Valid Methods — Yes/No Table
This is the question landlords are asking most right now. Here is the definitive answer:
| Method | Valid? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Email with PDF attached | ✅ Yes | The full unaltered PDF must be attached — not linked. Keep the sent email. |
| Printed copy by hand | ✅ Yes | Get a signed acknowledgement. Date it. Keep your copy. |
| Posted copy (first class) | ✅ Yes | Deemed served two working days after posting. Keep proof of postage. |
| Recorded delivery | ✅ Yes (strongest) | Proof of delivery from Royal Mail. Strongest evidence for posted service. |
| WhatsApp message | ❌ No | Not a recognised service method. No reliable audit trail. |
| Text message (SMS) | ❌ No | Cannot attach a PDF. Not valid service. |
| Link to gov.uk page | ❌ No | Explicitly not sufficient. The document must be provided, not signposted. |
| Verbal explanation | ❌ No | The requirement is to provide the document — not to explain its contents. |
| Edited or condensed version | ❌ No | Must be the complete unaltered official PDF. Any editing invalidates it. |
| Screenshot of the document | ❌ No | Not the document itself. Screenshots may be incomplete and are not official. |
Email — The Most Practical Method
Email is the most practical method for most landlords and is fully valid provided you follow the rules correctly.
How to do it correctly:
- Download the current Information Sheet PDF from gov.uk (search "Renters Rights Act Information Sheet")
- Do not edit, annotate, or alter the PDF in any way
- Attach the PDF to an email — do not paste a link
- Send to each named tenant's email address individually
- In the email body, briefly explain what it is: "Please find attached the official Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet explaining recent changes to your tenancy rights"
- Keep the sent email — the timestamp is your proof of service
Ask the tenant to reply confirming receipt — even a one-word "received" reply provides additional evidence. You can also request a read receipt when sending, though tenants can decline these. The sent email alone is sufficient evidence if the reply is not forthcoming.
Printed Copy by Hand
Handing a printed copy directly to the tenant is valid service and produces the strongest evidence if you obtain a signed acknowledgement at the same time.
What to keep: A brief written acknowledgement signed by the tenant stating the date they received the document, the property address, and their name. You retain the original; the tenant keeps the document.
Post
Posting a printed copy is valid. The document is deemed served two working days after posting by first-class post. Recorded delivery provides proof that delivery occurred — use this if you want the strongest evidence trail for a posted copy.
What to keep: The recorded delivery receipt or the certificate of posting, plus a note of the date you posted it.
WhatsApp and Text Message
Neither WhatsApp nor SMS text message is a valid method of service for the Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet. The reasons are practical rather than arbitrary:
- WhatsApp cannot reliably transmit a multi-page PDF in a way that constitutes formal service
- There is no standardised audit trail for WhatsApp messages that a court or local authority would treat as evidence of service
- Text messages cannot attach a PDF at all
- Neither method produces the kind of dated, verifiable delivery record that the service requirement contemplates
Even if the tenant confirms on WhatsApp that they received the document, this does not constitute valid legal service. Use email or a physical copy.
Sending a Link — Not Valid
This is the most common mistake. Sending an email that says "you can find the Information Sheet at [gov.uk link]" does not satisfy the requirement. The statutory guidance is explicit: the landlord must provide the document — which means attaching the PDF, not directing the tenant to find it themselves.
It does not matter that the link goes to the official government page. The obligation is on the landlord to provide the document, not to tell the tenant where it is.
What Proof of Service to Keep
For every tenancy, you need to be able to demonstrate:
- Who received it — the name of the tenant(s) served
- What they received — the Information Sheet PDF (unaltered)
- When — the date of service
- How — email, hand, post
A simple log — a spreadsheet with property address, tenant name, date served, method, and email reference — plus the actual sent emails retained in your inbox is entirely sufficient. You do not need solicitor-grade documentation for routine service, but you do need to be able to produce evidence if investigated.
Joint Tenancies — Every Named Tenant
Where a property has two or more named tenants on the tenancy agreement, every named tenant must receive the Information Sheet individually. Serving one and asking them to share it with the other does not count as service on the second tenant.
For email service: add all named tenants to the same email or send separate emails. Keep evidence of service for each individual.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I emailed it but my tenant says they never received it?
If you have the sent email in your outbox with a timestamp and the correct email address, you have evidence of service. The tenant's claim of non-receipt does not override your evidence of sending, provided you sent it to an email address they have used for tenancy correspondence. If there is doubt, re-send immediately and keep both sent emails.
Can my letting agent serve the Information Sheet on my behalf?
Yes, and for managed properties the agent is also under an independent duty to serve it. However, even with a managed property, you as the landlord remain ultimately liable if service has not taken place. Confirm with your agent that the sheet has been served and ask for evidence — do not assume it has been done.
Does the Information Sheet need to be in the tenant's first language?
The official document is published in English only. There is no requirement to translate it. If your tenant does not have strong English, you may wish to explain verbally what the document covers, but the English PDF satisfies the legal service requirement regardless of the tenant's language.
Get the Complete Pre-Tenancy Checklist
The free compliance pack includes the Pre-Tenancy Checklist covering the RRA Information Sheet alongside every other document required — with notes on timing, method, and what proof of service to retain.
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