Last week the Government issued an updated ‘How to Rent’ Guide.
This updated version of the Guide was issued on 24thJune 2018. Therefore, landlords will need to ensure that from this date onwards any new or statutory tenants or those renewing their tenancy agreements are given this new version. Where landlords fail to provide the correct version of the Guide they are risking the Courts finding invalid any subsequent Section 21 notice they may serve.
Readers may recall that the Guide was last updated in January. Our previous post can be read here. The changes in the current version relate to the tenant’s fee ban and the upcoming HMO changes.
We should mention that landlords are not required to provide a copy of this guide to tenants who are within the fixed term of their tenancy.
The Government has also updated the ‘How to Rent a Safe Home’ guide and issued two further guides ‘How to Let’ and ‘How to Lease’. The ‘How to Rent a Safe Home’ guide is designed for tenants but at present landlords are not under an obligation to provide it to tenants. The ‘How to Let’ guide is designed for landlords to advise on how to rent properties safely. Finally, the ‘How to Lease’ guide is designed for current and prospective leaseholders.
Comment
As legislation changes the ‘How to Rent’ Guide will be updated, and it is important to ensure that tenants are given the correct version and the appropriate time.
