What it is

The written statement of terms is a duty from England’s Renters’ Rights Act ↗: a written record of the tenancy’s key terms that the landlord must give every tenant. It is not a new tenancy agreement and it does not replace one; it is the tenancy’s facts, on paper, in the tenant’s hands.

Who needs one, and by when

• New tenancies have needed one from 1 May 2026.
• Tenancies that already existed, including purely verbal arrangements, were due one by 31 May 2026.

The verbal tenancy is the classic gap: the arrangement that has run happily on a handshake for years is exactly the one the duty was written for.

What goes in it

The statement records the tenancy’s key terms: the landlord’s and tenant’s names, the property address, the rent and the day it is paid, the tenancy start date, and the standard terms that apply to the tenancy, including the deposit and how it is protected. Our free generator produces a completed statement from those details in about three minutes, with a review checklist printed on the document.

Missed the deadline? Serve it anyway

Not serving carries a civil penalty of up to £7,000 per failure. But enforcement takes late service into account: a statement served today puts you in a better position than one never served, and a missing statement also weakens your side of any later dispute. The right move after a missed deadline is boring and quick: generate it, check it, serve it this week.

Serving it properly

• Check every term against the real tenancy before it goes out. A statement that contradicts reality causes more trouble than it prevents.
• Give it to the tenant in writing, and keep a copy.
• Keep a note of when and how you served it; that record is what settles a later dispute.

Based on UK government guidance for England, current at the date above. This guide is general information, not legal advice: for your specific situation, consult a qualified letting agent, solicitor or your local authority.