How to Rent Guide for LandlordsHow to Rent Guide for Landlords

Landlord-focused guide to serving and evidencing How to Rent compliance.

Start Notice Only

Create tenancy agreement

Reviewed

21 March 2026

Applies to

England only

Current position

Section 21 is due to end in England on 1 May 2026, and court proceedings on qualifying older Section 21 notices must begin by 31 July 2026. Landlords should already be planning around a Section 8-led possession route unless a transitional legacy case is clearly available.

Start here if you need the main guide on this issue. If your situation is narrower or you want the next practical step, go to Section 21 validity checklist.

If you want the wider background first, read Section 21 ending in 2026.

Ready to act? The quickest route from here is court-ready eviction notice.

What is the How to Rent Guide?

The "How to Rent: the checklist for renting in England" is a government-published document that explains:

What tenants should look for before renting
What to expect during the tenancy
Tenant rights and responsibilities
What happens at the end of a tenancy
Where to get help if things go wrong

Download Latest Version

Always check gov.uk for the current version of the How to Rent guide. The government updates it periodically.

Why Does It Matter for Landlords?

The How to Rent guide is one of the "prescribed requirements" for Section 21 notices under the Deregulation Act 2015. If you don't provide it:

You cannot serve a valid Section 21 notice until you have provided it
Any Section 21 notice served before providing the guide is invalid
You will not be able to use the accelerated possession procedure

If you are reviewing the file before service, start with our Section 21 transition guide, work through the Section 21 validity checklist, and only then move into the Notice Only workflow once the compliance record is clean.

When to Provide It

You must provide the How to Rent guide to tenants at the start of a new assured shorthold tenancy. Best practice:

New tenancies: Provide before or on the day the tenancy starts
Renewals (same tenant): Only required if a new version has been published since you last provided it
New tenants in existing properties: Always provide to new tenants

How to Provide It

You can provide the How to Rent guide by:

Email: Send as a PDF attachment or link to the gov.uk page
Hard copy: Print and hand to the tenant
Post: Send by post before the tenancy starts

Proving You Provided It

Keep evidence that you provided the guide. If you go to court, you may need to prove this. Options include:

Email with delivery/read receipt
Signed acknowledgment from the tenant
Clause in tenancy agreement confirming receipt
Text message confirmation

Other Prescribed Requirements

The How to Rent guide is just one of the requirements for a valid Section 21. You must also:

Protect the deposit in a government-approved scheme
Serve the deposit prescribed information within 30 days
Provide a valid Gas Safety Certificate
Provide a valid Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)

Start the eviction notice pack once your Section 21 compliance file is ready

How to Rent Guide FAQ

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The How to Rent guide is a government document that landlords in England must provide to tenants at the start of an assured shorthold tenancy. It explains tenant rights and landlord responsibilities.

Yes, if your property is in England and let on an AST. Failure to provide the current version before the tenancy starts (or at renewal) means you cannot serve a valid Section 21 notice.

Download the current version free from gov.uk. Search for "How to rent" or visit gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-rent. Always use the version current at the tenancy start date.

Yes, but only if the tenant has agreed to receive documents by email. Keep evidence of the agreement and proof of sending (sent email with attachment). Alternatively, provide a hard copy.

No. The How to Rent guide only applies in England. Wales and Scotland have different tenant information requirements under their respective housing laws.

If you provided an outdated version, your Section 21 notice may be invalid. Provide the correct version and serve a new Section 21 notice. The notice period restarts from the new service date.

Ready to Serve Section 21?

Make sure you've provided the How to Rent guide, then generate your notice.

Generate Section 21 Notice Start Notice Pack