Renters’ Rights Act: draft Regulations published confirming contents of written statement of terms

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has published draft regulations which specify the content of the written statement of terms that private landlords must provide to tenants under section 16D of the Housing Act 1988 (as inserted by section 12 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025).

For new tenancies granted on or after 1 May 2026 that are not social housing assured tenancies, landlords will be required to provide the information as stipulated as a statement of terms before commencement of the tenancy. This can be in the format of a tenancy agreement but must include the information specified by the draft Regulations.

Although the draft Regulations may still be amended before coming into force, the Government has indicated that their publication is intended to enable landlords, agents and advisers to begin preparing for compliance. Subject to any changes, the new requirements are expected to apply from 1 May 2026.

What must be included in the written statement of terms?

Full detail of what information should be included in the written statement of terms is set out in Part 1 of the Schedule to the draft Regulations - The Assured Tenancies (Private Rented Sector) (Written Statement of Terms etc and Information Sheet) (England) Regulations 2026.

 In summary, this includes:

• The full names of both the landlord and the tenant.
• An address at which the landlord may be served with notices by the tenant.
• The property address.
• The date on which the tenant is first entitled to possession of the property from.
• The amount of rent payable and the frequency of payment.
• A statement that the landlord must serve a Section 13 notice to increase rent.
• Information confirming whether costs such as utilities, council tax, television licences or communications services are included in the rent, or instead payable separately by the tenant to the landlord. Where such charges fall outside the rent, the statement must explain “each amount payable or an explanation of when and how the tenant will be notified of the amount of each payment, and when each payment is due or an explanation of when and how the tenant will be notified of the due date of each payment.”
• If appropriate, the amount of any tenancy deposit.
• The minimum notice period the tenant must give to end the tenancy.
• An explanation that, in most cases, the landlord can only recover possession by obtaining a court order in accordance with the Housing Act 1988, and is required to serve a prescribed notice stating the grounds, and that those grounds will determine the minimum notice period to be given before proceedings can commence.
• Statements outlining:
  • the landlord’s obligation to ensure the property is fit for human habitation;
  • the landlord’s statutory duties in relation to section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985;
  • compliance requirements relating to electrical safety;
  • compliance requirements relating to gas safety;
  • the tenant’s right to request disability‑related adjustments, and that such consent by the landlord must not be unreasonably refused;
  • the tenant’s right to request permission to keep a pet, with the landlord under a duty not to refuse unreasonably; and
  • Where the tenancy is for supported accommodation, a statement confirming this status, together with an explanation of why it is granted as such a tenancy. Note within the draft Regulations there is reference to the definition of supported accommodation being within Schedule 2 of the Housing Act 1988, however I would speculate this is an error as Schedule 2 of the Housing Act 1988 relates to Grounds for possession and does not provide a definition of supported accommodation. There is a definition of “supported exempt accommodation” at paragraph 12(1) of the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023 which potentially may be the definition the draft Regulations intended to refer to.

Information Sheet - existing tenants

Paragraph 3 of the draft Regulations confirms that where a tenancy was entered into before 1 May 2026, i.e. an existing assured tenancy, landlords will not be required to provide tenants with a new written statement of terms. Instead, landlords must give tenants prescribed information in the form of an Information Sheet explaining how the Renters Rights Act 2025 will affect their tenancy. 

The Government has indicated that the prescribed information confirming what the Information Sheet must contain will be published in March 2026, and landlords will have until 31 May 2026 to provide it to affected tenants. 

For more information, please contact Anna Bennett.