a notice for possession under section 21 before 1 May 2026.” So the practical answer to whether you need to give a tenant the How to Rent guide is no for most current England lets, but keep the withdrawn guide on file if it was part of a pre-1-May-2026 section 21 possession route.

Which version of the How to Rent guide do you have to give?

For the old England How to Rent duty, the required version was the version in force when it was given, but since 1 May 2026 there is normally no current guide to give for new private tenancies. The former regulation defined the required information as “the version of the document entitled "How to rent: the checklist for renting in England", as published by the Department for Communities and Local Government, that has effect for the time being.” That wording is why How to Rent guide versions used to matter: landlords needed the live version, not an out-of-date PDF saved from an earlier letting. The position changed when GOV.UK marked the guide withdrawn and not current; it now says, “This guide has now been withdrawn and is not up to date.” If you are dealing with an old section 21 notice served before 1 May 2026, keep the version actually served as evidence rather than trying to replace it with a newer guide.

Is the How to Rent guide being replaced?

The How to Rent guide was withdrawn from GOV.UK on 1 May 2026 and no replacement How to Rent guide has been issued; the new Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet is a separate one-off document, not a renamed guide. GOV.UK says, “This guide has now been withdrawn and is not up to date,” while the government’s Renting is Changing campaign tells landlords, “In most cases, you don’t now need to provide your tenants with the How to Rent guide.” The document some landlords are confusing with a replacement is the Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet 2026, but its obligation is different: GOV.UK says, “You must give this Information Sheet by 31 May 2026, or you could be fined up to £7,000.” That information sheet was for existing tenants under the 2026 transition, whereas the old How to Rent guide was a pre-tenancy England document linked to the section 21 regime.

How do you prove a tenant received the documents?

No UK rule prescribes one universal proof method for tenant documents, so the safest evidence is a dated email or portal record plus a signed, dated acknowledgement for documents handed over in person. The old England How to Rent rules dealt with delivery methods, not a mandatory proof format: they allowed email where the tenant had notified an address “at which the tenant is content to accept service of notices and other documents given under or in connection with the tenancy”. Postal deemed service can help only where an Act authorises or requires postal service; the Interpretation Act says that, in that situation, service is deemed where a letter is properly addressed, prepaid and posted. A council still has to prove the breach before taking enforcement action under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 guidance: “They need to be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that a breach or offence has taken place before they take action.” For practical purposes, proof that a tenant received the renters guide or data information should identify the exact document, version, date sent and recipient.

Do you have to give a tenant a condensation or mould leaflet?

A private landlord does not have to give a tenant a condensation or mould leaflet as a statutory move-in document, although damp and mould guidance can still be useful evidence of advice given. The government’s damp-and-mould publication is guidance rather than a mandated tenant leaflet; its own description says, “It may also be of interest to health and social care professionals, owner-occupiers and tenants.” Awaab’s Law is not a private-rented-sector handout duty either: the 2025 Regulations say, “These Regulations apply to lessors of social homes in England (whenever the lease was granted).” That does not mean condensation mould can be ignored. The High Court has treated the tenant-default defence as a high threshold: “tenant default that is a real but secondary cause of 'unfitness' does not meet it.” A condensation leaflet for tenants in the UK is therefore good management, but it is not a substitute for investigating disrepair, ventilation defects, heating faults or fitness-for-habitation issues.

What must you tell a tenant when the landlord or managing agent changes?

When a landlord or managing agent changes, England and Wales require two separate notices for a landlord assignment and an address for service; Scotland places the statutory notification duty on a departing agent, and Northern Ireland requires notice within 28 days when a prescribed tenancy term is varied. In England and Wales, if the landlord’s interest is assigned, the new landlord must give written notice of the assignment and the new landlord’s name and address “not later than the next day on which rent is payable under the tenancy or, if that is within two months of the assignment, the end of that period of two months.” Separately, section 48 requires a landlord to give “an address in England and Wales at which notices” may be served; until that is done, rent and service charges are not legally due. In Scotland, a letting agent that stops acting must tell sitting tenants it will no longer act and give the landlord’s or new agent’s details. In Northern Ireland, if a prescribed term changes, the landlord must give notice “within 28 days after the date on which the term of the tenancy is varied”.

Last reviewed September 2026.

