Renters’ Rights: Just days to go until information sheet deadline

This Sunday – 31^st May – is the deadline for landlords to serve the mandatory Government information sheet to tenants under the Renters’ Rights Act – or face a £7,000 fine.

Those of you with written tenancy agreements signed before 1^st May this year have until the 31^st to serve the mandatory Government’ information sheet to your tenants.

If your tenancy was agreed verbally the same deadline applies, but you must instead serve a  written statement setting out the key terms of your tenancy.

And there is a deadline looming for those of you with properties in Wales – with new rules banning discrimination against tenants with children, or those in receipt of benefits coming into force in Wales on 1st June.

The new rules give you until 14^th June to serve a statement of variation to let them know, or issue a new contract.

Finally, any student landlords who wish to use ground 4a of Section 8 to regain possession of their properties this summer also have until 31^st May to let them know.

Here’s the breakdown

Information sheet/written statement

As outlined above the deadline for serving these documents is this Sunday, 31^st May

The four-page information sheet must be downloaded directly from the Government website here, and outlines new rules on: 

• Possessions and notice periods.
• The abolition of the fixed term.   
• Rent increases.   
• The right to keep a pet.  
• Student lets.  

The written statement needed for those with verbal agreements  is available from our website here.

You can either:  

• Print a hard copy and post or hand it to your tenants in person, or 
• Send a PDF of the document as an attachment to an email or text message 

Ministers have been clear that you must send pdfs of the information sheet to your tenants. Sending a link to the webpage will not be sufficient, and could land you with a hefty fine, as outlined above.

As well as serving the documents to your tenants it is also important you are able to evidence that should a dispute arise, and we have produced a document that your tenants can sign to prove they have received the information sheet, as well as guidance on how to do this.

You can find more about this – and what to do if your tenants won’t sign, or confirm they have received the document, here.

Remember if you fail to issue the information sheet in time you could be landed with a £7,000 fine – rising to up to £40,000 if you subsequently fail to serve it within 28 days or are identified as a repeat offender.

Deadline for student possessions

In addition to serving the information sheet, 31^st May also marks the deadline for student landlords in England to issue their tenants with formal written notice if they intend to use ground 4a (the HMO student possession ground) to repossess their properties ahead of the new academic year.

Usually if you want to use this ground you  will need to give tenants prior written notice of at least four months. However, as the sector transitions to the new regime, student landlords have been given specifical permission to use a two-month notice period, for this year only.

This comes with the caveat that you must inform your tenants by 31^st May, or the notice will be invalid. You can download a template of the ground 4a written statement here.

Remember, even if you are intending to repossess, you must still provide  your tenants with the information sheet, which going to all existing tenants, whether students or not.

Wales discrimination deadline

Landlords with properties in Wales are also subject to an upcoming Renters’ Rights deadline, with new rules banning discrimination against tenants with children, or those in receipt of benefits coming into force in Wales on 1st June.

While the legislation primarily affects tenancies in England, this element of the Act also applies  to those of you with properties in Wales and will prohibit you from:

• Detering these households from enquiring about a property.  
• Refusing or restricting their access to viewings or property information.  
• Excluding  them from entering into a tenancy.  

What do I need to do?

You will need to inform your tenants of this change either by issuing a new occupation contract or a statement of variation. We would recommend the statement of variation as the most straightforward option.

You will have up to 14 days after the June 1 deadline to serve the statement, which can be downloaded from the NRLA website here.

Are there any exceptions?

Yes. If you, or your superior landlord, have taken out insurance before 1st June that restricts you from accepting tenants in receipt of benefits or allowing children to live in or visit the property. In these cases, the changes to your occupation contract will not apply until the existing insurance product ends. Once it does, you will need to serve this statement of variation within 14 days.

More information

• To visit our Renters' Rights Hub, packed with information and resources to help you manage the transition, click here.     
• We have also developed an exclusive Navigator tool, offering you your personalised "to-do list” tailored to your needs, which can be accessed here.      
• The NRLA's award-winning training academy runs a comprehensive Renters' Rights Act training offer. Click here to book your place.