On 20 March 2026, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government published a number of updates relating to the first phase of implementation of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 (the Act), due to take effect on 1 May 2026. The published materials include:

• The final version of the Assured Tenancies (Private Rented Sector) (Written Statement of Terms etc and Information Sheet) (England) Regulations 2026 (“the Regulations”);
• The new Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet 2026 (“the Information Sheet”); and
• Drafts of the new assured tenancy forms.

This article explains what has been published, and what this means for landlords and practitioners seeking to ensure compliance with relevant duties that may apply to both existing and new tenancies.

What are the Assured Tenancies (Private Rented Sector) (Written Statement of Terms etc. and Information Sheet) (England) Regulations 2026?

From 1 May 2026, private landlords will be under duties to provide certain written information to their tenants. We covered these information requirements in an earlier article on the draft Regulations, and the statutory instrument as enacted is now available: The Assured Tenancies (Private Rented Sector) (Written Statement of Terms etc and Information Sheet) (England) Regulations 2026. The amendments made to the draft are technical or clarificatory in nature, so do not affect the substance of the requirements.

By way of reminder, the requirement to provide a written statement containing prescribed information about the key terms of a periodic assured tenancy applies only to tenancies entered into on or after 1 May 2026. The written statement must be set out in the tenancy agreement or provided separately to tenants before the agreement is signed. Failure to comply may result in local authority enforcement action, including a fine of up to £7,000.

What is the Information Sheet?

The government has also published the Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet 2026, a standard document that landlords must provide to existing tenants whose tenancies are in writing. It gives tenants a short and accessible overview of their rights and their landlord’s responsibilities, such as changes to fixed terms, rent increases, eviction, and ending a tenancy.

Landlords must provide the Information Sheet to tenants by 31 May 2026, either as a hard copy or as a PDF attachment by email. Failure to provide the Information Sheet may lead to a fine.

What are the new assured tenancy forms?

Two of the most significant reforms under the Act are the automatic conversion of assured shorthold tenancies into periodic tenancies and the abolition of section 21 “no fault” evictions. As part of these changes, the government has made the Assured Tenancies (Private Rented Sector) (Prescribed Forms and Transitional Provisions)(England) Regulations 2026 (the Forms Regulations) which include new assured tenancy forms for privately rented properties from 1 May 2026 for managing and changing tenancies in the private rented sector. These are:

• Form 1A to propose changes to terms of an assured tenancy arising by way of succession under the Rent Act 1977 or the Rent (Agriculture) Act 1976
• Form 2A to apply to the tribunal if you disagree with changes proposed in Form 1A
• Form 3A to seek possession, alongside guidance for private landlords and tenants on serving this notice
• Form 4A to propose a new rent for assured tenancies
• Form 5A to propose a new rent or license fee for assured agricultural occupancy
• Form 9A to let privately to an agricultural worker

The Forms Regulations do not come into force until 1 May 2026, so the currently available versions should not yet be used. However, they are a useful indication of how landlords and tenants will be expected to comply with relevant legal requirements when serving notice for certain processes.

On 1 May 2026, the finalised prescribed forms will be published on the government’s assured tenancy forms webpage and will be mandatory in most circumstances. However, landlords who served a valid section 8 or section 21 notice before 1 May 2026 may continue to use the current forms for those proceedings, provided court proceedings are commenced by the earlier of the notice expiry date or 31 July 2026.

What should landlords do now?

Ahead of the implementation date on 1 May 2026, landlords should consider:

• Reviewing existing tenancy agreements to confirm which duties apply to them from 1 May 2026;
• Making sure they know what to include in a written statement for tenancies entered into on or after 1 May 2026;
• Preparing to issue the Information Sheet to tenants by 31 May 2026; and
• Familiarising themselves with the new prescribed assured tenancy forms.

With thanks to Adam Lee for his assistance in preparing this article.