A tenancy agreement is something every landlord should consider having in place. It sets out all the key information of the tenancy, such as when the rent is due and who’s responsible for maintenance.
But in 2026, the Renters’ Right Act introduced big changes for how tenancy agreements are written and managed in England.
Here’s what your assured periodic tenancy agreement should include, why you need one, and how to make sure it complies with the law.
The law has changed in England
The Renters’ Rights Act changed the law for landlords and tenants in England. As of 1 May 2026, assured shorthold tenancies for private rented properties in England are now periodic tenancy agreements.
You must issue an information sheet by 31 May for existing assured and assured shorthold tenancy agreements.
Separately, there’s a written statement of terms for new tenancies in England. You should share this instead of the information sheet for tenancies created after 1 May 2026.
Tenancy agreement changes: at a glance
- the end of fixed-terms – all fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies for private rental properties in England are abolished and replaced by a single system of periodic tenancies
- notice periods – tenants can end a tenancy at any time by giving two months’ notice
- Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions are banned – to reclaim a property to sell or move into, you must use Section 8 with four months’ notice, and these grounds can’t be used during the first 12 months of a tenancy
- rent increases – rent can increase once a year via Section 13 with two months’ notice
- pets – tenants have a legal right to request a pet (which you can’t unreasonably refuse)
- safety – agreements must now include summaries of safety obligations (gas safety, EICR, and Decent Homes Standard, for example)
- fines for non-compliance – failure to provide the correct documents or continuing to use prohibited clauses (like blanket pet bans or fixed-terms) can result in local authority fines of up to £7,000
UK regional differences
Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have always had different tenancy systems. Scotland has had open-ended private residential tenancies since 2017. Wales uses standard occupation contracts. Northern Ireland has separate rules.
This guide specifically applies to properties in England.
Periodic tenancies: a guide for landlords
- What is an assured periodic tenancy agreement?
- How to issue the government’s information sheet
- What happened to old assured shorthold tenancy agreements?
- Why do I need an assured periodic tenancy agreement?
- What to include in an assured periodic tenancy agreement
- Complying with the law
- What happens at the end of an assured periodic tenancy?
- Quick tenancy agreement tips for landlords
- Deposit schemes for assured tenancy agreements
- Tenant Fees Act 2019
- Tenancy agreement frequently asked questions
What is an assured periodic tenancy agreement?
A tenancy agreement in England is a contract between a landlord and their tenants, which sets out the legal terms and conditions of the tenancy.
Assured shorthold tenancy agreements will automatically become assured periodic tenancy agreements – meaning there’s no fixed end date.
It will likely be this type of tenancy agreement if:
- you’re a private landlord
- the property is your tenants’ main residence
- you don’t live in the property
Exceptions
A tenancy can’t be an assured periodic tenancy agreement if:
- you live in the property (and you have lodgers)
- the rent is in excess of £100,000 a year
- the rent is lower than £250 a year (lower than £1,000 if the property is in London)
- it’s a business or licensed premises
- it’s a holiday let
- it’s a purpose-built student let with university students and you’ve signed up to a National Code of practice
- it has a fixed term of more than 21 years
This guide is about assured periodic tenancies, which is the most common tenancy type in England. Our guide to different types of tenancy agreements in the UK has more information, including details on regulated tenancies, company lets, and non-assured tenancies.
The end of fixed-term tenancies
Tenancies can no longer be fixed agreements for most private rental properties in England (apart from the exceptions listed above).
This means you can’t include a fixed term of six or 12 months in your tenancy agreement. Any clause attempting to sign up a tenant for a set period will be legally void.
Notice periods are also affected as tenants will legally be able to end a tenancy at any time by giving two months’ notice.
Existing ASTs are automatically converted into assured periodic tenancies
Faye Schneider, Principal Associate Solicitor at ARAG Law explained what this change in the law means for landlords: “There’s no need to do anything with your current written agreements.
“For agreements that aren’t in writing, landlords may want to formalise agreements. However, we recommend that advice is taken before entering into any new agreements.
