Periodic Tenancies Under the Renters' Rights Act 2025: A Landlord's Guide

From 1 May 2026, every assured tenancy in England becomes periodic by default. Here's exactly what changes for landlords — notice periods, rent reviews, and how to prepare existing fixed-term ASTs.

<pThe Renters' Rights Act 2025 abolishes fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies entirely. From <strong1 May 2026</strong, all new and existing assured tenancies in England roll onto a single periodic structure with a monthly rent period. If you're a landlord, this is one of the biggest structural changes since the Housing Act 1988.</p

<h2What is a periodic tenancy under the new law?</h2 <pA periodic tenancy rolls on indefinitely, one rent period at a time, until either the tenant gives notice or the landlord serves a valid Section 8 ground for possession. There's no fixed end date, no automatic renewal, and no statutory periodic conversion — every assured tenancy is periodic from day one.</p

<h2Key changes from 1 May 2026</h2 <ul <li<strongNo more fixed terms:</strong 6-month and 12-month ASTs are gone. You cannot lock a tenant in.</li <li<strongTenant notice period:</strong Tenants can leave with <strong2 months' written notice</strong, at any time, for any reason.</li <li<strongRent period:</strong Must be monthly or shorter. Quarterly or annual rent periods are prohibited.</li <li<strongSection 21 abolished:</strong No more "no-fault" evictions — possession requires a Section 8 ground.</li <li<strongExisting ASTs convert automatically:</strong Any fixed-term AST in force on 1 May 2026 becomes periodic on that date, regardless of when it was signed.</li </ul

<h2How does this affect rent increases?</h2 <pRent can only be increased once every 12 months using a <strongSection 13 notice</strong, with at least 2 months' notice before the new rent takes effect. Tenants have a statutory right to challenge the increase at the First-tier Tribunal if they believe it exceeds market rent. Rent review clauses in tenancy agreements that try to increase rent more frequently — or by a fixed formula — are unenforceable under the new regime.</p

<h2What should landlords do before 1 May 2026?</h2 <ol <li<strongAudit your tenancy agreements.</strong Any fixed-term AST signed now will convert to periodic on 1 May 2026 even if the term hasn't expired. Make sure your agreement still works as a periodic document — particularly clauses about rent reviews, break rights, and end-of-term obligations.</li <li<strongUpdate your possession strategy.</strong Section 21 was abolished in England on 1 May 2026 and can no longer be used to regain possession at the end of a fixed term. Possession now requires a valid Section 8 ground — plan around the reformed grounds such as Ground 1 (moving in), Ground 1A (selling) and Ground 8 (serious rent arrears).</li <li<strongDiary your rent reviews.</strong Build a 12-month cadence. Two consecutive Section 13 notices within a 12-month window are invalid.</li <li<strongTighten your record-keeping.</strong With Section 21 gone, every Section 8 case will turn on documentary evidence — rent ledgers, communications, certificate compliance, and breach notices. <a href="/possession-pack"Court-ready evidence packs</a will become standard practice.</li </ol

<h2What about student lets and short fixed terms?</h2 <pThe Act creates a narrow exception for <strongpurpose-built student accommodation</strong let to full-time students under fixed terms aligned with the academic year (Ground 4A in Schedule 2). Standard HMO student lets in shared houses do <emnot</em qualify and become periodic like any other tenancy.</p

<h2Common landlord questions</h2 <h3Can I still ask for 6 months' rent up front?</h3 <pNo. The Act prohibits demanding more than one month's rent in advance at the start of a tenancy.</p

<h3What if my tenant wants to stay long-term?</h3 <pPeriodic tenancies <emare</em long-term — they continue indefinitely. The difference is that the tenant has more flexibility to leave, and you can no longer use Section 21 to ask them to leave without cause. If they pay rent on time and don't breach the agreement, the tenancy continues.</p

<h3Do I need to issue new tenancy agreements?</h3 <pExisting ASTs convert automatically — you don't need to re-sign. But you should review the document and may want to issue an addendum confirming the new periodic terms for clarity.</p

<h2Get prepared with LetSentry</h2 <pLetSentry tracks every tenancy, automates Section 13 rent increase reminders on a 12-month cycle, and builds court-ready possession packs from your live data. <a href="/auth"Start free with one property</a and have your portfolio ready for 1 May 2026.</p

Sources: - https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3764 - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guide-to-the-renters-rights-bill - https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2025/32/contents

Published: 2026-04-23.

Last reviewed: 2026-08-30.

General summary; not legal advice.