What this guide covers
People search how to rent guide landlord England, how to rent booklet AST, GOV.UK how to rent PDF, and when to give how to rent to tenant. This article explains the official government booklet for assured shorthold tenancies (ASTs) in England, when landlords should provide it, and how it fits next to deposit Prescribed Information and other paperwork.
Primary source: always download the current booklet from the official GOV.UK publication — How to rent: the checklist for renting in England.
Not legal advice. Rules change; Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland use different tenancy frameworks. Confirm your situation with GOV.UK or a qualified adviser. Our editorial policy explains how we handle YMYL topics and updates.
What is the “How to rent” booklet?
How to rent is the government’s plain-English guide for people renting a home in England. It explains rights and responsibilities, deposits, repairs, safety and where to get help. For private landlords letting on an AST, providing the correct version at the right time has long been treated as a standard compliance step — and in many situations it has been legally relevant to Section 21 possession (see below).
You should not invent your own substitute for the official document when the requirement is to provide this guide — use the PDF from GOV.UK (or an equivalent official channel if that changes).
When must landlords provide How to rent (England)?
In outline, for new ASTs in England you should give tenants the current How to rent booklet at the start of the tenancy (when they are entitled to move in). If the government publishes an updated version during a tenancy, you must provide the new version within 28 days of publication if the tenancy is periodic or becomes periodic — check the current wording on GOV.UK and with a solicitor, because statutory text is authoritative.
Practical workflow:
Letting agents: if an agent acts for you, confirm in writing that they provided the current booklet and keep evidence in your file.
How to rent vs deposit Prescribed Information
Easy to confuse — different duties:
Both can apply to the same tenancy. Missing either — or using the wrong version or wrong timing — has historically caused serious problems for landlords, including invalid notices and deposit penalties. See our deposit protection guide.
Section 21, Renters Rights Act and How to rent
For many years in England, failure to give tenants the correct How to rent at the required time has been a common reason a Section 21 notice was invalid. The Renters Rights Act and related changes from 1 May 2026 fundamentally alter possession routes for new tenancies — Section 21 is abolished for those cases.
What you should do: do not rely on this blog for whether How to rent is still a precondition for your notice or possession route. Read current GOV.UK guidance and get legal advice for any post–May 2026 plan. Until transition dates pass, some existing arrangements may still involve legacy rules — treat How to rent as mandatory good practice in England ASTs in any case.
Our Section 21 guide and how to serve Section 21 correctly discuss related prerequisites (Gas Safety, EPC, deposit, etc.).
Proof you gave How to rent
Courts and disputes turn on evidence. Keep:
If you only say “I told them verbally,” you may struggle to prove compliance.
Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
This article is England-focused. Wales has its own renting booklets and rules; Scotland uses the Private Residential Tenancy regime; Northern Ireland differs again. Do not assume the English How to rent PDF satisfies non-English requirements.
LetCompliance: keep documents and dates together
LetCompliance helps UK landlords track certificates, deposit steps, Right to Rent follow-ups and uploaded documents in one place — so “did we send How to rent?” is less likely to get lost in an inbox. We do not auto-file the booklet for you; you still download the official PDF from GOV.UK.
Start a free trial — LetCompliance →
Further reading: 2026 landlord compliance checklist, tenant privacy notice (UK GDPR).
Frequently asked questions
Where do I download the official How to Rent booklet for England?
Use the current PDF from GOV.UK — search for “How to rent” or open the official publication page. Always give tenants the version that is current when you provide it; the document is updated from time to time.
Is How to Rent the same as the tenancy deposit Prescribed Information?
No. How to Rent is the government’s guide for tenants. Prescribed Information is the specific information pack you must give about the deposit scheme and related matters within the legal timeframe. Both can be required for an AST in England — do not confuse the two.