Deadline: 31 May 2026. All existing tenancies in England require a Written Statement of Tenancy Terms by this date. Penalty: up to £7,000 per tenancy.
Compliance guide
What Is the Written Statement of Tenancy Terms?(Renters' Rights Act 2025)
If you are a private landlord in England, the Renters' Rights Act 2025 introduces a new legal requirement you may not have heard of: the Written Statement of Tenancy Terms.
This document is mandatory for all assured tenancies. The deadline for existing tenancies is 31 May 2026. New tenancies require the statement to be provided before the tenancy begins.
What Is the Written Statement of Tenancy Terms?
The Written Statement of Tenancy Terms is a formal written document that landlords are legally required to provide to their tenants under the Renters' Rights Act 2025.
It is not the same as the government's How to Rent guide, and it is not the same as a standard assured shorthold tenancy agreement. It is a specific compliance document that sets out the key terms of the tenancy in a standardised way.
Under section 36 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025, failure to provide the Written Statement is a civil offence. The penalty can reach up to £7,000 per tenancy.
Who Must Provide It?
The requirement applies to all landlords in England who let property under an assured tenancy— which includes almost all private residential tenancies since the Renters' Rights Act 2025 abolished assured shorthold tenancies.
If you are a landlord with any of the following, you are almost certainly required to comply:
A standard residential letting in England
A house share (HMO) letting under an individual assured tenancy
A joint tenancy where two or more people share a property
The requirement does not apply to:
Tenancies in Wales (separate legislation applies)
Licences to occupy (lodger arrangements)
Social housing tenancies outside the assured tenancy framework
What Must the Written Statement Include?
The Written Statement must contain eight categories of information. RentCompliant collects all of these from you and generates the document automatically.
1
Landlord details
·Full legal name
·A postal address in England or Wales (required under section 48 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987 — rent is not lawfully due until this is provided)
·Contact email and phone number
2
Tenant details
·Full name of all tenants
·Contact email address for each tenant
3
Property information
·Full address of the rental property
·Tenancy start date
4
Rent terms
·Rent amount
·Payment frequency (monthly or weekly)
·Rent due date
5
Deposit information
·Whether a deposit has been taken
·Amount of the deposit
·Name of the tenancy deposit protection scheme
6
Notice periods
·Minimum notice period required from the tenant (at least 2 months under current guidance)
7
Bills and utilities
·Which bills, if any, are included in the rent
·Whether the landlord collects any utility payments separately
8
Other terms
·Whether the property has gas supply (relevant for Gas Safety Certificate obligations)
·Any Section 8 grounds the landlord has agreed to waive advance notice for
·Whether the tenancy is a joint tenancy
What Is the Deadline?
New tenancies(from the commencement date of the Renters' Rights Act 2025): The Written Statement must be provided before the tenancy begins.
Existing tenancies: The Written Statement must be provided to all existing tenants by 31 May 2026.
If you have tenants already in place, you have until May 31 to get this document to them. Given the volume of landlords affected, the later you leave it, the more likely you are to be caught in a rush.
What Happens If You Don't Comply?
Non-compliance is a civil offence under the Renters' Rights Act 2025. Local housing authorities have the power to issue a penalty of up to £7,000 per tenancy where a landlord has failed to provide the Written Statement.
Additionally, under section 48 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987, if your Written Statement does not include a valid England or Wales postal address for the landlord, rent may not be lawfully due until the requirement is met.
How to Create a Compliant Written Statement
You have three options:
Option 1: Create it yourself
You can write the document yourself, provided it contains all the required fields listed above. There is no prescribed format. However, you must ensure it is clear, accurate, and contains all mandatory information — otherwise you risk a defective statement that does not satisfy the legal requirement.
Option 2: Use a solicitor or letting agent
A solicitor can draft the document for you, typically as part of a broader tenancy documentation package. Letting agents may offer this as part of their management service.
Option 3: Use RentCompliant
RentCompliant generates a compliant Written Statement of Tenancy Terms in around 2 minutes. You enter the tenancy details, the document is generated as a PDF, and it is emailed directly to your tenant with a confirmation link. Your landlord compliance dashboard stores a timestamped record of every delivery as your proof of compliance.
Cost: £15 per tenancy. No subscription. Joint tenancies (up to 6 tenants) are supported in a single submission.
Ready to get this off your list?
2 minutes. £15. Proof of compliance emailed to your tenant.
Is the Written Statement the same as the How to Rent guide?
No. The How to Rent guide is a government document you are already required to give tenants at the start of a tenancy. The Written Statement of Tenancy Terms is a separate, new requirement introduced by the Renters' Rights Act 2025.
Does this apply to existing tenancies or only new ones?
Both. Existing tenancies must have the Written Statement provided by 31 May 2026. New tenancies require it before the tenancy begins.
What if I rent through a letting agent?
The legal obligation sits with you as the landlord, not the letting agent, unless your agent has explicitly agreed in writing to fulfil this requirement on your behalf. Check with your agent.
What happens if I provide the document late?
The local housing authority may still issue a penalty even if you comply after the deadline. Providing it late is better than not at all, but it does not guarantee you will avoid a penalty.
Can I email the Written Statement, or does it need to be posted?
Email delivery is acceptable provided the tenant's email address is confirmed. RentCompliant delivers via email and captures a delivery confirmation from the tenant.
You know what's required. Now tick it off.
Enter your tenancy details and we generate a fully compliant Written Statement, email it to your tenant, and give you a timestamped delivery record. £15. No subscription.