Landlord Move-In Checklist England: What You Must Give Tenants

Short answer: In England, before a new private tenant moves in you must give the written statement of tenancy terms (SI 2026/324), the gas safety record, the EICR and the EPC. You must also check Right to Rent and test the alarms on day one. Deposit prescribed information follows within 30 days (Housing Act 2004 s.213). The How to Rent guide was withdrawn on 1 May 2026.

This checklist covers private assured tenancies in England only. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own rental law. We checked the position on GOV.UK and legislation.gov.uk on 7 October 2026.

What changed on 1 May 2026?

Phase 1 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 came into force on 1 May 2026. According to GOV.UK:

• No more ASTs or fixed terms. All assured shorthold tenancies became assured periodic tenancies on 1 May 2026. New tenancies roll weekly or monthly, and an end date in a new tenancy won't apply.
• Section 21 is gone. Landlords need a ground for possession and a section 8 notice.
• Written terms are compulsory. New tenancies need specified written information, given before the tenancy is agreed. The fine for not giving it is up to £7,000.
• No rent before signing. You can't ask for, encourage or accept rent before the tenancy agreement is signed. Between signing and the start date you can usually take one month's rent (or 28 days' if rent isn't monthly).
• How to Rent withdrawn. GOV.UK withdrew the How to Rent guide on 1 May 2026. It's kept only for tenancies where a section 21 notice was served before that date.
• Information Sheet for existing tenants. Landlords with existing written tenancies had to give the Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet 2026 by 31 May 2026. That deadline has passed. It still applies, within one month, where a section 21 or section 8 notice served before 1 May later lapses or the court case ends without possession.

What's still coming?

What must you give the tenant before they move in?

Work through this before handing over keys. Each item names the rule and the deadline.

The How to Rent guide is no longer on the list for new tenancies.

What goes in the written statement of terms?

The minimum content is set by SI 2026/324, the Assured Tenancies (Private Rented Sector) (Written Statement of Terms etc and Information Sheet) (England) Regulations 2026. GOV.UK's landlord guidance (final version published 20 March 2026) lists:

1. Landlord's name, plus a postal address in England or Wales for notices.
2. All tenants' names and the property address.
3. Start date (the first day the tenant can move in).
4. Rent, when it's due, and a statement that rent increases will use a section 13 notice.
5. Which bills are included in the rent or charged separately, from the permitted list.
6. Deposit amount, if any.
7. The tenant's notice period, which can't be more than two months.
8. How the landlord can end the tenancy (possession order, notice using the correct form and ground).
9. Prior notice of any grounds that need it.
10. Statements on fitness for human habitation (LTA 1985 s.9A), repairs (s.11), electrical safety (2020 Regulations, reg 3) and gas safety (1998 Regulations, reg 36).
11. Disability adaptations (Equality Act 2010 s.190) and the right to ask to keep a pet (Housing Act 1988 s.16A).
12. Supported accommodation details, if relevant.

You can put this in your tenancy agreement or give it separately. Check your template against the regulations rather than assuming an older AST template covers it.

What are the safety certificate rules in detail?

Gas. Each gas appliance and flue must have a safety check every 12 months by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Give existing tenants a copy within 28 days of each check (reg 36(6)(a)), and new tenants a copy before they move in (36(6)(b)). If a tenancy is for 28 days or less, you can display the record prominently instead.

Electrical. The installation must be inspected and tested by a qualified person before the tenancy starts and at least every five years, or sooner if the last report says so (reg 3(1) and (2)). Give the report to existing tenants within 28 days of the test, and to new tenants before they move in. If the report requires remedial or investigative work, it must be done within 28 days, or sooner if the report says so (reg 3(4)).

EPC. Make a valid EPC available free to prospective tenants no later than when you first give them written information about the property or when they view it, whichever comes first. Make sure the person who becomes the tenant has been given one (reg 6(2) and (5)).

Alarms. You need a smoke alarm on every storey with living accommodation. You also need a carbon monoxide alarm in any living room with a fixed combustion appliance other than a gas cooker. Check they work on the day a new tenancy begins (reg 4(1)). Bathrooms and toilets count as living accommodation for this purpose.

How do deposits and Right to Rent work now?

Deposits. A tenancy deposit is capped at five weeks' rent where annual rent is under £50,000, or six weeks' where it's £50,000 or more. A holding deposit can be up to one week's rent. Protect the deposit in a government-approved scheme and give the prescribed information within 30 days of receiving it (s.213). Under the Renters' Rights Act, a court will generally only make a possession order if the deposit was protected and the information given, the deposit was returned, or a tenant's court claim about it has been decided, settled or withdrawn.

Right to Rent. Check every tenant aged 18 or over before the tenancy starts, even if they aren't named on the agreement. Check everyone, not just people you think aren't British. Use original documents in the tenant's presence, a registered Digital Verification Service, or a Home Office share code. Biometric residence cards and permits are no longer accepted. Keep copies for the tenancy and one year after, and do follow-up checks for time-limited permission. The fine for renting to someone without the right to rent is up to £20,000 per tenant. Agents can do the check for you if that's agreed in writing.

A move-in day routine for agents

1. Confirm the tenancy agreement includes all the SI 2026/324 written information, and that the tenant received it before signing.
2. Confirm no rent was taken before signing, and no more than one month (or 28 days) between signing and the start date.
3. Hand over or email the gas safety record, EICR and EPC, and record how and when.
4. Test every smoke and CO alarm with the tenant present. Note it on the inventory.
5. Record the Right to Rent check date and document copies, and diary any follow-up.
6. Diary the 30-day deposit protection and prescribed information deadline from the date the money arrived.
7. Record meter readings and complete the inventory with photos.
8. Tell the tenant how to report repairs and who to call in an emergency.

Keeping a lettings team on the same page

Rules changed fast this year, and branch staff will still find old AST templates and How to Rent links in shared folders. If you upload your current move-in procedure and templates to Verika, a negotiator can ask "do I still send How to Rent?" and get the answer from your procedure, with the document named. If nobody has written that down yet, Verika says it can't find it and logs the question for your compliance lead to answer once. Verika doesn't come with property law built in for lettings, so keep your own procedure up to date. See how it works for property and lettings teams, or start a free trial. For handling repairs once tenants are in, see repair response times for landlords.

Sources

1. Renters' Rights Act: an overview for landlords — MHCLG, GOV.UK, updated 1 May 2026
2. Assured tenancy agreements: a guide for landlords — GOV.UK
3. Tenancy agreements: written information for your tenant — MHCLG, GOV.UK, with landlord guidance PDF (final, 20 March 2026)
4. The Assured Tenancies (Private Rented Sector) (Written Statement of Terms etc and Information Sheet) (England) Regulations 2026, SI 2026/324 — legislation.gov.uk
5. The Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet 2026 — GOV.UK, updated 8 June 2026
6. How to rent (withdrawn 1 May 2026) — GOV.UK
7. Implementing the Renters' Rights Act 2025: our roadmap — MHCLG, November 2025
8. Stronger protections and greater confidence for renters — GOV.UK press release, 9 September 2026
9. Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, regulation 36 — legislation.gov.uk
10. Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector and Social Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020, regulation 3 — legislation.gov.uk
11. Energy Performance of Buildings (England and Wales) Regulations 2012, regulation 6 — legislation.gov.uk
12. Housing Act 2004, section 213 (tenancy deposits) — legislation.gov.uk
13. Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015, regulation 4 — legislation.gov.uk
14. Check your tenant's right to rent — Home Office, GOV.UK