Free landlord letter templates (England, 2026)

These free landlord letter templates cover the letters private landlords in England send most often: rent arrears reminders, rent increase covering letters, letters before claim, notices of entry, payment plans, and cover letters for notices. Each one is written for the rules in force from 1 May 2026. Each one works alongside the prescribed forms the law requires, never in place of them.

Which landlord letter template do you need?

Start with what's happening in your tenancy. The table shows which template fits, and what must go with it.

Situation	Template	What must go with it
A rent payment has been missed	Rent arrears letter	A rent statement showing dates due, payments and the running balance
The tenant wants to clear arrears in instalments	Payment plan agreement	The rent statement; signatures from you and every tenant
You want to increase the rent	Rent increase letter	Form 4A, the Section 13 notice. The letter alone can't raise the rent
You're serving a Section 8 notice	Section 8 cover letter	Form 3A, the notice seeking possession
You're about to claim unpaid rent in court	Letter before claim	A statement of account, the protocol's Information Sheet and Reply Form, and a Financial Statement
You need access for an inspection, repair or safety check	Notice of entry	Nothing extra, but check your tenancy agreement's access clause
You still need to give an existing tenant the Information Sheet	Information Sheet cover email	The exact GOV.UK PDF as an attachment, never a link

Each template page explains when to use the letter, how to fill it in, and what not to write. Placeholders are in square brackets, like [tenant name]. Replace every one before you send.

A letter can't replace a prescribed form

Some legal steps can only be taken with a form the government prescribes. A letter, however well written, doesn't do the same job.

Legal step	Prescribed document	What happens if you use a letter instead
Seeking possession	Form 3A (Section 8 notice)	Not a valid notice. A written document that purports to be a possession notice but isn't in accordance with section 8 can itself lead to a civil penalty of up to £7,000
Increasing the rent	Form 4A (Section 13 notice)	The increase has no effect. Any term allowing a rise other than through Section 13 or a tribunal decision is of no effect
Giving existing tenants the Information Sheet	The Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet 2026, exactly as downloaded from GOV.UK	Not compliant. GOV.UK says it is "only valid when downloaded from this page", and you must not send a link
Giving new tenants their terms	The written statement of terms, before the tenancy is agreed	A letter can contain it, but every required item must be covered

GOV.UK also warns about the prescribed forms themselves: "Do not change the wording of these forms unless the form says you can. If you change the wording, the form may not be valid." Use our templates as covering letters, and keep the forms intact.

If you need the forms prepared for you, our Section 8 notice builder fills in Form 3A, and our Section 13 notice builder fills in Form 4A for free with an account.

Rules for using landlord letter templates

These rules apply to every template on this site.

1. Stick to facts. Dates, amounts, what's due and what you're asking for. No opinions about the tenant.
2. No threats. Don't threaten to change the locks, turn up unannounced, or do anything else that could amount to harassment. Unlawful eviction and harassment are criminal offences, and since 1 May 2026 a council can instead impose a civil penalty of up to £40,000.
3. Never tell the tenant they must leave. Since 1 May 2026, a landlord can only end a private assured tenancy through a court order. A letter that tries to end the tenancy, or reads as a possession notice when it isn't Form 3A, risks being treated as a "purported notice of possession", which can lead to a civil penalty of up to £7,000.
4. Write to every tenant named on the tenancy. For joint tenancies, address the letter to all of them and give each a copy.
5. Give an address for service. In letters about rent, include an address in England or Wales where the tenant can serve notices on you. Under section 48 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987, rent is treated as not due until the tenant has been given one.
6. Respect a breathing space. If you're told the tenant is in a Debt Respite Scheme breathing space, stop contacting them about the debt, don't add interest, fees or charges, and don't serve an arrears notice or start a claim during it, unless the court allows it.
7. Keep copies. Save exactly what you sent, the date, and how you sent it.

How to send a letter and prove it arrived

How you send a letter matters most when you may need to rely on it later.

Document	How to send it
Informal letters (arrears reminder, entry request)	Email or post, whichever you normally use. For anything important, keep a copy and a record of sending
Form 3A and Form 4A	The method in your tenancy agreement if it sets one; otherwise by hand, at the property, or registered post. Email only if the agreement allows it
Letter before claim	By post, dated at the top and posted that day or the next. Email can be used as well, not instead
Information Sheet	A printed copy by hand or post, or the PDF attached to an email or text. Never a link

For Section 8 notices, GOV.UK recommends recording service on form N215 (certificate of service), or writing "served by [your name] on [the date]" on your copy. The same habit is worth keeping for every important letter: note who sent it, when, and how.

Rent arrears letters, in order

For unpaid rent, the templates work as a sequence. You won't need every step in every case.

1. First reminder. Send the rent arrears letter as soon as a payment is missed, with a rent statement. Ask the tenant to get in touch.
2. Talk and agree. If the tenant engages, agree a payment plan: interest-free, no charges, no more than 12 instalments within 12 months. Keep the rent statement up to date so the figures match.
3. Section 8 notice, if needed. If arrears keep building, Form 3A on the arrears grounds is the route to possession. Ground 8 needs at least 3 months' rent (monthly rent) or 13 weeks' rent (weekly or fortnightly rent) unpaid when you serve and at the hearing. Send it with the Section 8 cover letter.
4. Letter before claim, for a money claim. To claim the debt in court, for example after the tenant has left or from an individual guarantor, send a letter before claim that follows the Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims, and wait at least 30 days.

Read our rent arrears guides for the full picture, including Universal Credit and breathing space.

When a letter isn't enough

Templates suit straightforward situations where you know the facts and can prove them. Speak to a solicitor when:

• the tenant disputes the arrears or raises a disrepair counterclaim;
• the tenant has a defence to a possession claim;
• the letting is unusual, such as a company let or a mixed-use property;
• a payment plan needs to run longer than 12 months, or include interest or charges;
• access is being refused for a safety check and you're considering going to court.

We're not a law firm. Our templates and builders help you prepare documents and check them against the rules in force. You stay in control of what you send and serve.

What to do next

• Pick the template for your situation from the table above, or browse the full list below.
• Increasing the rent? Prepare Form 4A free from the Section 13 notice page, then add the rent increase letter.
• Dealing with arrears? Start with the rent arrears letter.