What documents must a landlord give a new tenant in England

The short list, in the order it falls due

The documents a new tenant must receive come from several different laws, and each has its own moment. Grouping them by when they are due is the easiest way to keep them straight, especially since the Renters' Rights Act 2025 changed the start-of-tenancy paperwork on 1 May 2026.

1. Before the tenancy is agreed: the written information about the key terms of the tenancy, which GOV.UK says must be given before you and the tenant sign a tenancy agreement or otherwise agree the tenancy. The EPC also has to be offered early, at the latest when a prospective tenant first receives written information about the property or views it.
2. Before the tenant moves in: a copy of the latest gas safety record, if there are gas appliances, and a copy of the most recent electrical installation report. A valid EPC must have been given to the person who becomes the tenant.
3. Within 30 days of receiving the deposit: the deposit's prescribed information, alongside protecting the money in a government-approved scheme. GOV.UK withdrew the How to Rent guide on 1 May 2026, and the Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet is not a document for new tenancies, so neither belongs on this list.

Written information about the key terms

GOV.UK's guidance says that from 1 May 2026 landlords must give new tenants certain written information about the key terms of the tenancy, before the tenancy is signed or otherwise agreed. It can be part of a written tenancy agreement or given separately. If it is not given, the tenant can complain to the local council, and the landlord could be fined up to £7,000.

The government's landlord guidance, published on 20 March 2026, sets out the minimum. It includes the landlord's name and any joint landlords, a postal address in England or Wales where the tenant can send notices, the names of all tenants, the property address, the tenancy start date, the rent and when it is due, a statement that any rent increase will be proposed by a notice under section 13 of the Housing Act 1988, which bills the rent covers, and the amount of any deposit. The guidance says you do not need to use the exact wording of the legislation, as long as the information is covered.

Tenancies that existed before 1 May 2026 were handled differently. Where there was a written agreement, the landlord had to give the Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet 2026 by 31 May 2026. Where the tenancy was entirely verbal, the landlord had to give the written information instead, by the same date.

Gas and electrical safety records

Regulation 36 of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 requires each gas appliance and flue supplied by the landlord to be checked at intervals of no more than 12 months. A copy of the last record must go to a new tenant before they occupy the property, and to existing tenants within 28 days of each check. GOV.UK adds that the check must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Regulation 36A lets a check carried out in the two months before the deadline count as if it were done on the deadline, so the anniversary does not creep earlier each year.

The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 require the electrical installation to be inspected and tested by a qualified person before the tenancy starts and at intervals of no more than five years, or sooner if the last report says so. Regulation 3 says a copy of the most recent report must go to a new tenant before they occupy the property, to existing tenants within 28 days of each inspection, and to a prospective tenant within 28 days of a written request.

The EPC

Regulation 6 of the Energy Performance of Buildings (England and Wales) Regulations 2012 says a valid Energy Performance Certificate must be made available free of charge to a prospective tenant at the earliest opportunity, and no later than when they first receive written information about the property or view it. The landlord must also make sure a valid EPC has been given free of charge to the person who ultimately becomes the tenant. GOV.UK says you must order an EPC before you market a property to rent, and that an EPC is valid for 10 years.

The rating matters as well as the paper. GOV.UK's minimum energy efficiency guidance says that since 1 April 2020 landlords cannot let, or continue to let, a property covered by the regulations if its EPC rating is below E, unless a valid exemption is registered. A property rated F or G has to be improved to E, or have an exemption registered, before a new tenancy is entered into. GOV.UK's find an energy certificate service shows whether a property has a valid EPC and lets you download it.

Common mistakes since the rules changed

Giving a new tenant the Information Sheet instead of the written information. GOV.UK is explicit that the Information Sheet was for existing tenancies with a written record, due by 31 May 2026, and that after that date it applies only where a section 21 or section 8 notice given before 1 May 2026 stops being valid or the court process ends without possession. A tenancy created on or after 1 May 2026 needs the written information about its key terms.

Handing out old paperwork. The How to Rent guide is marked withdrawn on GOV.UK and kept only for tenancies where a section 21 notice was served before 1 May 2026. Templates and checklists written before that date may still list it.

Forgetting the tenants already in the property. The new-tenant rules are only half of each safety duty. After every annual gas check and every electrical inspection, existing tenants need a copy within 28 days. Keeping the date each document was given makes these easy to check later. LetClock, an app for landlords in England, keeps a check for the deposit, the prescribed information, the gas safety record, the EPC and the written tenancy information on each property, and turns each one green when you record the date.

This guide summarises GOV.UK guidance and the regulations it names for England. It is not legal advice, and the rules continue to change. Check GOV.UK or a solicitor about your own tenancy.

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