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Required documents checklist
These apply to private tenancies in England. Council penalties go up to £40,000, and gas safety failures are a crime.
Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)
An EPC rates the home's energy efficiency from A (best) to G (worst) and is valid for 10 years.
Written statement of terms & the Information Sheet
New tenancies from 1 May 2026 need a written statement of terms. For written tenancies that began before then, every named tenant had to get the Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet.
Gas safety certificate (CP12)
A Gas Safe registered engineer must check each gas appliance and flue at least every 12 months, and your tenants get a copy of the gas safety record (CP12).
Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR)
A qualified electrician must inspect and test the electrics at least every 5 years, and your tenants get a copy of each report.
Deposit protection certificate & prescribed information
If you take a deposit, protect it in a government-approved scheme within 30 days and give the tenant the prescribed information.
Renters' Rights Act 2025: what changed
The Act's main tenancy changes started on 1 May 2026, when Section 21 ended and the How to Rent guide was withdrawn. The gas, electrical, EPC and deposit rules still apply.
Why compliance still matters:
- Penalties: Up to £40,000 for the EICR, £200 for a missing EPC and up to £5,000 for letting below band E
- Proof of delivery: A dated record is your evidence if a tenant says a document never arrived
- Section 8 grounds: An unprotected deposit or missing prescribed information now stops a possession order on most grounds, rent arrears included
- Rent repayment orders: For some offences, such as letting without a licence you needed, tenants can claim back up to 24 months' rent
Day to day, the job is the same: give each document on time and keep a dated record.
The problem: proving delivery
If a tenant later says a document never arrived, you'll want to prove they had it, with a record made at the time.
Methods that leave gaps
- Handing over paper copies with no record
- Emailing documents with no record they were opened
- Sending a file-sharing link with no tracking
- Taking the tenant's word for it
How HouseFile records it
- Gives your tenant one link to all their documents
- Logs when they open each one
- Records their acknowledgement, with the date and time
- Puts it all in a PDF compliance report
How HouseFile helps
HouseFile keeps each property's certificates together and emails you before they expire.
Built-in compliance checklist
Every new property gets a slot for each document on your default checklist, so you can see what's missing.
Secure tenant links
Each tenancy gets its own link, which you can send by email, text or WhatsApp.
Proof of delivery
HouseFile logs when your tenant opens and confirms each document.
QR code access
Print a QR code for the property. Scanning it opens the documents and contacts you've shared.
Automatic reminders
Email the link from HouseFile and it reminds your tenant about any document they haven't opened, so you don't have to chase.
Multi-property support
All your properties are on one dashboard, each with its own file and tenant links.
Frequently asked questions
What documents are UK landlords legally required to give tenants?
In England: the EPC, gas safety record and EICR, the prescribed information if you took a deposit, and a written statement of terms for tenancies from 1 May 2026. Older written tenancies needed the Information Sheet by 31 May 2026. Wales and Scotland have their own rules.
What happens if I don't provide the required documents?
Gas safety breaches are criminal, with an unlimited fine, and an EICR breach can cost up to £40,000. A deposit protected late or not at all, or missing prescribed information, can cost you up to three times the deposit and stop most possession orders until it's put right.
How do I prove I gave documents to my tenant?
Keep a record made at the time, such as a dated list your tenant signs or a log of when they opened each document. HouseFile keeps that log, with each confirmation.
Do I need a new gas safety certificate every year?
Yes. The check is due at least every 12 months. You can book it up to two months early without losing time, because it counts as done on the deadline.
How often do I need an EICR?
At least every 5 years, or more often if the last report requires it. Any remedial work a report lists is due within 28 days of the inspection, or sooner if the report says, with written confirmation to your tenant and the council within 28 days of finishing.
Can I provide required documents digitally?
Often, but it depends on the document. The Information Sheet can go as an attached PDF, but a link to it doesn't count. The gas safety record can go electronically if your tenant is happy with that, and they can ask for paper.
What is HouseFile?
An app for UK landlords that keeps each property's documents together, reminds you before certificates expire, shares them with your tenant and records when they open and confirm each one.