How to Rent Guide – An urgent update

You will be aware that a new How to Rent Guide was published by MHLG (Ministry of Housing and Local Government) on 26th June 2018.  As you are always required to provide the current version for any new tenancy this is the version you should have been providing from then.

However a more recent version has now been released (from 6th July 2018).  There were errors in the June version – it was actually given the wrong title (being called How to Rent: a guide for current and prospective tenants in the private sector in England) meaning that it did not comply with the Regulations and was probably therefore invalid and also included incorrect information on electrical safety.

What you should do now

  1. Make sure you provide the current version (the one that you can download now)
  2. Also you are best advised to re-issue this new version in any instance where you provided the older one from 26th June to today.

A link to the current version is provided here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-rent/how-to-rent-the-checklist-for-renting-in-england

For the avoidance of doubt

It is a requirement that a copy of the current version (ie current at the start of the tenancy) of ‘How to rent: a checklist for renting in England’ is provided for every new tenancy with effect from 1st October 2015.  This means all new AST’s and all replacement AST’s (including statutory periodic tenancies).  If the current version was not provided at the start of the tenancy no Section 21 notice can be served.

Please note that you must provide the document and not just a link (although you can provide the document by email if the tenant agrees).

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