Written Statement of Terms Example

A full Written Statement of Terms example, annotated clause by clause, for a new assured periodic tenancy under Section 16D of the Housing Act 1988. Compare it against your own tenancy, then generate a compliant version with your own details in the tool below.

✓ Updated July 2026

Section 16D, Housing Act 1988

Renters' Rights Act 2025

England only

✓ Required for new tenancies from 1 May 2026✓ Up to £7,000 penalty for non-compliance✓ Free wizard, paid clean PDF

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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.

Annotated Written Statement of Terms Example

Below is a worked example for a single-household tenancy in Leeds. Each field is numbered and explained. Names, addresses, and figures are fictional.

1Landlord— Sarah Whitfield, of 22 Ashgrove Road, Leeds, LS8 1QN (address for service).

The address does not need to be the landlord's home. It needs to be an address in England or Wales where the tenant can send legal notices.

2Tenant— Daniel Okafor.

Every named tenant on the tenancy should appear here, not just the person who signs the cheque.

3Property— 14 Marigold Close, Leeds, LS6 2QP.

The full address of the let property, including postcode, as it will appear on the tenancy itself.

4Tenancy start date— 1 June 2026.

The date the tenancy actually begins, which fixes the clock on the 28-day update requirement if terms later change.

5Rent— £950 per calendar month, due on the 1st of each month.

The rent period cannot be longer than one calendar month under the current rules, so quarterly or six-monthly rent periods are no longer valid.

6Deposit— £950, protected with the Deposit Protection Service (DPS).

Only needed if a deposit is actually taken. The scheme named here should match where the deposit is genuinely held.

7Bills— Rent is inclusive of water. Council tax and energy are payable separately by the tenant.

Clear wording here avoids the most common post-move-in dispute: who pays for what.

8HMO licence— Not applicable — this is a single-household letting.

Only completed where the property is licensed as a House in Multiple Occupation. The licence number goes here when it applies.

9Break clause— None agreed.

Left blank unless landlord and tenant have specifically agreed an early-exit right and its conditions.

10Date of statement— 28 May 2026.

The date the statement itself was drawn up and given to the tenant, not the tenancy start date.

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Mandatory Clauses vs Optional Clauses

Not every field in a Written Statement of Terms is legally required for every tenancy. The table below separates what has to be there from what depends on the specific letting.

Mandatory — required for every tenancy

ClauseWhy it's required
Landlord name and address for serviceLets the tenant serve notices and identifies who the tenancy is with.
Tenant name(s)Confirms exactly who holds the tenancy, including joint tenants.
Property addressIdentifies the let property, including postcode.
Tenancy start dateFixes the point the tenancy began and the clock for any later updates.
Rent amount, frequency and due dateThe rent period cannot exceed one calendar month under the current rules.
Deposit amount and protection schemeRequired wherever a deposit is taken from the tenant.
Date the statement was issuedEvidences when the tenant actually received the document.

Optional — depends on the tenancy

ClauseWhen it applies
HMO licence numberOnly where the property is licensed as a House in Multiple Occupation.
Break clause wordingOnly where landlord and tenant have agreed an early-termination right.
Guarantor detailsOnly where a guarantor has been required as a condition of the tenancy.
Bills arrangementNot a statutory requirement, but reduces disputes over who pays what.
Other agreed termsAny bespoke term specific to that tenancy, added for clarity rather than compliance.

Source: Section 16D, Housing Act 1988 ↗ · Renters' Rights Act 2025 ↗

Common Mistakes in a Written Statement of Terms

These are the errors that turn up most often when landlords adapt an old tenancy template instead of starting from the current requirements.

1. Using an address that isn't valid for service

A PO box or an address outside England and Wales does not satisfy the requirement. The tenant needs a real address where legal notices will actually reach the landlord or their agent.

2. Naming the wrong deposit scheme

The scheme named in the statement should be the one actually holding the deposit. If the deposit later moves between schemes, the statement should be updated to match.

3. Setting a rent period longer than one month

Quarterly or six-monthly rent periods, common in older tenancy paperwork, are no longer valid for tenancies covered by the current rules. Monthly or weekly periods only.

4. Leaving out joint tenants

Where more than one person holds the tenancy, every named tenant should appear on the statement, not just the lead tenant who pays the rent.

5. Forgetting to reissue after a change

If the rent, the landlord's address for service, or another term changes during the tenancy, an updated statement is expected within a reasonable time, generally within 28 days.