“For oral tenancies, there will be a requirement for landlords to provide a written statement of terms to tenants within a month of commencement of the Act.”
Issue an information sheet by 31 May
If you have a written fixed-term tenancy in place,you must provide your tenants with a government-produced information sheet by 31 May 2026. This explains your tenants’ new rights under the Act.
It’s important that you comply with the law. You could be fined up to £7,000 by your local authority if:
- you fail to share the information sheet by 31 May 2026
- you continue to use prohibited clauses (such as fixed terms, blanket bans on pets, and rent review clauses)
Faye Schneider stressed the importance of sharing the new documentation with your tenants. She said: “It’s crucial that all landlords and agents are aware of the requirement to provide the information sheet, because failure to do so could result in fines being imposed”
If the tenancy agreement is verbal, you must provide the full written statement of terms (as described above) by 31 May 2026. Any old clauses in current tenancy agreements, like blanket bans on pets or rent reviews, will become unenforceable.
What happened to old assured shorthold tenancies on 1 May 2026?
The Renters’ Rights Act means that assured shorthold tenancies (ASTs) will no longer apply to private rented agreements in England.
However, if you’re a landlord that lives in the property then the law hasn’t changed. Assured shorthold tenancies are still legal for lodgers and social housing tenants in England.
An assured shorthold tenancy is an agreement between the landlord and tenant that lasts for a minimum of six months. An AST can have a set term, such as six months or 12 months, or it can be periodic. A periodic tenancy is a rolling agreement between the landlord and tenant with no fixed end date.
Official Renters’ Rights Act guidance from the government.
Why do I need an assured periodic tenancy agreement?
Even if you don’t have a written contract with your tenant, a tenancy agreement will still be in place. Under s54(2) of the Law of Property Act 1925, a tenancy will exist as soon as a tenant starts paying rent.
However, having a written tenancy agreement allows you to make certain stipulations – such as how much rent is, when it’s due, and if utilities are included.
Without a written agreement you won’t even be able to prove how much rent the tenant owes you, and may find yourself caught out.
What to include in an assured periodic tenancy agreement
There are a number of things that you can include in a tenancy agreement, such as:
- a written statement – with specific information from the government
- core details – full names of all landlords and tenants, the property address, and the date the tenant is first entitled to possession
- financial details – the rent amount, when it’s due, and the deposit amount
- rent increases – a statement confirming any future rent increases will only be made with a Section 13 notice (limited to once a year and capped at market rates)
- bills and utilities – a clear breakdown of any utilities that are included in the rent and any that are the tenant’s responsibility
- possession grounds – a statement explaining that you can only end the tenancy through a court order using valid legal grounds (such as selling or moving back in)
The Renters’ Rights Act introduces implied terms that must be respected, even if they aren’t written into your existing agreement. These implied terms are:
- the right to a pet – tenants now have a legal right to request a pet, and you can’t unreasonably refuse this request
- safety summaries – your written statement must now include a summary of your obligations regarding gas safety, Electrical Safety (EICR), and the Decent Homes Standard
There are other legal obligations that you might want to mention, including things like:
- how tenants can request adaptations to the property
- whether the property can be sublet
- your obligations, such as repairs to the property, and the tenant’s responsibilities
Read our guide to landlord redecoration – how often should you redecorate and what features are tenants most attracted to?
Complying with the law
If you’re considering making amendments to an assured periodic tenancy agreement, you need to make sure that those changes comply with the law.
It’s illegal to discriminate against potential tenants on the grounds of:
- age
- gender reassignment
- being married or in a civil partnership
- being pregnant or on maternity leave
- disability
- race, including colour, nationality, ethnic, or national origin
- religion or belief
- sex
- sexual orientation
- being in receipt of benefits
- having children/families
You can continue to choose a suitable tenant based on their references and affordability checks however.
If you have any concerns about what you can or can’t include in your assured periodic tenancy agreement, you should talk to your solicitor.
