How to Rent Guide
A government checklist that landlords in England must give tenants at the start of every new assured tenancy. Available on GOV.UK as a PDF. Failure to serve it historically invalidated a Section 21 notice, and it remains a marker of a compliant tenancy setup.
At a glance
- Issuer
- MHCLG / GOV.UK
- When
- Start of every new assured tenancy (England)
- Historic role
- Non-service invalidated Section 21
Full guide
Read the complete landlord guide on How to Rent Guide
Deadlines, fines and step-by-step compliance in our in-depth resource.
Open full guideWhy How to Rent Guide matters for landlords
The How to Rent guide is a 16-page PDF many landlords dismiss as bureaucracy, but serving it with dated evidence has historically been the cleanest proof of a compliant tenancy setup. With Section 21 abolished its role in blocking possession is narrower, but tenant advocacy groups and the PRS Ombudsman still treat non-service as a marker of a poorly-set-up tenancy — and the guide is routinely cited in deposit-dispute adjudications as evidence the tenant was properly informed.
Related terms
Compliance Score
A 0-100 score LetCompliance assigns to each property based on how up-to-date its safety certificates and tenancy documents are. 100 means Gas Safety, EICR, EPC, deposit protection and Right to Rent are all current; the score drops as deadlines approach and is recalculated daily.
Prescribed Information
A document landlords must give tenants within 30 days of receiving a deposit, alongside deposit protection. It tells the tenant which scheme holds the deposit, how to reclaim it and how to raise a dispute. Failure to serve it can result in a penalty of 1-3 times the deposit.
HHSRS (Housing Health and Safety Rating System)
The risk-assessment framework used by local authorities to judge whether housing is safe. It scores 29 categories of hazard, from damp and mould to falling on stairs. Category 1 hazards are the most serious and trigger enforcement powers including Improvement Notices and Prohibition Orders.
HMO (House in Multiple Occupation)
A property let to 3 or more people from 2 or more households who share facilities (kitchen, bathroom, toilet). Any HMO with 5 or more occupants from 2 or more households needs a mandatory HMO licence from the local authority. Many councils also operate additional licensing for smaller HMOs.
Accelerated Possession
A fast-track court procedure used under a Section 21 notice in England and Wales. Abolished for new claims from 1 May 2026 because Section 21 no longer exists. Possession is now pursued under Section 8 using a specified ground.
AST (Assured Shorthold Tenancy)
The most common form of private tenancy in England. From 1 May 2026 all existing ASTs converted to assured periodic tenancies under the Renters Rights Act 2025, and new fixed-term ASTs can no longer be created for most residential lets.