Sources

• The Assured Shorthold Tenancy Notices and Prescribed Requirements (England) Regulations 2015, reg 3(1) — “A landlord under an assured shorthold tenancy of a dwelling-house in England, or a person acting on behalf of such a landlord, must give the tenant under that tenancy the information mentioned in paragraph (2).” Source
• The Assured Shorthold Tenancy Notices and Prescribed Requirements (England) Regulations 2015, reg 3(2) — “The information is the version of the document entitled "How to rent: the checklist for renting in England", as published by the Department for Communities and Local Government, that has effect for the time being.” Source
• GOV.UK, How to rent publication page — “This publication was withdrawn on 1 May 2026” Source
• GOV.UK, How to rent publication page — “This guide has been retained for tenancies where the landlord served a notice for possession under section 21 before 1 May 2026.” Source
• GOV.UK, How to rent publication page — “This guide has now been withdrawn and is not up to date.” Source
• MHCLG, Renting is changing campaign site — “In most cases, you don’t now need to provide your tenants with the How to Rent guide.” Source
• GOV.UK, The Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet 2026 — “You must give this Information Sheet by 31 May 2026, or you could be fined up to £7,000.” Source
• Energy Performance of Buildings (England and Wales) Regulations 2012, reg 6(2) — “The relevant person shall make available free of charge a valid energy performance certificate to any prospective buyer or tenant—” Source
• Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, reg 36(6)(b) — “a copy of the last record made in respect of each appliance or flue is given to any new tenant of premises to which the record relates before that tenant occupies those premises” Source
• Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020, reg 3(3)(e)(i) — “any new tenant of the specified tenancy to which the report relates before that tenant occupies those premises” Source
• Housing Act 2004, s.213(6)(b) — “within the period of 30 days beginning with the date on which the deposit is received by the landlord.” Source
• Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016, s.31(1) — “The landlord under an occupation contract must give the contract-holder a written statement of the contract before the end of the period of 14 days starting with the occupation date.” Source
• Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Act 2016, s.10(1) — “Where the terms of a private residential tenancy are not set out in writing between the parties, the landlord must, before the end of the day specified in subsection (2) or (as the case may be) (3), provide the tenant with a document which sets out all of the terms of the tenancy.” Source
• Private Tenancies Act (Northern Ireland) 2022, s.1 — “The landlord under the tenancy must, within 28 days after the date on which the tenancy is granted, give to the tenant a notice—” Source
• The Assured Shorthold Tenancy Notices and Prescribed Requirements (England) Regulations 2015, art 3 — “where the tenant has notified the landlord, or a person acting on behalf of the landlord, of an e-mail address at which the tenant is content to accept service of notices and other documents given under or in connection with the tenancy, by e-mail.” Source
• Interpretation Act 1978, s.7 — “Where an Act authorises or requires any document to be served by post (whether the expression “serve” or the expression “give” or “send” or any other expression is used) then, unless the contrary intention appears, the service is deemed to be effected by properly addressing, pre-paying and posting a letter containing the document and, unless the contrary is proved, to have been effected at the time at which the letter would be delivered in the ordinary course of post.” Source
• GOV.UK, Enforcement measures for landlords under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 — “They need to be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that a breach or offence has taken place before they take action.” Source
• GOV.UK, Damp and mould: understanding and addressing the health risks for rented housing providers — “It may also be of interest to health and social care professionals, owner-occupiers and tenants.” Source
• The Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2025, reg 1(4) — “These Regulations apply to lessors of social homes in England (whenever the lease was granted).” Source
• Joseph Harvey & Anor v Polly Louise Heaver & Anor [2026] EWHC 1671 (KB) — “The threshold is a high one, however: tenant default that is a real but secondary cause of 'unfitness' does not meet it.” Source
• Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, s.3(1) — “not later than the next day on which rent is payable under the tenancy or, if that is within two months of the assignment, the end of that period of two months.” Source
• Landlord and Tenant Act 1987, s.48(1) — “A landlord of premises to which this Part applies shall by notice furnish the tenant with an address in England and Wales at which notices (including notices in proceedings) may be served on him by the tenant.” Source
• Letting Agent Code of Practice (Scotland) Regulations 2016, Schedule para 37(b) — “if tenants are still living in the managed property or properties, inform the tenants you will no longer be acting as an agent for the landlord and inform them of the landlord's name and contact details if these have not already been provided, or where relevant, those of any new agent.” Source
• Private Tenancies Act (Northern Ireland) 2022, s.1 — “The landlord under the tenancy must, within 28 days after the date on which the term of the tenancy is varied, give to the tenant a notice—” Source