diff --git a/moto/route53/models.py b/moto/route53/models.py
index cfa4d3273..52c6620ad 100644
--- a/moto/route53/models.py
+++ b/moto/route53/models.py
@@ -128,10 +128,10 @@ class RecordSet(CloudFormationModel):
     def __init__(self, kwargs):
         self.name = kwargs.get("Name")
         self.type_ = kwargs.get("Type")
-        self.ttl = kwargs.get("TTL")
+        self.ttl = kwargs.get("TTL", 0)
         self.records = kwargs.get("ResourceRecords", [])
         self.set_identifier = kwargs.get("SetIdentifier")
-        self.weight = kwargs.get("Weight")
+        self.weight = kwargs.get("Weight", 0)
         self.region = kwargs.get("Region")
         self.health_check = kwargs.get("HealthCheckId")
         self.hosted_zone_name = kwargs.get("HostedZoneName")
@@ -197,55 +197,6 @@ class RecordSet(CloudFormationModel):
     def physical_resource_id(self):
         return self.name
 
-    def to_xml(self):
-        template = Template(
-            """<ResourceRecordSet>
-                <Name>{{ record_set.name }}</Name>
-                <Type>{{ record_set.type_ }}</Type>
-                {% if record_set.set_identifier %}
-                    <SetIdentifier>{{ record_set.set_identifier }}</SetIdentifier>
-                {% endif %}
-                {% if record_set.weight %}
-                    <Weight>{{ record_set.weight }}</Weight>
-                {% endif %}
-                {% if record_set.region %}
-                    <Region>{{ record_set.region }}</Region>
-                {% endif %}
-                {% if record_set.ttl %}
-                    <TTL>{{ record_set.ttl }}</TTL>
-                {% endif %}
-                {% if record_set.failover %}
-                    <Failover>{{ record_set.failover }}</Failover>
-                {% endif %}
-                {% if record_set.geo_location %}
-                <GeoLocation>
-                {% for geo_key in ['ContinentCode','CountryCode','SubdivisionCode'] %}
-                  {% if record_set.geo_location[geo_key] %}<{{ geo_key }}>{{ record_set.geo_location[geo_key] }}</{{ geo_key }}>{% endif %}
-                {% endfor %}
-                </GeoLocation>
-                {% endif %}
-                {% if record_set.alias_target %}
-                <AliasTarget>
-                    <HostedZoneId>{{ record_set.alias_target['HostedZoneId'] }}</HostedZoneId>
-                    <DNSName>{{ record_set.alias_target['DNSName'] }}</DNSName>
-                    <EvaluateTargetHealth>{{ record_set.alias_target['EvaluateTargetHealth'] }}</EvaluateTargetHealth>
-                </AliasTarget>
-                {% else %}
-                <ResourceRecords>
-                    {% for record in record_set.records %}
-                    <ResourceRecord>
-                        <Value>{{ record|e }}</Value>
-                    </ResourceRecord>
-                    {% endfor %}
-                </ResourceRecords>
-                {% endif %}
-                {% if record_set.health_check %}
-                    <HealthCheckId>{{ record_set.health_check }}</HealthCheckId>
-                {% endif %}
-            </ResourceRecordSet>"""
-        )
-        return template.render(record_set=self)
-
     def delete(self, *args, **kwargs):
         """Not exposed as part of the Route 53 API - used for CloudFormation. args are ignored"""
         hosted_zone = route53_backend.get_hosted_zone_by_name(self.hosted_zone_name)
diff --git a/moto/route53/responses.py b/moto/route53/responses.py
index 4b5f4bea7..16866eb61 100644
--- a/moto/route53/responses.py
+++ b/moto/route53/responses.py
@@ -314,11 +314,55 @@ CHANGE_TAGS_FOR_RESOURCE_RESPONSE = """<ChangeTagsForResourceResponse xmlns="htt
 </ChangeTagsForResourceResponse>
 """
 
-LIST_RRSET_RESPONSE = """<ListResourceRecordSetsResponse xmlns="https://route53.amazonaws.com/doc/2012-12-12/">
+LIST_RRSET_RESPONSE = """<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<ListResourceRecordSetsResponse xmlns="https://route53.amazonaws.com/doc/2012-12-12/">
