Assured periodic tenancy
The standard private tenancy in England since 1 May 2026: it rolls on month to month (or shorter) with no end date until the tenant or landlord ends it properly.
In short: An assured periodic tenancy has no fixed term: it runs from one rent period to the next until it is ended. Since 1 May 2026 it is the only kind of private assured tenancy a landlord in England can create, and existing assured shorthold tenancies became one on that day.
Tenancies and agreementsThe Renters’ Rights Act
England. Checked against the law on 5 October 2026. Information, not legal advice.
In practice an assured periodic tenancy means:
- No fixed term and no break clause. A clause that fixes a term has no effect.
- The tenant can leave with two months' notice at any time.
- The landlord can end it only on a ground for possession, with a section 8 notice and, if the tenant stays, a court order.
- Rent rises at most once a year, by a section 13 notice.
- Rent periods are monthly or 28 days or shorter (section 4A of the Housing Act 1988).
The law is the Housing Act 1988 as amended by the Renters' Rights Act 2025. Lettings outside the Act, such as a lodger in the landlord's own home or a genuine holiday let, are not assured tenancies.
Read more: The assured periodic tenancy explained
Related: Assured shorthold tenancy, Section 8 notice, Rent period
Where this comes from
Questions people ask
Can I still sign a 12-month tenancy in England?
Not as a fixed term. Any private assured tenancy made since 1 May 2026 is periodic from the start, and a clause fixing a term has no effect.
Guides on this
Guide
What changed for landlords on 1 May 2026
The Renters' Rights Act came into force in England on 1 May 2026. Section 21 is gone, every tenancy is now periodic, and rent rises follow one procedure. Here is what a self-managing landlord actually has to do differently.
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The Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet 2026: a record that you gave it
Landlords in England had to give existing tenants the Government's Information Sheet 2026 by 31 May 2026, as the document itself and not a link. What it is, and a short note to record when and how each tenant got it.
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The assured periodic tenancy explained
Every private tenancy in England is now an assured periodic tenancy. What that is, how it starts, how it ends, and what your agreement can and cannot say.
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Since 1 May 2026 a tenant in England can ask to keep a pet, and the landlord must not unreasonably refuse. How the request works, what counts as reasonable, and what you can ask for in return.
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Pet request
Since 1 May 2026 a private tenant in England can ask in writing to keep a pet, and the landlord must answer in writing within 28 days and cannot refuse unreasonably.
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The Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet
A short government document explaining the 2026 changes, which landlords had to give tenants with a written tenancy agreement from before 1 May 2026 by 31 May 2026.
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Assured shorthold tenancy (AST)
The usual private tenancy in England from 1997 until 30 April 2026. On 1 May 2026 existing ASTs became assured periodic tenancies and no new private ones can be made.
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Written statement of terms
The document a private landlord in England must give a tenant before a tenancy is made, setting out the key terms the law lists. Required since 1 May 2026.
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Check-in and check-out
The visits at the start and end of a tenancy where the home is inspected against the inventory, keys are handed over and meter readings are taken.
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Council tax liability
Who must pay council tax on a home. Usually the tenant living there; the owner for an HMO, an empty home or where nobody lives there as their main home.