Tenancy & deposits
What is the How to Rent guide?
The How to Rent guide is a government publication that landlords in England must give to tenants at the start of an assured shorthold tenancy. Failing to serve it can invalidate a section 21 notice.
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</figure>It is updated periodically, and the version in force at the time of service is the one that counts. Serving an outdated version is the single most common reason a landlord discovers, at the point of seeking possession, that they cannot.
There are rules about the form of service, including when an electronic copy is acceptable. Emailing it to a tenant who has not agreed to electronic service does not necessarily discharge the obligation.
Because it is trivially easy to do and easy to forget, the practical control is evidence. What was served, which version, on what date and how, recorded at the time.
What goes wrong in practice
- An outdated version served because a copy was saved locally years ago.
- Emailed without the tenant having agreed to electronic service.
- Served but with no record of when or which version.
- Not re-served on a renewal where a new version had been published.