    <ResourceRecordSets>
-   {% for record_set in record_sets %}
-      {{ record_set.to_xml() }}
-   {% endfor %}
+       {% for record in record_sets %}
+       <ResourceRecordSet>
+           <Name>{{ record.name }}</Name>
+           <Type>{{ record.type_ }}</Type>
+           {% if record.set_identifier %}
+               <SetIdentifier>{{ record.set_identifier }}</SetIdentifier>
+           {% endif %}
+           {% if record.weight %}
+               <Weight>{{ record.weight }}</Weight>
+           {% endif %}
+           {% if record.region %}
+               <Region>{{ record.region }}</Region>
+           {% endif %}
+           {% if record.ttl %}
+               <TTL>{{ record.ttl }}</TTL>
+           {% endif %}
+           {% if record.failover %}
+               <Failover>{{ record.failover }}</Failover>
+           {% endif %}
+           {% if record.geo_location %}
+           <GeoLocation>
+           {% for geo_key in ['ContinentCode','CountryCode','SubdivisionCode'] %}
+             {% if record.geo_location[geo_key] %}<{{ geo_key }}>{{ record.geo_location[geo_key] }}</{{ geo_key }}>{% endif %}
+           {% endfor %}
+           </GeoLocation>
+           {% endif %}
+           {% if record.alias_target %}
+           <AliasTarget>
+               <HostedZoneId>{{ record.alias_target['HostedZoneId'] }}</HostedZoneId>
+               <DNSName>{{ record.alias_target['DNSName'] }}</DNSName>
+               <EvaluateTargetHealth>{{ record.alias_target['EvaluateTargetHealth'] }}</EvaluateTargetHealth>
+           </AliasTarget>
+           {% else %}
+           <ResourceRecords>
+               {% for resource in record.records %}
+               <ResourceRecord>
+                   <Value><![CDATA[{{ resource }}]]></Value>
+               </ResourceRecord>
+               {% endfor %}
+           </ResourceRecords>
+           {% endif %}
+           {% if record.health_check %}
+               <HealthCheckId>{{ record.health_check }}</HealthCheckId>
+           {% endif %}
+        </ResourceRecordSet>
+       {% endfor %}
    </ResourceRecordSets>
    <IsTruncated>false</IsTruncated>
 </ListResourceRecordSetsResponse>"""
diff --git a/tests/test_route53/test_server.py b/tests/test_route53/test_server.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..21ab9e80f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_route53/test_server.py
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+import sure  # noqa # pylint: disable=unused-import
+import xmltodict
+
+import moto.server as server
+
+
+def test_list_recordset():
+    backend = server.create_backend_app("route53")
+    test_client = backend.test_client()
+
+    # create hosted zone
+    request_data = '<CreateHostedZoneRequest xmlns="https://route53.amazonaws.com/doc/2013-04-01/"><Name>example.com</Name><CallerReference>2014-04-01-18:47</CallerReference></CreateHostedZoneRequest>'
+    res = test_client.post("2013-04-01/hostedzone", data=request_data)
+    body = parse_xml(res.data)
+    zone_id = body["CreateHostedZoneResponse"]["HostedZone"]["Id"].rsplit("/")[-1]
+
+    # change record set
+    # Contains a special character
+    request_data = '<ChangeResourceRecordSetsRequest xmlns="https://route53.amazonaws.com/doc/2013-04-01/"><ChangeBatch><Changes><Change><Action>CREATE</Action><ResourceRecordSet><Name>n.example.com</Name><Type>TXT</Type><SetIdentifier>string</SetIdentifier><Weight>1</Weight><Region>us-east-1</Region><ResourceRecords><ResourceRecord><Value>val&amp;sth</Value></ResourceRecord></ResourceRecords></ResourceRecordSet></Change></Changes></ChangeBatch></ChangeResourceRecordSetsRequest>'
+    test_client.post(f"2013-04-01/hostedzone/{zone_id}/rrset/", data=request_data)
+
+    # list record set
+    res = test_client.get(f"2013-04-01/hostedzone/{zone_id}/rrset")
+    # Ampersand should be properly encoded
+    res.data.decode("utf-8").should.contain("<Value><![CDATA[val&sth]]></Value>")
+
+
+def parse_xml(body):
+    return xmltodict.parse(body, dict_constructor=dict)