Compliance & Safety7 min readLast reviewed 2 July 2026
How to Rent and Prescribed Information Requirements in England
Landlords must provide the How to Rent guide and prescribed information before a tenancy starts. Missing documents invalidate Section 21.
England only. This guide applies to private rented property in England. Wales and Scotland have separate legal frameworks — dedicated guides will be published separately.
Key takeaways
- Landlords must provide the current How to Rent guide before a tenancy starts (for ASTs created after 1 October 2015).
- Prescribed information about deposit protection must be given within 30 days of receiving the deposit.
- All compliance documents (gas, EICR, EPC) must be provided before occupation.
- Missing any prescribed document can invalidate a Section 21 notice.
- Use the latest version of the How to Rent guide from gov.uk — it is updated periodically.
Mandatory documents before move-in
Before a tenant moves into a rented property in England, the landlord (or agent) must provide a bundle of prescribed documents. Failure to provide any of these can invalidate possession notices and expose the landlord to penalties.
Pre-tenancy document checklist
- How to Rent guide (current gov.uk version).