Written Statement Examples by Tenancy Type

The core fields stay the same across tenancy types. What changes is which optional clauses apply.

Joint tenants, no deposit scheme change

Two sharers, Priya Nair and Tom Fletcher, take a tenancy together at a flat in Bristol. Both names appear under "Tenant." The rent is split between them informally, but the statement records the total rent as one figure, since that is what is legally due to the landlord.

HMO room let with a licence in place

A landlord lets a room in a licensed five-bedroom HMO in Manchester. The statement includes the HMO licence number and the local authority that issued it, alongside the standard rent, deposit, and address fields.

Tenancy with a guarantor

A student tenant in Newcastle needs a guarantor to satisfy the landlord's referencing requirements. The guarantor's name is recorded under "Other agreed terms," alongside a note that a separate guarantor agreement has been signed.

Compliance Checklist Before You Issue the Statement

Work through this list before giving the statement to a new tenant.

1

Landlord name and address for service completed

Required
2

All named tenants listed

Required
3

Property address matches the tenancy exactly

Required
4

Rent period is one calendar month or shorter

Required
5

Deposit scheme named matches where the deposit is actually held

Required
6

Statement dated and given before the tenancy starts

Required
7

HMO licence number included, if the property is licensed

If applicable
8

Break clause wording included, if one has been agreed

If applicable
→ Written Statement of Terms Generator→ Free Written Statement Template→ Written Statement PDF Generator

About This Example

🔄

Updated July 2026

This example reflects the Written Statement of Terms requirement introduced under Section 16D of the Housing Act 1988, as inserted by the Renters' Rights Act 2025, effective for new tenancies from 1 May 2026.

🇬🇧

England only

This example and the generator apply to assured periodic tenancies in England. Wales and Scotland have separate tenancy statement requirements under their own legislation.

⚠️

Not legal advice

This page gives general information and a worked example. For a tenancy with unusual terms, or a dispute already in progress, get advice from a qualified housing solicitor.

OD

OfficeDraft Legal Team

The example on this page was built by cross-referencing Section 16D of the Housing Act 1988 and the Renters' Rights Act 2025 against the fields collected in the generator above, so the worked example and the tool stay in sync. Reviewed June 2026.

About OfficeDraft →
External references: Housing Act 1988, Section 16D — legislation.gov.uk · Renters' Rights Act 2025 — legislation.gov.uk · GOV.UK — Tenancy deposit protection · 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

What must a Written Statement of Terms include?▾
At minimum: the landlord's name and an address for service in England or Wales, the tenant's name, the property address, the tenancy start date, the rent amount and how often it is due, the deposit amount and protection scheme (if a deposit is taken), and the date the statement was issued. HMO licence details, break clause wording, and guarantor details only need to be included where they apply.
Is a Written Statement of Terms the same as a tenancy agreement?▾
No. A tenancy agreement is the wider contract, often much longer. The Written Statement of Terms is a shorter, prescribed document that sets out the specific facts a tenant is entitled to receive in writing under Section 16D. A landlord can issue both, or use the statement to satisfy the statutory requirement on its own.
Do I need a new Written Statement of Terms for an existing tenant?▾
Existing tenants received the government's Information Sheet as part of the transition to the Renters' Rights Act 2025. The Written Statement of Terms itself applies to new tenancies from 1 May 2026 onward. If a term changes during an existing tenancy, an updated statement is expected within a reasonable time, generally within 28 days.
What happens if I don't issue a Written Statement of Terms?▾
Local authorities can issue a civil penalty of up to £7,000 to a landlord who fails to provide a compliant statement before a new tenancy begins. A missing or incomplete statement can also weaken a landlord's position if a dispute over rent, deposit, or tenancy terms later reaches court.
Can I write my own Written Statement of Terms instead of using a generator?▾
Yes. There is no requirement to use a particular generator, only that the statement contains the correct prescribed information. The risk with a hand-written version is missing a required field or using wording that predates the Renters' Rights Act 2025 changes.

⚠ Legal disclaimer

OfficeDraft's Written Statement of Terms generator helps landlords produce a statement in the current prescribed format. This page and the generator provide general legal information and do not constitute independent legal advice. Names, addresses, and figures in the annotated example above are fictional. If you are unsure how a specific term applies to your tenancy, seek advice from a qualified housing solicitor. A directory of solicitors is available at solicitors.lawsociety.org.uk.

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England only · Section 16D format · Free download available