The government has issued a new How To Rent Guide – the critical document that landlords or their agents have to issue to tenants.

This is more than just a bureaucratic nicety, as failure to serve the most up to date guide invalidates any future Section 21 action.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, which has issued the update today, says the most recent previous version was dated August 7 2019 – this is now out of date.

Today’s new version is here.

In the light of the importance of serving the correct version on tenants, the Guild of Letting and Management is advising landlords not to save the document as a PDF but instead save the website address so there will be access to the most up to date version.

In the event of further action, landlords must also prove the document has been saved on the tenant. The guide can be served in hard copy format or – with the consent of the tenant – via email in PDF form.

Failure to serve the document correctly, and to have proof of it being served, will invalidate any Section 21 (form 6a) served.