Provision of rent books for weekly tenancies LTA 1985 s. 4
Landlord must provide a rent book for weekly tenancies (LTA 1985 s.4) unless rent includes board of substantial value; excludes Wales occupation contracts.
Where a tenant has a right to occupy premises as a residence in consideration of a rent payable weekly, the landlord shall provide a rent book or other similar document for use in respect of the premises. Subsection (1) does not apply to premises if the rent includes a payment in respect of board and the value of that board to the tenant forms a substantial proportion of the whole rent. In this section and sections 5 to 7— “ tenant ” includes a statutory tenant and a person having a contractual right to occupy the premises; and “ landlord ”, in relation to a person having such a contractual right, means the person who granted the right or any successor in title of his, as the case may require. This section does not apply to occupation contracts within the meaning of section 7 of the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 (anaw 1) .
Text in force at .
Source: legislation.gov.uk — The National Archives (legislation.gov.uk), reproduced under licence Open Government Licence v3.0.
What it actually says
If you pay rent weekly to live in a property, your landlord must give you a rent book or a similar document. This applies even if you are a statutory tenant or have a contractual right to stay – the law calls both of you a "tenant". The landlord includes the person who granted the right or anyone who later becomes the owner.
However, no rent book is required if your rent includes board (meals, for example) and the value of that board makes up a large part of the total rent. The law does not say exactly what "substantial proportion" means; it depends on the facts.
This section does not apply to occupation contracts under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016. Separate rules cover that type of tenancy in Wales.
When it applies
- A tenant who pays rent weekly is not given a rent book by the landlord.
- A landlord provides meals worth more than half the weekly rent, so no rent book is given.
- A person with a contractual right to occupy (not a formal tenancy) asks for a rent book and the landlord refuses.
- A company landlord fails to supply a rent book to a weekly tenant, which is an offence under section 7.
What this section does not say
- This provision does not apply to monthly or longer tenancies – only weekly rent periods.
- It does not apply to occupation contracts in Wales (see the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016).
- It does not list what information must be in the rent book – that is covered in section 5.
- It does not allow a tenant to withhold rent if no rent book is provided – the landlord commits an offence under section 7, but the tenant must still pay rent.
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This page reproduces the text of LTA 1985 s. 4 in force at the date shown and explains it in general terms. It is not legal advice and takes no account of the circumstances of your case, which can change the answer completely. For a live dispute, for limitation periods, and before taking any step in court, consult a qualified lawyer in England and Wales.