Important update for agents – new How to Rent and other guides published by Government

New online guides have been published by the Government, designed to help renters and leaseholders know their rights.

One of the guides, How to Rent, must by law be given to tenants, and this must be the latest version as now published. If the correct, latest, information is not supplied, no Section 21 notice can be served. The actual guide must be given to the tenant, not just a link. The other newly published guides have no statutory significance.

The new “How to” guides are:

How to let

This new guide will help private landlords learn more about their key legal responsibilities and best practice when letting a property, including how to protect tenancy deposits, carry out gas safety checks and install smoke and carbon dioxide alarms.

How to lease

By reading this new document, leaseholders can learn about their unique set of rights and responsibilities. For example, a managing agent or landlord could be responsible for running a leaseholder’s block or estate – but the leaseholder may not be aware that they have no say in how they do it.

How to rent a safe home

This document will help current and prospective tenants identify potential unsafe conditions in rented properties. It gives tenants an overview of the most common hazards to look out for in rented properties, including gas and electrical safety, damp and mould and trips and falls hazards, and how they should report dangerous conditions.

How to rent

This updated guide provides a step-by-step process to renting privately. Tenants can learn how to challenge poor practice and understand private landlords’ legal obligations.

It is a legal requirement for all landlords, or their agents, to provide their tenants with this document. This is the latest copy, and this is the one that should be provided to all new tenants. The latest version also needs to be given to tenants in situ when their tenancy is renewed or when their tenancy goes statutory periodic.

All the documents can be found online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/housing-how-to-guides

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14 Comments

  1. Robert May

    I can’t find the one about how to find somewhere to rent  now all the agents are out of the business and the landlords are investing in pork bellies not property

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  2. Will

    Another potential trip up for landlords, particularly if they use a slightly older agreement which runs onto a statutory tenancy at the end of a fixed term and not a contractual tenancy at the end of a fix term. Who says tenants are in the weaker position!

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    1. MF

      Sorry Will, meant to hit the “Like“ button, but got the “Dislike“ button instead. Anyway, it’s definitely a Like as I completely agree with your comment

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      1. Will

        Thank you MF for your clarification.  Landlords and Agents are constantly having their paths littered with trip ups/traps that can and will be used by Council Tenancy Officers whose sole purpose in life is to find grounds why tenants should not be evicted (Most landlords do not want to evict  good tenants as they provide income).  Such events such as recommending tenants do not leave until the bailiff come calling effectively inciting tenants to be in contempt of court by not giving possession when a possession order has been granted.  Councils then are surprised when landlords do not trust the cunning little blighters!

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  3. CountryLass

    So hang on, the Tenants that had the older How To Rent guide, do I need to send them a copy of the new one?? That’s a waste of paper and resources! I have a signed copy from them of the one I gave them in their file so surely I shouldn’t need to give them another, as the one they had was correct at the time the tenancy started!

    The How To Rent is the only one of those I HAVE to give them isn’t it?

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  4. jeremy1960

    It seems to be that this gov are almost trying to trip landlords and agents up at every turn.

    The more changes the more chances of getting it wrong.

    Hopefully this will catch out those agents which prostitute themselves with cheap fees such as the agent local to us now advertising 7% INC VAT for a fully managed service??! Imagine that agent having to tell their landlords that they didn’t have the staff to keep up with legislation based on monthly fee per property of less than £50 a pop!

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