The How to Rent guide, explained.
One of the small jobs at the start of every tenancy that landlords regularly forget — and the one with disproportionate consequences if you do. Here’s what it is, when to serve it, and how to keep a clean record.
The How to Rent guide was superseded by the RRA Information Sheet.
Since the Renters’ Rights Act 2026 came into force, the GOV.UK How to Rent guide is no longer the document landlords serve. The MHCLG Information Sheet replaces it for all new and existing tenancies. This page is kept as historical context — for the current obligation, read the new guide instead.
Read the RRA Information Sheet 2026 guide- What: An official Government booklet for tenants, published on GOV.UK. You don’t write your own.
- Who: Every landlord (or agent) granting an assured shorthold or assured tenancy on a property in England.
- When: At the start of the tenancy, and again every time a new version is published if the tenancy is renewed or rolls over.
- If you don’t: You can’t serve a Section 21 (and after 1 May 2026, the new Section 8 expanded grounds). Possession claims can fail at hearing for nothing other than a missing PDF.
What is the How to Rent guide?
The How to Rent guide is a 14-ish-page booklet published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government on GOV.UK. It explains tenants’ rights and responsibilities — deposit protection, gas and electrical safety, the right-to-rent regime, maintaining the property, what to do if something goes wrong.
Landlords don’t produce this document. The Government does, and they update it periodically. The legal duty on landlords is simply to serve the latest version on the tenant.
Who has to give it to whom?
If you’re granting an Assured Shorthold Tenancy (or an Assured Tenancy under the Renters’ Rights Act regime) on a residential property in England, you (or your letting agent) must serve the latest How to Rent guide on the tenant.
Different rules apply in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland — their devolved governments publish separate documents. The guide here is England-only.
When do I serve it?
What happens if I don’t serve it?
Until you have proof of service, a Section 21 notice (and from 1 May 2026, several of the expanded Section 8 grounds) won’t stand up at a possession hearing. We’ve seen cases thrown out of court for nothing other than a missing How to Rent guide. The full backstop deposit-protection and gas-safety rules apply on top of this.
The fix is straightforward: serve the current version, log the date, keep the email or signed receipt. Even retrospectively serving the current version (well before you start a possession claim) is enough in most cases.
Where to download the official guide
We track the date you served it, per tenant.
Inside the dashboard, every HMO room and every tenancy on a single-let has a How to Rent served field. Set the date you served the latest version, attach the receipt or confirmation email as a document, and the audit pack will include it automatically. If a possession question ever lands, the proof is one click away.
- Per-tenant served-on date logged in your tenancy compliance check sheet
- Reminder before any new version of the guide is likely to land
- One-click compliance pack export with the served-on dates and attached proofs
This page is plain-English commentary on a public GOV.UK document. It is not legal advice. Landlord Compliance helps you track the records you hold — including the date you served the official How to Rent guide — but cannot confirm legal compliance. The landlord remains responsible for serving the correct version of the guide and meeting all regulatory obligations.