'How to rent: a checklist for renting in England'
Last update 2 October 2023 - how to rent latest version
Introduction
Since October 1st, 2015, landlords in England have been required to provide the latest version of 'How to rent: a checklist for renting in England' to their tenants when the tenant first moves in.
In addition to this, landlords are also required to provide a new copy at the outset of any subsequent tenancy, including statutory periodic tenancies, but only if there has been an update to the booklet.
Failure to provide this document can prevent service of a Section 21 notice when you need it, so it's very important to make sure you have served the correct document.
Why create an archive?
The document is regularly updated and the gov.uk website does not keep older versions of the booklet on their site. As a result, if a landlord does not provide the version that was current at the start of the tenancy they may miss the chance to serve the valid renting checklist.
To ensure our members can rectify this, we have compiled an archive of all the versions of the renting checklist for landlords.
What is in the checklist?
‘How to rent: A checklist for renting in England’ covers:
- Assured shorthold tenancies
- Before you start
- Looking for your new home
- When you’ve found a place
- Living in your rented home
- At the end of the fixed period
- If things go wrong
- Further sources of information
How to use this archive
Compare the publication dates of the documents below. Once you have found the document that corresponds with the date on which your tenancy started, download that version and provide it to your tenants. Once you have done this you will reinstate your rights to serve a section 21 notice.
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The advice and resources on this page will be outdated once the Bill comes into force.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
The rest of this page is available exclusively to members of the NRLA.
It includes a full archive of all the previous How to Rent archives as well as information on seeking possession and whether you can email the document to the tenant.
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