RRA and the How To Rent booklet?
Hello, My daughter’s house was a student house where the three students had a 12 month AST. Under the RRA, the AST has now become a periodic tenancy.
One of the original tenants is staying on and two new tenants will be moving in the next couple of months. Under the old law, I understand that if one tenant moves out at the end of the year the other tenants have to sign a new AST with the new tenant replacing the old tenant.
The MHCLG “How To Rent” guide, which had to be given to tenants entering an AST, has been withdrawn from the website because following the RRA this is now out of date. There is a link to general guidance on APT (Assured Periodic Tenancies) but I can’t see any reference to needing to provide a booklet that replaced the How To Rent guide.
I know that an EICR, EPC and Gas Safe certificate all have to be provided to tenants, but does anyone know if there is a requirement to provide a “how to rent” type of document?
Thank you,
Jane
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2 months ago
2 months ago | 10 comments
Member Since September 2022 - Comments: 200
10:04 AM, 9th June 2026, About 3 weeks ago
Has your daughter and her 2 fellow students been provided with the ” information sheet ” under the new RRA ?
Member Since January 2015 - Comments: 1512 - Articles: 1
11:30 AM, 9th June 2026, About 3 weeks ago
How to Rent booklet has been withdrawn and does not need to be served, no similar document has been published by the government that landlords are required to serve.
Member Since December 2025 - Comments: 51
12:07 PM, 9th June 2026, About 3 weeks ago
Reply to the comment left by Judith Wordsworth at 09/06/2026 – 11:30
Except the Information leaflet which had to be served by 31 may or you get a £7000 fine
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-renters-rights-act-information-sheet-2026
Member Since December 2023 - Comments: 1628
2:43 PM, 9th June 2026, About 3 weeks ago
If a tenant serves a Notice to Quit, it ends for all tenants and a new tenancy agreement would be required.
If tenants agree to a change of tenant, you could do this by addendum and a new tenancy agreement is not required.
I’d definitely go down the new tenancy route, returning deposits and protecting any new deposit and serving all of the paperwork again.
Member Since October 2020 - Comments: 1243
5:49 PM, 9th June 2026, About 3 weeks ago
You’d sign a new APT, not an AST.
Member Since June 2019 - Comments: 870
4:18 PM, 10th June 2026, About 3 weeks ago
It really shows how little value the How To Rent guide actually had, yet we can still feel the impact if we failed to give it to tenants when we come to evict them – even if new tenants are not required to have one.