New tenancy receipt form
Introduction
For new assured shorthold tenancies that start on or after 1 October 2015, landlords are required to provide a number of additional documents or they will lose their rights to serve Section 21 notices. These documents will typically need to be served no later than the start of the tenancy.
In addition to this, they face fines of up to £5000 if they do not check that the required smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are working at the start of the tenancy. Landlords also have to provide a number of other documents to show compliance with the GDPR and the electrical safety regulations.
To ensure landlords can prove they have met their legal obligations, the NRLA has provided a form that you can give to your tenants on the day they move in.
They can then sign this to confirm you have provided all the essential documents a landlord is required to give, as well as the keys and a copy of the tenancy agreement.
Renters’ Rights Bill
The Renters' Rights Bill is expected to come into force in summer 2025, making the most significant changes to the private rented sector in over 30 years.
Amongst other things, the Bill will -
• Abolish Section 21;
• Change the type of tenancy you can offer;
• Introduce a new Decent Homes Standard to the PRS;
• Change advertising practices; and
• Significantly strengthen local authority enforcement powers.
The advice and resources on this page will be outdated once the Bill comes into force. The NRLA is currently preparing a suite of replacement guides and documents to help you manage the transition smoothly.
For further information on the passage of the Bill and its details, please see our dedicated campaigns hub
What am I legally obliged to provide at the outset of a tenancy?
Landlords now need to provide the following at the outset of an assured shorthold tenancy:
- A valid Gas Safety Certificate if you have gas appliances
- The current Energy Performance Certificate, unless your property is rented out as individual rooms
- A current Electrical Installation Condition Report for the property
- The latest version of How to rent: The checklist for renting in England
- A smoke alarm fitted on every floor used as living space. These alarms must have been checked to show they are in working order at the outset of the tenancy.
- Confirmation that carbon monoxide alarms are fitted in every room with a fuel burning source. They must also be checked to show they are in working order at the outset of the tenancy
- Confirmation that the deposit has been protected if already paid
- Confirmation that the prescribed information for the deposit scheme has been provided to the tenant and anyone who has paid towards the deposit
- A privacy notice outlining how the tenant's data will be used
In addition, landlords need to check the right to rent status of any occupiers moving into a property from February 1st 2016. This must be done before the tenancy agreement is signed and records should be kept for all the documents checked. For further details, please see our right to rent guidance.
Is there anything else I need to do before the tenancy begins?
The form on this page is only intended to provide proof that you have complied with your legal obligations to serve important documents and does not include everything else you should do prior to starting a tenancy.
Landlords have a lot to do before a tenancy begins and getting everything right ahead of the tenancy is crucial to managing your property.
To help you manage this, the NRLA has created a new online checklist that covers the whole pre-tenancy stage. The page contains step by step guidance to help you manage the process.