Lodgers vs Tenants: Who Needs the Information Sheet Under the Renters' Rights Act?

The Information Sheet 2026 requirement applies only to assured periodic tenancies—lodgers are excluded. If you let a room in your own home where you live, or provide other excluded arrangements, you won't need to serve the Information Sheet under the Renters' Rights Act 2025.

This distinction matters because many landlords are confused about exactly which of their properties and arrangements fall under the new requirements. Getting it wrong could mean unnecessary compliance work—or worse, missing obligations where they do apply.

Questions answered

What is the Information Sheet 2026 requirement?

Under the Renters' Rights Act 2025, landlords must provide tenants with the official GOV.UK Information Sheet 2026 by 31 May 2026. This document explains tenant rights and must be delivered in a way that creates a proper audit trail. The requirement applies specifically to assured periodic tenancies, which means most standard residential lettings where the tenant has exclusive possession of the property.

Do lodgers need to receive the Information Sheet?

No, lodgers do not need to receive the Information Sheet 2026. Lodger arrangements typically involve sharing accommodation with the landlord (or their family) and don't create assured periodic tenancies. Since the Information Sheet requirement is limited to assured periodic tenancies, these arrangements fall outside the scope of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 obligations.

What's the difference between a tenant and a lodger?

The key difference is exclusive possession and living arrangements. Tenants have exclusive possession of their rented space—they can exclude others, including the landlord (except for permitted access). Lodgers typically share facilities with the landlord or their family and don't have the same exclusive rights. Tenants usually have assured shorthold or assured periodic tenancies, while lodgers have licence agreements that provide fewer statutory protections.

How do I know if my letting creates an assured periodic tenancy?

An assured periodic tenancy typically exists when your tenant has exclusive possession of self-contained accommodation, pays rent, and the arrangement isn't covered by specific exclusions. The tenancy becomes periodic either from the start (monthly or weekly tenancies) or when a fixed-term assured shorthold tenancy expires and continues on a rolling basis. Most standard residential lettings where you don't live in the property will be assured periodic tenancies.

What other arrangements are excluded from the Information Sheet requirement?

Beyond lodger arrangements, other exclusions typically include holiday lets, student accommodation in educational institutions, accommodation tied to employment, and lettings where the landlord lives in the same building (in certain circumstances). Company lets and some high-value properties may also be excluded. If you're uncertain about your specific arrangement, consider seeking legal advice rather than assuming an exclusion applies.

What happens if I send the Information Sheet to lodgers by mistake?

Sending the Information Sheet to lodgers won't cause legal problems, but it's unnecessary and might confuse them about their rights. The document explains rights that apply specifically to assured periodic tenants, which could mislead lodgers about their actual legal position. It's better to be clear about which arrangements require compliance and focus your efforts accordingly.

How should I handle mixed portfolios with both tenants and lodgers?

For mixed portfolios, identify which arrangements are assured periodic tenancies requiring the Information Sheet and which are excluded. Keep clear records of your assessment for each property. This approach prevents both over-compliance (wasting time on excluded arrangements) and under-compliance (missing genuine obligations). Many landlords find it helpful to audit their entire portfolio systematically.

What's the best way to serve the Information Sheet to qualifying tenancies?

The Information Sheet must be the official GOV.UK version and served in a way that creates proper evidence of delivery and receipt. Modern compliance platforms provide significant advantages over manual approaches:

Old way: Download PDFs manually, send via personal email, hope tenants read them, keep spreadsheet records of who received what when.

Ploxit way: Official GOV.UK Information Sheet served byte-for-byte (hash-verified), automated audit trail tracking sent → opened → acknowledged, tribunal-ready evidence export.

Why does the delivery method matter for compliance?

Proper delivery creates the evidence you'll need if compliance is ever questioned. Simply emailing a PDF from your personal account provides minimal proof that the tenant actually received and understood their obligations. Professional compliance tools track delivery, opening (including IP address and device information), and tenant acknowledgment through one-click confirmation links—all without requiring tenants to create accounts or download apps.

Can I use existing property management software for Information Sheet compliance?

Many legacy property management suites weren't designed with the specific compliance requirements of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 in mind. They may not serve the official GOV.UK document correctly, provide adequate audit trails, or offer tribunal-ready evidence exports. Purpose-built compliance tools often provide better protection because they're designed specifically around the legal requirements rather than trying to bolt compliance onto existing property management features.

How does Ploxit handle the lodger vs tenant distinction?

Ploxit focuses specifically on assured periodic tenancy compliance—it's designed for landlords who need to serve the Information Sheet 2026 to qualifying tenancies. The platform serves the official GOV.UK document byte-for-byte with hash verification, maintains comprehensive audit logs showing sent → opened → acknowledged status, and provides tribunal-ready PDF exports with 6-year retention. Setup takes under 2 minutes, and both Solo and Portfolio plans are available.

The service operates under UK GDPR compliance with a Data Processing Agreement at signup, while landlords remain the data controller. Importantly, Ploxit doesn't provide legal advice—it provides the evidence you need to support compliance arguments if they're ever required.

What records should I keep about my compliance decisions?

Document your assessment of which arrangements require the Information Sheet and which are excluded. For qualifying assured periodic tenancies, maintain comprehensive records of delivery, tenant engagement, and acknowledgment. For excluded arrangements like lodger agreements, keep clear documentation of why the exclusion applies. This dual approach protects you both from unnecessary compliance burdens and from missing genuine obligations.

This article provides general information about the Information Sheet 2026 requirements and is not legal advice. Landlords should consider seeking professional legal guidance for complex situations or specific compliance questions.