Offences for failure to provide rent book – LTA 1985 s. 7
Summary offence for landlord/agent failing to provide rent book or info; fine up to level 4. Further offence if default continues >14 days after conviction.
If the landlord of premises to which section 4(1) applies (premises occupied as a residence at a weekly rent) fails to comply with any relevant requirement of— section 4 (provision of rent book), section 5 (information to be contained in rent book), or section 6 (information to be supplied by companies), he commits a summary offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale. If a person demands or receives rent on behalf of the landlord of such premises while any relevant requirement of— section 4 (provision of rent book), or section 5 (information to be contained in rent book), is not complied with, then, unless he shows he neither knew nor had reasonable cause to suspect that any such requirement had not been complied with, he commits a summary offence and is liable to a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale. If a person fails to comply with a requirement imposed on him by section 6(2) (duty to forward request to landlord), he commits a summary offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale. If a default in respect of which— a landlord is convicted under subsection (1), or another person is convicted of an offence under subsection (3), continues for more than 14 days after the conviction, the landlord or other person commits a further offence under that subsection in respect of the default.
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
This section creates criminal offences for landlords and their agents who handle residential weekly tenancies (premises occupied as a residence at a weekly rent) and fail to comply with the rent book and information duties in sections 4, 5, and 6.
A landlord commits a summary offence if they do not provide a rent book (section 4), omit required information from it (section 5), or fail to supply information that companies must give (section 6). A person who demands or receives rent on the landlord's behalf while those duties are unfulfilled also commits a summary offence – unless they prove they neither knew nor had reasonable cause to suspect the non‑compliance. A separate offence covers anyone who fails to forward a tenant’s request to the landlord as required by section 6(2).
If a default that led to a conviction under any of those subsections continues for more than 14 days after the conviction, the landlord or other person commits a further offence under the same subsection. All offences are summary only and carry a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale.
When it applies
- A landlord rents out a flat on a weekly basis but never gives the tenant a rent book.
- A landlord provides a rent book that omits the landlord's name and address as required by section 5.
- A letting agent collects weekly rent from tenants even though the landlord has not supplied a rent book to any of them.
- A company that owns weekly‑let properties does not give its tenant the information required by section 6, and the tenant’s written request for it is ignored by an employee.
- After being convicted for not providing a rent book, the landlord still fails to give one for three weeks.
What this section does not say
- Monthly or other periodic tenancies that are not weekly – those are not covered by section 4(1) and therefore not by this offence.
- The specific information that must appear in a rent book – that is set out in section 5, not in section 7.
- Civil remedies such as rent repayment orders or damages for disrepair – this section only creates criminal liability.
- Offences by a body corporate itself – the liability of directors and officers is dealt with in section 33 of the same Act.
That's the law. Now let's settle your problem.
Say what is happening. A neutral mediator hears your side and the other party's, and walks you both to a written agreement. In the advanced settings you can ask for the decision to be reasoned on the Acts of Parliament that apply in England and Wales.
Or open a session directly and invite the other party.
We copy this text from the official publisher and re-check it against that source on every page load, but we cannot guarantee it is complete, current or free of error, and we accept no liability for any reliance on it. An amendment can take effect before a consolidation catches up. The publisher's own copy is linked below; where the two differ, it is the official one that counts.
This page reproduces the text of LTA 1985 s. 7 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.