The written statement of terms: the new document every landlord must give
If you are letting a property in England on or after 1 May 2026, there is a document you must put in your tenant's hands before they sign anything: the written statement of terms. It is one of the quieter changes in the Renters' Rights Act, easy to overlook next to the end of Section 21, but getting it wrong can cost up to £7,000. This guide explains what it is, what it must contain, and how to give it without piling paperwork onto every let.
What is a written statement of terms?
A written statement of terms is a document that sets out the key terms of an assured periodic tenancy in writing, given to the tenant before the tenancy is entered into. It was introduced by section 12 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 (which inserts a new section 16D into the Housing Act 1988) and applies to every new private tenancy in England from 1 May 2026.
In plain terms, it is the compulsory information a tenant must receive before they commit: the rent, the notice they must give, the repairs you are responsible for, their right to ask for a pet - all clearly in writing before any money changes hands, rather than discovered later. The requirement does not apply to lodgers, company lets, or high-rent tenancies where the annual rent is above £100,000.
When do you have to give it?
Before the tenant is bound. The statement must be provided before the agreement is entered into or agreed, and you should give the tenant enough time to actually read it rather than sliding it across the table with a pen. There is no prescribed government form and no required wording, so you are free to draft it yourself, provided every required item is covered.
What must the written statement include?
| Section | What it must state |
|---|---|
| The parties | Full name of the landlord, an address in England or Wales where the tenant can serve notices (this can be an agent's or service address), and the name of each tenant. |
| The money | The rent and when it is due (the rent period cannot be longer than one calendar month), how any bills are charged, the deposit amount, and that any rent increase must be proposed by a Section 13 notice. |
| Ending the tenancy | The minimum notice the tenant must give to leave, and that you can only regain possession through a court order after serving a valid notice citing a legal ground. |
| Safety and repairs | That you must keep the property fit for human habitation, keep the structure, exterior and key installations in repair, and meet gas (checked annually) and electrical (EICR at least every five years) safety duties. |
| Tenant rights | That the tenant may request a pet and consent will not be unreasonably refused, and that they may ask to make disability-related improvements. |
Does it have to be a separate document?
No - and this is the practical part. The written statement can be a standalone document, but the simplest approach by far is to build it into the tenancy agreement itself. A properly drafted 2026 assured periodic tenancy agreement already contains the parties, the rent, the notice terms and the repairing obligations, so if it also states the handful of extra items the regulations require, the agreement doubles as your written statement of terms. One document, one signature, fully compliant.
What about my existing tenants?
If your tenant's agreement was already signed, in writing, before 1 May 2026, you did not need a written statement of terms at all. Instead you had to give them the government's Information Sheet - a standard leaflet explaining how the Renters' Rights Act affects their tenancy - by 31 May 2026. The written statement is for new lettings; the Information Sheet was the one-off catch-up for tenancies already running. The one exception was a purely verbal tenancy with nothing in writing, which needed a full written statement by 31 May instead. There was no need to "re-paper" existing agreements.
The penalty for getting it wrong
If you fail to give the written statement before the tenancy is entered into, your local council can impose a civil penalty of up to £7,000 - no court case required. And if the failure is left unresolved, a continued breach can escalate to a much larger penalty. It is an entirely avoidable fine: the fix is simply having the right document ready before the tenant signs. For new lettings this sits alongside your other opening-day duties, from protecting the deposit to confirming the tenancy is an assured periodic tenancy rather than a fixed term.
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Our Tenancy Agreement Pack folds the written statement of terms straight into a Renters' Rights Act compliant assured periodic tenancy agreement - personalised from your answers, with a serving checklist so nothing gets missed. Delivered instantly as PDF and Word. £29, one-off.
Get my agreement pack →Frequently asked questions
Is the written statement of terms the same as a tenancy agreement? Not exactly - it is the required set of information. But you can meet the requirement by including that information in a compliant tenancy agreement, which is the simplest route.
Is there an official form? No. The content is fixed by regulations, but there is no prescribed wording or government template. You draft it yourself, or use an agreement that already contains everything required.
Can I email it to the tenant? Yes. It can be provided electronically, as long as the tenant receives it and has time to read it before signing.
Does it apply if I only have a lodger? No. The requirement does not cover lodgers, company lets, or tenancies with annual rent above £100,000.
This guide is general information for landlords in England, not legal advice for your specific circumstances. Check the current GOV.UK guidance on written information for tenants before letting a property.