The How to Rent Guide is going away: Here’s everything you need to know

The How to Rent Guide has been a cornerstone of the English Private Rented Sector (PRS) for over a decade. Now, following the implementation of the Renters' Rights Act on 1 May, 2026, the Guide will be removed as part of a broader overhaul of how tenancy information is communicated.

Originally introduced to provide tenants with essential information about their rights as they move into their new home, the How To Rent Guide carried a legal obligation for landlords: failing to provide the guide at the right time could invalidate some key processes landlords and letting agents relied on.

This blog breaks down why the guide is being replaced, and what the changes will mean for both tenants and landlords in the years ahead.

• What the How to Rent Guide did
• What replaces the How to Rent Guide?
• What this means for landlords and tenants
• Conclusion

What the How to Rent Guide did

Before the Renters' Rights Act, the How to Rent guide played a formal role in the legal setup of most private tenancies in England. Landlords were legally required to provide tenants with the latest version of the guide at the start of a new tenancy and, in some cases, when it was renewed. If the guide wasn’t served correctly, landlords could be prevented from using certain legal routes to regain possession of their property, particularly through Section 21 notices (these notices were also abolished under the Act).

Beyond its legal function, the guide was designed as a practical introduction to renting. It outlined key topics such as deposit protections, what tenants could expect in terms of property standards and repairs, and how to raise concerns or complaints. It also explained the responsibilities tenants took on, including paying rent on time and maintaining the property in a reasonable condition.

In practice, the guide acted as a baseline information document for living in a rented home. While you couldn't guarantee that the tenant would read the whole thing, it ensured that important rights and obligations were clearly documented from the outset. This made it a central part of the private renting process, bridging the gap between legal advice and everyday understanding for both tenants and landlords.

What replaces the How to Rent Guide?

Moving forward, all tenants need to be given written information on the key terms of their tenancy, though the information they receive will depend on whether their tenancy started before or after 1 May.

This information comes in two forms:

• New tenancies - A written statement of terms provided as a part of the tenancy agreement, which must be given to all tenants prior to the start of a new tenancy for any tenancies starting from 1 May 2026. It can be provided as a standalone document or incorporated into the tenancy agreement document.
• Existing tenancies - A tenant Information Sheet to be given to all tenants if the tenancy started prior to 1 May, this needs to be done by 31 May. There is one exception: if a tenancy agreement is entirely oral and there is no written agreement, existing tenancies should receive a written statement of terms instead of the Information Sheet.

What this means for landlords and tenants

The removal of the How to Rent guide under the Renters’ Rights reforms introduces practical changes for both landlords and tenants, particularly as the system moves towards a new legal framework under the Act.

Landlords

For landlords, the main impact is compliance. Landlords must ensure they are issuing the correct, up-to-date information at the right stage of a tenancy. Failure to issue the written statement before a tenancy is entered into may lead to a civil penalty of up to £7k

There is also a broader administrative shift. As the rental system moves away from Section 21 “no-fault” evictions and towards a more secure tenancy structure, landlords are required to familiarise themselves with new rules and ensure their documentation reflects the updated legal environment.

Even in cases where the landlord uses a managing agent, the risk remains. Landlords will still be on the hook for potential fines if their agent fails to send out the correct information on time.

Tenants

For tenants with agreements that began before 1 May, the Information Sheet is the appropriate document. It should be served before 31 May and is designed to present key rights and tenant responsibilities, so existing tenants can understand how the reformed system works. This includes explanations of tenancy rights, deposit protections, and the new rules governing how and when tenancies can end

For new tenants with agreements that start after 1 May, the written statement will clarify the terms of their tenancy agreement. Tenancies that begin after 1 May do not need to be issued with the Information Sheet.

However, the transition period may still create some confusion. It is important for tenants to check that they have received the most current guidance relevant to their agreement.

Conclusion

The removal of the How to Rent guide marks a significant shift in the delivery of tenancy information within the English private rented sector. While the guide itself has long served as a key reference point for both landlords and tenants, its structure and focus were built around a legal framework that is now being fundamentally reformed under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025.

The move towards standardised information sources reflects a broader effort to modernise and simplify the communication of rental rights and responsibilities. Rather than relying on a general guidance document, the new approach embeds information directly within the legal framework of the reformed tenancy system.

For landlords, this means adjusting to new compliance requirements and ensuring that correct documentation is issued. For tenants, it offers a new way of doing things that better reflects the realities of the updated rental landscape.

Ultimately, this transition is not just about replacing a document, but about aligning tenant information with a fundamentally different model of renting, one designed to be more secure and consistent for everyone involved in the private rented sector.

21/05/2026 - Correction: An earlier version of this blog contained incorrect information about specifically what documents needed to be issued to existing and new tenancies. The blog has been updated to reflect this.