What the deadline actually covers.
When the Renters' Rights Act came into force on 1 May 2026, it converted most existing Assured Shorthold Tenancies into periodic tenancies and removed access to Section 21 notices overnight. For new tenancies starting on or after that date, landlords were required to hand over the official Information Sheet at the start. For existing tenancies that were already running, the government built in a 30-day window to get the information to tenants. That window closes at 23:59 this Sunday, 31 May.
This is not a procedural nicety. The prescribed information requirement sits inside the Act itself, and the consequences of missing it are structural, not just financial.
Who is affected.
If you are a private landlord with a tenancy agreement that began before 1 May 2026 and the property is in England, you are within scope. It does not matter whether the tenant is currently in arrears, whether you are planning to sell, or whether the property is managed by an agent. The obligation runs to every qualifying tenancy. For landlords across Huntingdon, Brampton, St Ives, and the 56 villages in the patch, that means virtually every pre-May letting still running.
Tenancies that started on or after 1 May 2026 are not affected by this particular deadline: the information should have been provided at the start of those tenancies, and the landlord is already in scope for the new Act's full rules from day one.
What you need to hand over.
For tenancies with a written agreement, the document to use is the Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet 2026 on GOV.UK. This is a specific PDF published by the government that explains in plain terms how the tenant's tenancy has been affected by the reforms. You must download the current version from that government page. Using a third-party version, a summary someone else has produced, or an older draft is not compliant.
The document is short and readable. It covers the removal of Section 21, the move to periodic tenancies, how rent increases now work through Section 13, and the rights that apply from 1 May. Most of the content will not surprise tenants, but the requirement is to provide it formally and in writing.
How to deliver it.
The legislation is specific on this point and it catches people out. You must hand the document to the tenant in person, or send it by post. Emailing the PDF as an attachment does not meet the requirements. Texting or emailing a link to the GOV.UK page does not meet the requirements either. The physical document must change hands.
If you are posting it, use first-class post today or tomorrow to be sure it arrives before Sunday. If you are handing it over in person, keep a simple signed acknowledgement from the tenant that they received it, with the date. That record will matter if questions arise later.
What happens if you miss the 31 May deadline.
Two separate consequences apply. First, a civil penalty of up to £7,000 per breach. Local authorities have the power to impose this, and several councils in the East of England have publicly confirmed they will be actively checking compliance. Second, and arguably more significant in practical terms: certain Section 8 possession grounds are blocked until the prescribed information has been properly provided. Ground 1 (owner wanting to move in) and Ground 1A (landlord wanting to sell) are both affected. If you plan to sell or to recover the property for personal use at any point, you will need the information to have been correctly provided before you can rely on those grounds.
Missing the deadline does not lock you out permanently. You can still provide the information after 31 May and then use those grounds once it has been provided. But you cannot backdate it, and the penalty exposure runs from the moment the deadline passes.
Verbal agreements are different.
If the tenancy was agreed verbally, with no written agreement in place, the process differs. You cannot simply provide the Information Sheet in that situation, because it refers to a written tenancy that does not exist. Instead, you must provide the tenant with a written summary of the key terms of their tenancy: the rent, the property address, who is responsible for what, and the relevant dates. This written summary must reach the tenant by 31 May. Getting this right from a verbal agreement is the more complex case and worth doing carefully.
What to do right now.
If you manage your own lets: go to GOV.UK, download the current Information Sheet, print it, and get it to your tenants today or tomorrow at the latest. For each delivery, note the date and method. For postal deliveries made today, keep the certificate of posting.
If your properties are managed by Villager Homes under a fully managed service, we have already handled this for all qualifying tenancies in the patch. If you are on a Tenant Find or Rent Collection service, contact us today to confirm the position and we can advise you on the fastest route to compliance.
The deadline lands this Sunday. Four days is enough time, but only if you act today.
This article is general information for landlords, not legal advice. For tenancy-specific questions, especially around verbal agreements or contested possession, consult a solicitor or the National Residential Landlords Association. Sources: Renters' Rights Act 2025, in force 1 May 2026; GOV.UK, “The Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet 2026”; NRLA guidance on existing tenancies.