What this guide covers
We focus on the official “How to rent” booklet for England: when landlords must provide it, how to prove service, what happens when GOV.UK publishes a new version, and how it fits with gas safety, EICR, EPC and deposit duties. This page is a guide, not a substitute for downloading the current PDF yourself.
Primary source: How to rent: the checklist for renting in England on GOV.UK.
Not legal advice. Statutory wording and court forms change. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland use different materials. See our editorial policy for how we treat tenancy content.
What is “How to rent” and why landlords cannot ignore it
“How to rent” is the government’s plain-English guide for people renting a home in England. It covers deposits, repairs, safety, illegal fees, ending a tenancy, and where to get help. For private landlords using assured shorthold tenancies (ASTs), giving the correct edition at the right time has been a core step for years. Under the Deregulation Act 2015 framework it also became central to whether a Section 21 notice could be relied on in many historical cases.
You cannot swap it for a generic “tenant handbook” where the law expects this specific publication: tenants are entitled to the real GOV.UK document (or whatever official channel replaces it). A link alone can work if you can prove delivery; many landlords still attach the PDF so the exact version is on file for both sides.
Used well, “How to rent” lines up your onboarding with government messaging and cuts confusion about repairs and deposits before arguments start.
When must you provide How to rent (new tenancies)?
For new ASTs in England, landlords should provide the current booklet at the start of the tenancy, in practice, when the tenant is entitled to move in or as part of pre-move-in paperwork. The statutory detail (including exact triggers) sits in primary legislation; if your tenancy is non-standard, company let, or mixed-use, confirm with a solicitor.
Workflow that survives disputes:
Joint tenancies: one PDF to all named tenants (same email with all addresses, or individual proofs). Guarantors are not a substitute for giving tenants the booklet.
Our UK landlord compliance checklist 2026 places How to rent next to gas, EICR, and EPC in the move-in sequence.
Updates: the 28-day rule when government publishes a new version
When MHCLG / DLUHC publishes a revised How to rent, landlords must provide the new version to tenants on periodic tenancies (or when the tenancy becomes periodic) within 28 days of publication, verify the current statutory wording on GOV.UK and with your adviser, because drafting changes over time.
Operational habit: subscribe to GOV.UK update alerts or check the publication page quarterly. When a new PDF drops, bulk-email all periodic tenants with subject line “Updated How to rent booklet (England)” and attach the file.
Fixed-term tenancies during fixed period: the duty on updates interacts with periodic status, do not guess; legal advice for edge cases saves possession delays later.
How to rent vs your tenancy agreement
The AST sets rent, term, notice, pets, and specific obligations. How to rent is not a second tenancy agreement, it is statutory information. They should not contradict each other on fundamentals (e.g. illegal fees). If your clauses conflict with consumer law or tenant rights, the agreement may be partly unenforceable even if signed.
Best practice: add a cover email saying the agreement is binding but tenant rights in law and How to rent apply where relevant.
How to rent vs deposit Prescribed Information (do not mix them up)
| Document | What it is | Typical deadline |
|---|---|---|
| How to rent | GOV.UK guide for tenants | Start of tenancy + updates (see above) |
| Prescribed Information | Deposit scheme pack (scheme rules, amounts, contact) | Within 30 days of receiving the deposit |
Landlords routinely email one and forget the other. Both can apply to the same tenancy. Missing PI triggers 1 to 3× deposit penalties and Section 21 blocks in classic AST cases. See our deposit protection guide and Prescribed Information deep dive.
One email, three attachments is a clean pattern: How to rent + PI + EPC (if not already sent), with read receipt where appropriate.
Section 21, Renters Rights Act 2025, and what changes after 1 May 2026
For years, failure to give the correct How to rent at the right time was a frequent reason Section 21 Form 6A possession failed. The Renters Rights Act 2025 abolishes Section 21 no-fault notices for new use from 1 May 2026 in England, possession moves toward Section 8 grounds and reformed processes.
You must not rely on this blog to know whether How to rent remains a precondition for your specific notice after reform, read current GOV.UK and take legal advice. Regardless, continuing to provide How to rent is best practice: it supports tenant relations, deposit disputes, and local authority expectations.
Read Section 21 abolished, what happens now and how to serve Section 21 correctly before May 2026 for the wider picture.
Proof and evidence: what actually wins disputes
Courts and deposit adjudicators care about documents, not memory.
Keep:
Weak evidence: “We always send it” without logs. Strong evidence: one email thread per tenancy start with attachments listed.
Data protection: you process tenant emails under UK GDPR, pair this with our tenant privacy notice guidance.
Letting agents: who is responsible if it goes wrong?
Your landlord terms with the agent should say explicitly that the agent will provide How to rent and prove service. If the agent forgets, you may still be liable to the tenant and enforcement bodies, indemnities in agency contracts help recover money but do not erase tenant-facing failure.
On exit, export all compliance emails; portal lock-out has cost landlords possession cases.
Common mistakes (checklist)
Our 7 Section 21 invalid mistakes ties How to rent to other preconditions.
Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland
England How to rent does not satisfy Welsh Renting Homes information duties, Scottish PRT requirements, or NI rules. Use jurisdiction-correct materials for each portfolio region.
LetCompliance: one vault for booklets, certs, and dates
LetCompliance does not mirror GOV.UK files, you download the official PDF yourself, but we give you a single per-property place to upload How to rent proof, Gas CP12, EICR, EPC, and deposit records, with reminders before certificates expire. That is how “thin” admin becomes auditable compliance.
Start a free trial, LetCompliance →
Further reading: 2026 landlord compliance checklist · Right to Rent documents · Editorial policy
Frequently asked questions
Where do I download the official How to Rent booklet for England?
Use the current PDF from GOV.UK, search for “How to rent” or open the official publication page. Always give tenants the version that is current when you provide it; the document is updated from time to time.
Is How to Rent the same as the tenancy deposit Prescribed Information?
No. How to Rent is the government’s guide for tenants. Prescribed Information is the specific information pack you must give about the deposit scheme and related matters within the legal timeframe. Both can be required for an AST in England, do not confuse the two.