Essential tenancy documents
Some go to your tenant and some you keep. The rules below are for England.
Written statement of terms
Every new tenancy from 1 May 2026 needs one, given before the tenancy is entered into. It can sit inside the tenancy agreement.
Deposit certificate
Proof the deposit is protected with a government-approved scheme. Protect it and serve the prescribed information within 30 days of receiving it.
Inventory
A record of the property's condition and contents at move-in, to back up any deposit deduction.
Right to Rent check
You must check every adult occupier's right to rent before you agree the tenancy, and keep a dated copy of each check.
Proof of identity
Copies of the ID you checked for referencing and Right to Rent, stored securely.
Rent review records
Each Form 4A rent increase notice and the date you served it. Since 1 May 2026, rent can only rise this way.
The written statement of terms
Every assured tenancy granted in England on or after 1 May 2026 needs one. Section 16D of the Housing Act 1988 says it has to be given before the tenancy is entered into, so it can't follow on afterwards with the rest of the paperwork. Where a tenancy passes on after a death, the landlord changes, or a tenancy becomes assured, there are 28 days instead.
It can be part of the tenancy agreement or a separate document, as long as the tenant has it in writing in time. Not giving it can mean a civil penalty of up to £7,000.
The regulations set out eighteen things it has to cover. These are the ones that apply to most lets:
- Who the landlord and tenant are, and an address in England or Wales where the tenant can serve notices on you
- The property, the date the tenant can move in, the rent and when it's due
- How a rent rise works, which since 1 May 2026 means a section 13 notice on Form 4A
- The deposit amount, where you take one, and any bills the tenant pays
- The notice the tenant gives to leave, and how you can ask for the property back
- Your repairing duties, the fitness for habitation duty, and the gas and electrical safety rules
- That the tenant may ask to keep a pet, and that consent can't be unreasonably refused
A tenancy with written terms that started before 1 May 2026 is a different case: those tenants needed the Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet by 31 May 2026, as the document itself rather than a link to it.
Sources: Housing Act 1988 section 16D, and the Assured Tenancies (Private Rented Sector) (Written Statement of Terms etc and Information Sheet) (England) Regulations 2026. General information, not legal advice.
Why proof of delivery matters
If a tenant says a document never arrived, you'll need a record that they received it. A sent email only shows you sent it.
Disputes where proof matters:
- Tenant says they never got the written terms
- Tenant denies seeing the inventory
- Tenant says the deposit prescribed information never came
- Rent increase notice the tenant says never arrived
Potential consequences:
- Paying the tenant one to three times the deposit
- Up to £10,000 per occupier for a Right to Rent breach (£20,000 if repeated)
- Deposit deductions you can't back up
- A possession claim stalled over the deposit paperwork
What proper proof looks like
Here's an example of a HouseFile record:
Tenancy document receipt
James Wilson, tenant at 14 Elm Road, Manchester
Tenancy Agreement
Agreed
1 Feb 2026, 14:22
IP: 86.144.xxx.xxx
Deposit Protection Certificate
Agreed
1 Feb 2026, 14:24
IP: 86.144.xxx.xxx
Inventory & Condition Report
Agreed
1 Feb 2026, 14:31
IP: 86.144.xxx.xxx
Download it as a PDF Compliance Report.
How HouseFile manages tenancy documents
Tenancy documents sit with the property's certificates, and tenants open theirs through a link.
Auto-created placeholders
Add a tenancy and HouseFile creates placeholders for the agreement, deposit certificate, inventory and Right to Rent checks.
Timestamped acknowledgement
HouseFile logs when a tenant opens or agrees to each document, with their IP address.
Per-tenant tracking
In an HMO, each room's tenant has their own documents and record.
PDF export
Download a PDF Compliance Report of what each tenant opened and agreed to, and when.
Rent review reminders
Set a rent review date and HouseFile emails you 30 days before.
Document versioning
Replace a document and the old version is kept. The Compliance Report lists each version with the date it was replaced.
Frequently asked questions
When must I provide the deposit protection information?
Within 30 days of receiving the deposit, counting the day it arrives as day one. It covers the scheme, repayment and disputes, with a certificate you sign.
Do I need to give tenants a copy of the tenancy agreement?
Yes. A tenancy from 1 May 2026 needs a written statement of terms before it is entered into, either inside the agreement or as its own document. Written tenancies that began before then needed the Information Sheet by 31 May 2026.
How long should I keep tenancy documents?
Six years after the tenancy ends, as a deposit claim can come up to six years after the breach. Keep Right to Rent copies for the tenancy plus a year.
What happens if I can't prove the tenant received documents?
The deposit prescribed information matters most. Without a record, a possession claim can stall until you serve it again. For other documents, it's your word against your tenant's.
Does HouseFile work for HMOs with multiple tenants?
Yes. Each room has its own tenancy and documents, and every tenant also sees the shared certificates, such as the gas safety record.