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.
In short: An assured shorthold tenancy was the default private tenancy in England for almost thirty years, usually with a fixed term and the section 21 route to possession. The Renters' Rights Act ended it: on 1 May 2026 every existing private AST became an assured periodic tenancy.
Tenancies and agreementsThe Renters’ Rights Act
England. Checked against the law on 5 October 2026. Information, not legal advice.
Older agreements, adverts and letters still use the term, so it helps to know what changed.
- Before 1 May 2026: most private lets were ASTs (section 19A of the Housing Act 1988), often for six or twelve months, and the landlord could end one without a reason by a section 21 notice.
- On 1 May 2026: an existing private AST carried on with the same people, home and rent, but as an assured periodic tenancy. The fixed term and any break clause fell away, and section 21 was abolished.
- Since then: a new private tenancy cannot be an AST. Calling an agreement an AST does not make it one.
Tenants with a written agreement from before that date should have been given the government's Information Sheet by 31 May 2026.
Read more: What changed for landlords on 1 May 2026
Related: Assured periodic tenancy, Section 21 notice, Information Sheet
Where this comes from
Questions people ask
My agreement still says assured shorthold tenancy. Is it still valid?
The tenancy continues, but since 1 May 2026 it takes effect as an assured periodic tenancy. Terms that conflict with the new law, such as a fixed term, no longer work.
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.
Template
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.
Guide
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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Pet requests: you have to consider them
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
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The Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet
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Assured periodic tenancy
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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
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