Electronic Written Statement of Terms

Landlords increasingly ask whether an electronic written statement of terms satisfies Section 16D of the Housing Act 1988, or whether it has to be posted or handed over on paper. This guide sets out what's confirmed, what's genuinely unclear, and how to deliver a compliant statement by email without cutting corners.

✓ Updated July 2026

Section 16D, Housing Act 1988

Renters' Rights Act 2025

England only

✓ Email delivery is standard practice⚠ Attach the PDF — don't just link to itNo signature legally required

Can a Written Statement of Terms Be Electronic?

📌 The short answer

Yes, in practice. Section 16D requires the landlord to give the tenant a written statement, but it doesn't specify paper as the only acceptable medium. Emailing a PDF, sending it through a tenant portal, or including it in a digitally signed tenancy agreement are all treated as ordinary, accepted ways of meeting the requirement.

What the Act and its regulations focus on is content, not delivery mechanism: the landlord's name and address for service, the property address, rent, deposit, and the other prescribed fields. Neither Section 16D itself nor the 2026 Regulations that set out what must be included dictate a specific format for handing the document over.

That's different from a separate, government-produced document called the Information Sheet, which existing tenants received by 31 May 2026 under a different part of the same Act. GOV.UK guidance on the Information Sheet explicitly confirms electronic delivery is acceptable there. It's reasonable to apply the same practical standard to the Written Statement of Terms, but the two documents are not identical and shouldn't be confused with each other.

Is Email Legally Valid for a Written Statement?

Email is the most common way OfficeDraft users deliver a Written Statement of Terms, and there's nothing in the Act that rules it out. The open question isn't whether email works, it's what you put in the email.

Commentary on the closely related Information Sheet requirement doesn't fully agree on whether sending a link, rather than the document itself, is good enough. Several law firm summaries treat a link-only approach as non-compliant for that document; at least one treats a link as acceptable. Given that disagreement even for a document with published GOV.UK guidance, the safer approach for a Written Statement of Terms, which has no equivalent published guidance on delivery method at all, is to attach the actual PDF to the email rather than relying on a link that could later break, get replaced, or be edited.

Can a Written Statement Be Sent as a PDF?

Yes. A PDF is, if anything, the more defensible format compared with a Word document or a pasted email body, because it can't easily be altered after it's sent and it prints and displays consistently regardless of what device the tenant opens it on.

OfficeDraft's generator produces the statement as a PDF for exactly this reason: it gives you a fixed, dated document you can attach directly to an email, upload to a tenant portal, or print and hand over, without the content shifting depending on how it's opened.

Electronic vs Paper Delivery — Comparison

Every method below is usable. They differ in how strong the evidence trail is if a dispute ever comes up.

Method	Validity	Evidence trail	Notes
Email, PDF attached	Widely used and treated as valid	Strong — sent date and content are both recorded	The approach OfficeDraft's generator is built for. Attach the actual file, not a link.
Email with a link to the document	Legally untested for this specific statement	Weaker — the link can expire or be edited after sending	Government guidance on the related Information Sheet treats a link-only approach as risky. Avoid it here too.
Tenant portal or property-management software	Valid, provided the tenant can access and download it	Strong if the platform logs delivery and access	Fine as long as the tenant isn't required to create an account just to see it before the tenancy starts.
Included within the tenancy agreement itself	Valid — this is the method the government's own guidance describes as most practical	Strong, especially if the agreement is signed	Works well when the agreement already covers the required fields in full.
Posted or handed over as paper	Valid, the traditional method	Depends on separate proof of postage or a witnessed handover	Still fine, just slower and easier to lose track of than a dated email.

Does the Tenant Need to Sign the Written Statement?

No. The Written Statement of Terms is a disclosure document, it tells the tenant what the key terms of the tenancy are. It isn't the tenancy agreement itself, and there's no requirement for the tenant to countersign it for the statement to satisfy Section 16D.

That said, getting some form of acknowledgment, a short reply confirming receipt, a read receipt, or a signed line if you're printing a copy, is useful evidence if the timing or content of the statement is ever disputed. It's a good habit, not a legal precondition.

Best Practices for Landlords Delivering Electronically

None of these are strict legal requirements on their own, but together they give you a much stronger position if a term or a timing question is ever challenged.

1. Attach the document, don't just link to it

A link can be edited, moved, or expire. An attached PDF is a fixed record of exactly what the tenant received and when.

2. Send it before the tenancy starts

Section 16D requires the statement before the tenancy is entered into. Sending it on move-in day is too late.

3. Send to every named tenant

For joint tenancies, each named tenant should receive their own copy, not just the person who replies to emails.

4. Keep a copy of the sent email

Save or export the sent message, including the date and the attachment, in the tenant's file. This is what you'd rely on if a dispute over timing ever came up.

