Quick answer
An assured periodic tenancy is a rolling tenancy that runs weekly or monthly, in line with how rent is paid, with no end date. Since 1 May 2026 almost all new private tenancies in England are assured periodic tenancies, and existing assured shorthold tenancies converted to them automatically. Tenants can end the tenancy with 2 months' notice; landlords need a legal ground for possession.
- Rolls weekly or monthly with no fixed term.
- Tenant notice: up to 2 months, ending on a rent day or the day before, unless both sides agree otherwise in writing.
- Landlord must use a section 8 ground and usually a court order. Section 21 no longer applies.
- Rent can usually be increased only once a year using Form 4A (section 13).
What is an assured periodic tenancy?
A periodic tenancy is one where the 'period' is the rent period. If rent is paid monthly, the tenancy runs month to month. If rent is paid weekly, it runs week to week. There is no date on which the tenancy simply ends.
'Assured' means the tenant has security of tenure under the Housing Act 1988. The landlord cannot end the tenancy just because a period has finished. They must rely on one of the statutory grounds for possession and, if the tenant does not leave, get a possession order from the court.
Before the Renters' Rights Act 2025, most private tenancies were assured shorthold tenancies with a fixed term that often became periodic afterwards. The new system removes the fixed term and the shorthold 'no fault' route altogether.
Who it applies to
An assured periodic tenancy generally applies where all of these are true:
- The property is in England.
- It is let as a separate dwelling to one or more individuals.
- The tenant (or at least one joint tenant) lives there as their only or main home.
- The landlord is a private landlord, not a resident landlord sharing the home.
Lodgers who share the landlord's home, holiday lets, most company lets, student halls and social housing follow different rules. If you are unsure, check the official guidance or get advice before creating an agreement.
Assured periodic tenancy vs assured shorthold tenancy
| Feature | Assured shorthold (before 1 May 2026) | Assured periodic (from 1 May 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed term | Common, often 6 or 12 months | Not allowed |
| No fault eviction | Section 21 available | Abolished |
| Landlord possession | Section 21 or section 8 | Section 8 grounds only |
| Tenant leaving | Usually not during a fixed term | Up to 2 months' notice at any time |
| Rent increases | Rent review clause or section 13 | Section 13 process, normally once a year |
| Pets | Landlord could refuse | Landlord must not unreasonably refuse |
For a fuller comparison, read what replaced the assured shorthold tenancy.
What an assured periodic tenancy agreement should include
For a tenancy created after 1 May 2026, the landlord must give the tenant specified written information before the tenancy is agreed. The clearest way is a written agreement that covers:
- Names of the landlord and every tenant, and an address for serving notices on the landlord.
- The property address and what is included.
- The start date, the rent, the rent period and the payment day.
- How rent can be increased (the section 13 process).
- Which bills are included, and any bills the tenant pays to the landlord.
- The deposit amount and how it is protected.
- How the tenant can end the tenancy, and that the landlord must use a statutory ground.
- Repair responsibilities, fitness for habitation, and gas and electrical safety.
- How a tenant can request consent for a pet or disability adaptations.
Our builder turns each of these into a plain-English clause. You can start an agreement and see a watermarked sample before paying anything.
How an assured periodic tenancy ends
If the tenant wants to leave, they can give notice in writing, for example by letter, email or text. The notice should generally be 2 months and end on the day rent is due or the day before. The landlord and tenant can agree in writing to a shorter notice period or to end the tenancy earlier.
If the landlord wants the property back, they must serve a section 8 notice using one or more grounds for possession and give the correct notice period. For selling or moving in, that is 4 months, and it cannot end within the first 12 months of the tenancy. Other grounds, such as rent arrears or antisocial behaviour, have shorter periods. See our notice periods guide and section 8 guide.
Rent, rent in advance and deposits
A landlord cannot ask for, encourage or accept rent before the agreement is signed. After signing and before the tenancy starts, the usual maximum advance is one month's rent for a monthly tenancy or 28 days' rent for a tenancy with a shorter rent period.
Deposits are normally capped at 5 weeks' rent where annual rent is under £50,000, and must be protected in a government-approved scheme with prescribed information given within 30 days.
Rent can usually be increased only once a year, and not in the first 12 months, by serving Form 4A with at least 2 months' notice. Read the section 13 rent increase guide.
Joint tenants and sharers
Where two or more people rent together on one agreement, they are usually joint tenants. Each is responsible for the whole rent, not just a share. If one joint tenant gives valid notice, it can end the tenancy for everyone, so sharers should agree how they will handle someone leaving. Read our joint tenancy agreement guide.
Landlord duties alongside the agreement
The agreement records the terms, but many landlord duties come from the law, whatever the agreement says. These include keeping the property safe and fit to live in, gas and electrical safety checks, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, protecting the deposit and checking right to rent. See the full landlord responsibilities checklist.
Example: the life of an assured periodic tenancy
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| Before signing | Landlord gives the required written information, checks right to rent, no rent taken yet. |
| Signing | Both sides sign. Up to 1 month's rent in advance can be taken. |
| Within 30 days of deposit | Deposit protected and prescribed information given. |
| Move in | Inventory checked, gas safety record, EICR and EPC given. |
| After 12 months | Earliest point for a section 13 rent increase to take effect. |
| Any time | Tenant can give 2 months' notice to leave. |
| After 12 months | Landlord can rely on selling or moving in grounds, with 4 months' notice. |
Tenancies that are not assured periodic
GOV.UK lists situations where a tenancy is not an assured periodic tenancy, including where:
- the landlord lives in the property,
- it is purpose-built student accommodation let to students by a provider signed up to an approved code,
- the rent is more than £100,000 a year,
- the rent is less than £250 a year, or less than £1,000 in London,
- it is a business tenancy, licensed premises or a holiday let,
- the tenancy has a fixed term of over 21 years.
Tenancies that began before 15 January 1989 may be regulated tenancies with different rights.
Common questions
How long does an assured periodic tenancy last?
It has no set length. It continues from one rent period to the next until the tenant gives notice, both sides agree to end it, or the landlord recovers possession using a legal ground.
Can I have a 12 month fixed term under the new rules?
No. From 1 May 2026 an assured tenancy in England cannot have a fixed end date. Any end date in the agreement no longer applies.
Does my existing tenancy need a new agreement?
If there is already a written agreement, no. The landlord must instead give the tenant the government's Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet. Where the tenancy was only verbal, the landlord must give written information about the key terms.
How much notice does a tenant give on an assured periodic tenancy?
Normally 2 months, in writing, ending on a rent day or the day before. Both sides can agree a shorter period in writing.
Is a periodic tenancy the same as a rolling contract?
In everyday language, yes. 'Rolling', 'month to month' and 'periodic' all describe a tenancy without a fixed end date.
Can a landlord end an assured periodic tenancy in the first year?
Not for selling or moving in, because that notice cannot end within the first 12 months. Fault-based grounds such as serious rent arrears or antisocial behaviour can be used at any time.
Can an assured periodic tenancy be weekly?
Yes. The period follows how rent is paid, for example weekly or monthly. It cannot be longer than a month at a time.
Official sources
We check these pages against official GOV.UK guidance. This page is general information for England, not legal advice for your situation.
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