Tenancy agreement
Before you move into a privately-rented home you should normally sign a 'tenancy agreement' - a legal contract that sets out your rights and responsibilities, and the rights and responsibilities of your landlord.
It says how much rent you should pay, what repairs the landlord must do and the rules about leaving the property.
From 1 May 2026 a landlord will have to give you certain written information about the tenancy, this can be included in the tenancy agreement or provided separately.
If you already have an existing written tenancy agreement and it was signed before 1 May 2026 then the landlord does not have to provide this information. However, the landlord must provide you with a government produced Information Sheet.
Information a landlord must provide:
- Landlords name and address
- Tenants name
- Property address
- Tenancy start date
- Rent amount and when it is due
- Rent increases
- Bills (if rent includes bills you must explain which ones are covered)
- Deposit
- Tenant ending the tenancy (anytime but cannot exceed 2 months)
- Landlord ending the tenancy
- Giving prior notice
- Fitness for human habitation
- Repairs to the property
- Electrical safety regulations
- Gas safety regulations
- Disability adaptations
- Pets
Make sure you can pay the rent set in the tenancy agreement and have claimed housing benefit if necessary. Any tenancy you are given needs to be fair and your landlord cannot take away your legal rights no matter what it says in the agreement.
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