5. Reissue if a term changes

If the rent, address for service, or another term changes during the tenancy, send an updated statement within a reasonable time, generally within 28 days, using the same method.

Generate an Electronic Written Statement of Terms

Fill in the details, download the PDF, and attach it directly to your email or tenant portal message. Free with a watermark, £9.99 for a clean copy.

Landlord details

Required: your name and an address in England or Wales where the tenant can send legal notices. This does not need to be your home address.

Full name or company name *

Address for service (England or Wales) *

City

Postcode

Letting agent name (optional)

Phone (optional)

Email (optional)

Statement Preview

Updates as you fill in

Enter landlord details to see your statement preview

How to Email a Written Statement of Terms

Generate the statement as a PDF

Use the wizard above to enter the landlord, tenancy, and rent details, then download the PDF.

Attach the PDF to the email

Attach the file itself. Don't paste a link to a cloud folder or drive as the only way to access it.

Address it to every named tenant

For a joint tenancy, either CC every named tenant or send individual copies. A single email to one tenant doesn't cover the others.

Send it before the tenancy starts

The statement needs to be given before the tenancy is entered into, so build sending it into your pre-move-in checklist rather than your welcome pack.

Save a copy of the sent email

Keep the sent item, or export it as a PDF into the tenant's file, with the date visible.

Common Mistakes with Electronic Delivery

1. Sending only a link

If the link breaks, gets replaced, or the tenant can't access it later, there's no fixed record of what was actually provided.

2. Confusing the statement with the Information Sheet

The Information Sheet is a fixed government PDF for existing tenants. The Written Statement of Terms is the landlord's own document for new tenancies. They have separate deadlines and separate content.

3. Sending it after the tenancy has started

The statement is required before the tenancy is entered into, not as a follow-up once the tenant has moved in.

4. Not keeping proof of sending

An email with no saved copy is hard to prove months later. Keep the sent item, or export it to the tenant's file.

5. Leaving out a joint tenant

Sending the statement to one name on a joint tenancy doesn't satisfy the requirement for the others.

About This Guide

🔄

Updated July 2026

Reflects Section 16D of the Housing Act 1988 as inserted by the Renters' Rights Act 2025, and the 2026 Regulations setting out the statement's required content.

🇬🇧

England only

This guide covers assured periodic tenancies in England. Wales and Scotland have their own separate tenancy documentation rules.

⚠️

Not legal advice

Delivery method for the Written Statement of Terms specifically is not addressed by published guidance in the same detail as the Information Sheet. Where a specific delivery method matters for a disputed tenancy, get advice from a housing solicitor.

OfficeDraft Legal Team

This guide was built by reading Section 16D of the Housing Act 1988, the 2026 Regulations on written statement content, and published guidance on the separate Information Sheet requirement, then setting out clearly where the two documents' delivery rules are confirmed and where they're reasonable inference rather than settled law. Reviewed June 2026.

About OfficeDraft →

External references: Housing Act 1988, Section 16D — legislation.gov.uk · Renters' Rights Act 2025 — legislation.gov.uk · Assured Tenancies (Written Statement of Terms etc) Regulations 2026 — legislation.gov.uk · GOV.UK — Information Sheet 2026 guidance · GOV.UK — Renting out a property · Find a housing solicitor — Law Society

Last updated: July 2026 · Editorial review: June 2026 · Author: OfficeDraft Legal Team

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a Written Statement of Terms be sent electronically?▾

Yes, in practice. Section 16D requires a written statement but doesn't specify paper as the only acceptable medium. Emailing a PDF, using a tenant portal, or including it in a digitally signed tenancy agreement are all treated as ordinary ways of meeting the requirement.

Is emailing a Written Statement of Terms legally valid?▾

There's nothing in Section 16D that rules out email. The related Information Sheet has explicit government guidance confirming electronic delivery is acceptable there, though commentary differs on whether a link alone is enough. The cautious approach for either document is to attach the file directly.

Does a tenant need to sign the Written Statement of Terms?▾

No. It's a disclosure document, not the tenancy agreement, and there's no requirement for the tenant to countersign it. Getting an acknowledgment of receipt is good practice for evidence, not a legal precondition.

Is the Written Statement of Terms the same as the Information Sheet?▾

No. The Information Sheet is a fixed government PDF for existing tenants, due by 31 May 2026. The Written Statement of Terms is the landlord's own document, specific to that tenancy, required for new tenancies from 1 May 2026 under Section 16D.

What's the safest way to deliver a Written Statement of Terms electronically?▾

Generate the PDF, attach it directly rather than linking to it, send it before the tenancy begins, and keep a copy of the sent email. For joint tenancies, send it to every named tenant.

Ready to Send Your Written Statement?

Same tool, same PDF. Build it here, download it, and attach it to your email.