Missed the 31 May 2026 landlord deadline? Here's what to do now
When the Renters' Rights Act came into force on 1 May 2026, it came with a deadline most self-managing landlords never heard about: by 31 May 2026, every landlord with an existing tenancy had to give their tenants prescribed written information about how their tenancy had changed. If your tenancy began before 1 May 2026 and you didn't serve that paperwork, you are currently in breach — and you're far from alone. It's the single most common compliance failure we see.
What exactly was due?
It depends on what your tenancy looked like on 1 May 2026. If your tenants had a written agreement (or a written record of the main terms), you had to give them the government's official information sheet explaining the changes — the abolition of fixed terms, the new rent increase rules, the end of Section 21, and their new rights. If the tenancy was entirely verbal, the obligation was bigger: a full written statement of the tenancy terms, not just the information sheet.
What happens if you missed it?
Failure to provide the required written information is enforceable by local authorities with civil penalties of up to £7,000, rising for repeat breaches. There are three practical points. The breach continues until you fix it. Once the Private Rented Sector Database launches and your tenancies are registered on it, councils will be able to spot it easily. And an unresolved paperwork breach complicates any future possession claim or dispute with a tenant.
The fix: serve it late — this week
Missing the deadline is not fatal, because late service stops the breach continuing and dramatically improves your position. The steps:
- Identify what each tenancy needs. Written or partly-written agreement → the official information sheet (download the current version from gov.uk — search "Renters' Rights Act information sheet"). Verbal tenancy → a full written statement of terms.
- Serve it properly. Email and first-class post, or hand-delivery with a witness. Keep the email, photograph the addressed envelope, and note the date.
- Send a short covering letter. A friendly one-paragraph explanation keeps the relationship intact and creates a dated record of service.
- Record it. Date served, method, and copies of everything, in your property file. If a council ever asks, this file is the difference between "breach remedied promptly" and an argument.
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Take the free compliance check →More guides
Written statement of terms: what it must include · How to increase rent (Form 4A, step by step) · Are fixed-term agreements void now? · Tenant wants a pet: the 28-day rule · Does every tenant need their own information sheet? · Written statement of terms · Unprotected deposit blocks your eviction