Landlords face proof-of-service headache as Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet lands – Lendlord CEO explains how to stay compliant
The government published the Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet 2026 on 20 March, giving every private landlord in England until 31 May to serve it to existing tenants or face a civil penalty of up to £7,000. The 4-page PDF explains how tenancies change when the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 comes into force on 1 May 2026 – including the end of fixed terms, the abolition of Section 21 evictions, new rent increase rules, and the removal of the Assured Shorthold Tenancy classification.
But while the document itself is straightforward, proving that tenants have actually received it is not. We spoke to Aviram Shahar, CEO of property management platform Lendlord.io, about the compliance challenge landlords now face and how technology can help.
Q: The Information Sheet has been published. In simple terms, what do landlords need to do?
Aviram Shahar: Every landlord with an existing assured or assured shorthold tenancy that was created before 1 May 2026 must give a copy of the official 4-page PDF to every named tenant on that agreement. It must be delivered by 31 May 2026. You can hand it over in person, post it, or email it as a PDF attachment. But you cannot send a web link to it – the government has been very clear on that point.
Q: What happens if a landlord misses the deadline?
The starting point for a first breach is a £4,000 civil penalty, rising to a maximum of £7,000. If the breach continues for more than 28 days after the penalty is imposed, it becomes a criminal offence. For portfolio landlords, these penalties apply per tenancy, so the financial exposure adds up quickly.
Q: You’ve described the proof-of-service issue as the real challenge here. Can you explain why?
The document itself is easy to get – it is a free download from GOV.UK. The hard part is proving that your tenant actually received it. The burden of proof falls entirely on the landlord. If you email the PDF and the tenant later claims they never got it, you may have no way to demonstrate that you complied. A standard email does not prove the attachment was opened or read. Unless your tenancy agreement includes a deemed service clause that explicitly covers email delivery, sending it by email alone is a risk.
Q: Can’t landlords just use a read receipt?
A read receipt only confirms that an email was opened – it says nothing about whether the attachment was actually read. The tenant could open the email, glance at the subject line, and delete it. That is not proof they received or engaged with the Information Sheet. Landlords need something stronger.
Q: So what solution has Lendlord built for this?
We provide two features designed to give landlords proper proof of service. The first is our In-App Acknowledgment system. From the Tenant’s Documents panel, a landlord can share the official Information Sheet directly with each tenant. We have a “Force tenant to read document” feature – the tenant must actually open and review the PDF before it is marked as received. The status updates in real time, so the landlord gets a timestamped, verifiable record of exactly when the tenant read the document. It is much stronger than an email read receipt because we are confirming engagement with the actual document, not just the message it was attached to.
Q: And the second feature?
E-Signature. For landlords who want the strongest possible proof, they can select “Send for Signature” from the same panel. Before sending, they overlay text, signature, and date fields directly onto the Information Sheet PDF. The tenant reads it, signs it electronically, and the signed copy is saved back to the platform automatically. You end up with a permanent, auditable record – the tenant’s name, signature, and date, all on the official government document itself.
Q: How does this compare to posting the document by recorded delivery?
Recorded delivery proves that something was posted, but not what was in the envelope. It is also slow and expensive when you are managing multiple properties. Hand delivery with a signed acknowledgment is the gold standard, but it requires physical presence. Our e-signature feature gives landlords essentially the same outcome – a signed acknowledgment on the document itself – without needing to be in the same room as the tenant.
Q: Beyond proof of service, the Information Sheet highlights that several key tenancy clauses are now obsolete. What should landlords do about their existing agreements?
The law does not require landlords to rewrite their existing agreements. But think about what those agreements now say. They may reference a 12-month fixed term, but the tenancy is now periodic. They may include a rent review clause that is no longer enforceable. They may mention Section 21 notices, which have been abolished. They may prohibit pets, but tenants now have a legal right to request one. An agreement that contradicts the law creates confusion and practical risk. For new tenancies from 1 May 2026 onwards, a compliant agreement is essential. And for existing tenancies, many landlords are proactively updating to avoid disputes.
Q: How does Lendlord help landlords customize a compliant periodic tenancy agreement?
Our Tenancy Agreement Generator provides free, solicitor-backed templates that are already structured for the new rules. The standard Assured Tenancy template is a rolling periodic agreement with no fixed term, no Section 21 clauses, and compliant rent increase provisions under the amended Section 13 procedure. We also have templates for HMOs and Serviced Accommodation. Landlords can enter their property and tenant details, adjust clauses to fit their specific requirements, and download a legally binding PDF in minutes – without paying solicitor fees. Everything is customisable online.
Q: You’ve effectively built an end-to-end compliance workflow. Was that intentional from the start?
It evolved from what landlords were telling us they needed. When the Renters’ Rights Act was passed, we knew the agreements needed updating – that was the first thing we built. When the Information Sheet was published on 20 March, we added it to the tenant documents section the same day. But the real gap was proof of service. Landlords kept asking: how do I prove my tenant actually got this? That is when we integrated the tracked sharing and e-signature features into the same workflow. Now a landlord can generate a compliant tenancy agreement, distribute the mandatory Information Sheet, track that the tenant has read it, and get it signed electronically – all from a single dashboard.
Q: What is your advice to landlords who have not started yet?
Do not wait. The Information Sheet is available now and can be served immediately. Start with your tenants on the oldest agreements, where the gap between what the contract says and what the law allows is widest. Serve the document, get proof of delivery, and keep that record. The 31 May deadline is firm, and local authorities have enforcement powers. The cost of non-compliance – up to £7,000 per tenancy – far exceeds the time it takes to get this done properly.
Lendlord (https://lendlord.io) is a free portfolio management platform for UK landlords and property investors. It provides tenancy agreement templates, tenant document management, and compliance tools including tracked document sharing and e-signature.
