The RRA move-in pack for an Assured Periodic Tenancy in 2026 is the largest single-day compliance obligation a landlord has. Six documents in the first week; two more within 30 days. Miss one and your Section 8 possession claim can be defended or struck out at first hearing; miss the wrong one and you face civil penalties on top.
This guide is the definitive 2026 checklist for the tenant information a landlord must provide at APT start. It reflects the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 as commenced on 1 May 2026, and updates our previous move-in pack guide with the specific RRA-related documents.
Not legal advice. For agency operators managing 20+ tenancies, our move-in pack tracker automates every deadline in this list.
The 8 documents you must provide (in order)
Document 1 — The tenancy agreement. APT written agreement. Landlord and tenant names and addresses correct, property address correct, rent and payment day correct, deposit amount correct, all statutory clauses. Both parties sign.
Document 2 — Gas Safety Certificate (CP12). Must be in force at tenancy start. Provided within 28 days of the check or before occupation, whichever is sooner. Copy to be given to tenant before they take occupation.
Document 3 — EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report). Must be in force (5-year validity). Copy to tenant within 28 days of a new EICR or before occupation.
Document 4 — Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). Minimum band E to let (rising to band C for new tenancies from 1 October 2030). Must be provided free of charge before tenant takes occupation. From October 2030 the landlord cannot let a property below band C for a new tenancy.
Document 5 — How to Rent booklet. The current version at time of let. Note: How to Rent will be withdrawn on 1 May 2026 — replaced by the RRA Information Sheet (see Document 8). During the transition, landlords should provide whichever is current at time of let-start. Existing tenants get a catch-up copy of the new Information Sheet.
Document 6 — Deposit Protection Certificate and Prescribed Information (PI). If a deposit was taken, protect it in an authorised scheme (TDS/DPS/mydeposits — see our scheme comparison) within 30 days. Provide the tenant with the scheme certificate and the PI within the same 30 days. Failure = Section 8 (discretionary grounds only) available AND up to 3× deposit penalty payable to tenant.
Document 7 — PRS Database entry. Under the RRA, landlords must register on the Private Rented Sector Database (rollout timings TBD as of July 2026). Once mandatory, the tenant must be given the landlord’s registration number at the start of the tenancy. See PRS Database vs Selective Licensing for status.
Document 8 — RRA Information Sheet. From 1 May 2026 the "How to Rent" booklet is replaced by the RRA Information Sheet — a shorter statutory document covering the tenant’s rights under the new regime. Must be provided:
See our RRA Information Sheet: How to Serve and Prove for detail.
Documents to provide when they exist (conditional)
Landlord Ombudsman details. Once the RRA landlord ombudsman scheme is live, tenants must be given the ombudsman details. Currently in phased rollout — check the Landlord Ombudsman guide for current status.
Legionella risk assessment record. Not a formal certificate but a written record of the landlord’s Legionella risk assessment for the property. Best practice to keep on file; provide extract to tenant if they ask.
Smoke and CO alarm evidence. Since 1 October 2022 every rented property in England needs a smoke alarm on every storey and a CO alarm in any room with a fixed combustion appliance (excluding gas cookers). Test on the first day of the tenancy, record the test and countersign with the tenant.
Fire safety information (HMOs). Fire risk assessment (written, mandatory since 2023 for HMOs), emergency management plan (larger HMOs), fire door schedule.
Water regulations certificate (in England — usually issued by the water supplier for landlord information).
Building safety information (high-rise buildings only — buildings above 18m).
When it must be provided — the deadlines
| Document | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Tenancy agreement | Signed before occupation |
| GSC (CP12) | Before occupation |
| EICR | Before occupation |
| EPC | Before occupation |
| Deposit certificate + PI | Within 30 days of receipt of deposit |
| RRA Information Sheet (replaces the withdrawn How to Rent) | New lets: at the start; existing tenancies: by 31 May 2026 |
| PRS Database registration | Before occupation (once mandatory) |
| Smoke/CO test evidence | On day 1 of tenancy |
Consequence of missing a deadline. Be careful here — the old "no possession until you comply" teeth were mostly attached to Section 21, which the Renters’ Rights Act abolished on 1 May 2026. These are still legal duties with their own penalties, but most do not automatically bar a Section 8 mandatory ground such as Ground 8 arrears:
What genuinely sinks a Section 8 case is a defective notice (wrong form, wrong ground, wrong dates) or unaddressed disrepair raised as a counterclaim — not a missing booklet. Keep the information trail complete because it is the law and it avoids penalties, not because a court will refuse possession over it.
Practical delivery methods
By hand at tenancy signing meeting: strongest evidence. Tenant signs an acknowledgement receipt for each document.
By email attachment: acceptable if the tenancy agreement expressly permits email service and the tenant has provided their email address. Some scheme certificates (e.g. DPS PI) can be electronically delivered; keep read receipts.
Move-in pack app or portal: increasing adoption. LetCompliance’s move-in pack feature time-stamps every document delivery, generates the tenant signature acknowledgement, and produces a court-ready evidence bundle if a possession claim is later filed.
Evidence to keep for 12 years
For every document above, keep on file:
Retention period: 12 years (long-tail limitation for civil claims). Compliance software solves this by default; paper filing systems usually don’t.
For agents, this evidence bundle is what protects you at redress-scheme complaint and at PRS Database investigation.
The one-page tenant receipt
The single best evidence artefact is a tenant-signed receipt confirming that on tenancy start date X, they received:
One page. Tenant signs. Landlord keeps original, tenant keeps copy. This one document alone shortcuts most possession-defence attacks at Section 8 hearings.
Sources
Section 21 → Section 8 Transition Map (2026)
Section 21 was abolished on 1 May 2026. Map every active S21 / Form 6A scenario onto a valid Section 8 ground with this 2-page transition guide.
- Pre-1 May 2026 Form 6A — still valid? Decision tree
- Map every S21 trigger to a Section 8 mandatory / discretionary ground
- Ground 8 (rent arrears) — 13-week threshold under RRA 2025
- Top 5 evidence packs courts now expect for possession
Frequently asked questions
What documents must I give a new tenant in 2026?
Tenancy agreement, Gas Safety Certificate, EICR, EPC (min band E), deposit certificate and prescribed information (within 30 days of the deposit), How to Rent guide (or the RRA Information Sheet after 1 May 2026), PRS Database registration reference (once mandatory), and evidence of smoke/CO alarm testing on day 1. Landlord Ombudsman details once the scheme is live.
What if I miss providing one of these documents?
Different documents have different consequences. If the deposit is not protected and the prescribed information not given, the court cannot make a Section 8 possession order until you put it right, plus a 1–3× penalty is payable to the tenant. Missing the GSC, How to Rent guide or EPC were Section 21 preconditions — Section 21 was abolished on 1 May 2026, so they do not bar a Section 8 claim, though they remain legal duties with their own penalties.
When was the How to Rent guide replaced?
On 1 May 2026 the How to Rent guide is being withdrawn and replaced by the RRA Information Sheet — a statutory document covering the tenant’s rights under the new regime. New tenancies from that date use the Information Sheet; existing tenancies converted to APTs should receive a catch-up copy.
Do I need to give the tenant the PRS Database registration?
Yes, once the Private Rented Sector Database becomes mandatory under the RRA. The tenant must receive the landlord’s registration reference at tenancy start. Rollout is phased through 2026-27 — check the current status before let-start.