New How to Rent guide released by Government
A new ‘How to Rent’ guide has been released by Government – with landlords reminded they MUST serve this version at the start of any new tenancy or renewal.
Rules were brought in five years ago making it mandatory for landlords to provide the latest version of 'How to rent: a checklist for renting in England' to their tenants when the first tenancy starts - and on renewal if there has been an update to the contents.
If they do not, they lose the right to repossess using Section 21.
The Government, which is also updating its 'How to Rent a Safe Home' and ‘How to Let' guides, said the updates will reflect legislation changes made since the booklets were last updated in June 2019.
These include new laws which have come into force as a result of the Tenant Fees Act 2019 and the Electrical Safety Act 2020.
All three guides, put together to help tenants and landlords in the PRS understand their rights and responsibilities, will also signpost readers to additional Covid guidance, which is updated regularly and can be found here.
This includes details of the extra measures the Government has put in place to help renters this winter, including emergency legislation increasing notice periods.
More information
- The Government does not hold an archive of older How to Rent booklets on its website, but these can be accessed by NRLA members here.
- To access the NRLA’s comprehensive range of coronavirus guides outlining everything landlords should be aware of in relation to property management, financial support and minimising the risk to health click here.