Meanwhile, our guide to DSS tenants explains more about discrimination and what you can’t include in rental property adverts.
What happens at the end of an assured periodic tenancy?
Assured periodic tenancies are rolling agreements – so there’s no fixed end date. This means there are new rules around how landlords can regain possession of a property.
Under the Housing Act 1988, you must serve a legal notice to tenants if you wish to end the tenancy agreement early. The Renters’ Rights Act has amended this and removed the right to evict tenants without giving a reason.
Section 21 evictions have been abolished, so you’ll need to use a Section 8 notice if you need the property back. However, you can only use a Section 8 in certain circumstances:
- selling or moving back into your property – you can evict a tenant if you or a family member wants to move in, or if you intend to sell. However, these grounds can’t be used during the first 12 months of a new tenancy, and you must provide four months’ notice
- rent arrears – the mandatory threshold for rent arrears has increased from two months to three months, and the notice period has doubled from two weeks to four weeks
Your tenant must give at least two months’ notice if they want to leave the property. And you can’t set out how they must give notice.
Your assured periodic tenancy agreement notice period must fit in with legal guidelines. Read the government’s guide to assured periodic tenancy agreements for more on how to end a tenancy.
Liability cover for void periods and unoccupied properties
Because rolling periodic agreements give tenants the flexibility to move out with shorter notice, landlords may face unexpected gaps between tenancies. If your property sits empty while you look for new tenants, standard insurance might not protect you.
Making sure you have dedicated buy-to-let landlord insurance with unoccupied property cover can help with liability costs if your empty property is blamed for an injury or property damage,
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Quick tenancy agreement tips for landlords
Here are some things to consider when organising your tenancy agreement:
- make sure any clauses around subjects like subletting and smoking are clear
- assured periodic tenancy notice periods should be set out clearly and comply with the law
- once signed, give your tenants a copy of the agreement so they can refer to it throughout the tenancy
- if you want to make changes to the agreement, make sure you have permission from your tenants
Deposit schemes for assured periodic tenancy agreements
For properties in England and Wales you have a choice of three deposit schemes:
Scotland has its own choice of tenancy deposit schemes, as does Northern Ireland.
Our guide to deposit protection schemes for landlords explains everything you need to know.
Deposit-free renting
Tenants with assured periodic tenancies can also use a deposit-free scheme.
This deposit alternative allows tenants to pay a small upfront fee (usually around one week’s rent) to take out an insurance policy.
The insurance covers any damage or loss to the landlord’s property, with renters responsible for any outstanding payments at the end of the tenancy.
Read our guide to deposit-free renting for more information.
Tenant Fees Act 2019
The introduction of the Tenant Fees Act 2019 means that landlords and their letting agents can no longer charge tenants fees for things like inventories and referencing.
The Renters’ Rights Act builds on this by specifically banning bidding wars between tenants and capping high up-front payments. Amendments to the Tenant Fees Act mean landlords can no longer require rent paid in advance of any contract being signed. They can however continue to require a holding deposit, which is capped at one week’s rent, while checks are being made.
Read our article to understand which fees landlords can still charge their tenants.
Property law is a complex subject and not following the rules could result in a fine. It’s a good idea to seek professional advice and read the government website on the Renters’ Rights Act if you’re not sure of anything.
Tenancy agreement frequently asked questions
Do I need to re-issue existing tenancy agreements?
No, existing written agreements automatically convert to periodic tenancies on 1 May 2026. You don’t need to re-issue them, but you must provide an official information sheet to your tenant by 31 May 2026.
Are fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies still used in England?
No. From 1 May 2026, all assured tenancies in England are periodic.
Can landlords still evict tenants in England?
Yes, landlords can still evict tenants, but only with valid Section 8 grounds.
How much notice do tenants need to give?
Tenants can give two months’ notice under periodic tenancies in England.
How often can rent increase?
You can increase your rent once a year using Section 13 with two months’ notice.
Do these rules apply across the UK?
No. Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have different systems.
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