Periodic tenancies: what self-managing landlords need to know about the shift away from fixed terms.

Periodic tenancies: what self-managing landlords need to know now fixed terms are gone.

Since 1 May 2026, every private residential tenancy in England is a periodic tenancy under the Renters' Rights Act 2025. Fixed term assured tenancies no longer exist, existing fixed terms converted automatically on that date, and tenants can end a tenancy with two months' notice at any time.

This article is for general information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Landlords should seek independent legal advice for their specific circumstances. It describes the position in England.

What is a periodic tenancy?

A periodic tenancy runs on a rolling basis, typically month by month, with no fixed end date. It continues until the landlord or the tenant ends it through the correct legal process. (Source: Private renting guidance, GOV.UK.)

Before 1 May 2026, most private tenancies began as fixed term assured shorthold tenancies of six or twelve months and rolled into a statutory periodic tenancy afterwards. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 removed the fixed term stage entirely. Every private tenancy in England is now periodic from day one. (Source: Guide to the Renters' Rights Act, GOV.UK.)

What happened to existing fixed term tenancies?

All existing fixed term tenancies converted to periodic tenancies on 1 May 2026. The conversion happened automatically in a single stage, so new and existing tenancies moved to the same system on the same day, with no two tier arrangement of old and new tenancy types.

Landlords cannot serve Section 21 notices, and any tenancy agreement clause purporting to create a fixed term has no effect. Leases with a fixed term of more than 21 years were removed from the assured tenancy system entirely, so long leasehold and Shared Ownership arrangements sit outside the new framework. (Source: Guide to the Renters' Rights Act, GOV.UK.)

How does a tenant end a periodic tenancy?

A tenant can end the tenancy at any time by giving two months' notice in writing, expiring at the end of a rent period. There is no minimum time the tenant must have lived in the property first, and no fixed term lock in. A clause in the agreement imposing different requirements on the tenant's notice has no effect. The rules on tenant notice and what happens next are covered separately.

How does a landlord end a periodic tenancy?

A landlord can only end a periodic tenancy by serving a Section 8 notice on Form 3A and proving one of the statutory grounds in Schedule 2 of the Housing Act 1988, as amended by the Renters' Rights Act 2025. (Source: Guide to the Renters' Rights Act, GOV.UK.)

Section 21 no fault eviction no longer exists. The grounds most relevant to landlords who need the property back are Ground 1A (intending to sell) and Ground 1 (the landlord or a close family member moving in). Both require four months' notice and neither can be used within the first 12 months of the tenancy. Ground 1A also brings a restriction on re-letting the property after possession, and landlords are advised to take legal advice on how that restricted period runs before relying on the ground. Every Section 8 ground and its notice period is covered separately.

What is the 12 month protected period?

Every tenancy now begins with a 12 month protected period during which the landlord cannot use the selling ground (1A) or the moving in ground (1). A landlord who lets a property and then decides to sell or move in within the first year must wait until the protected period ends before serving notice on those grounds. (Source: Guide to the Renters' Rights Act, GOV.UK.)

The protected period does not restrict other grounds. Rent arrears, antisocial behaviour, and breach of tenancy grounds can be used at any point in the tenancy.

How do rent increases work on a periodic tenancy?

Rent can be increased once in any 12 month period, only through the Section 13 procedure using prescribed Form 4A, with at least two months' notice. Rent review clauses ceased to have effect on 1 May 2026, so an increase served under a clause in the agreement is not valid however the agreement is worded.

A tenant who considers the proposed rent above market level can challenge it at the First-tier Tribunal before the effective date. The Tribunal cannot set a rent above the figure the landlord proposed, and where a challenge is made, the new rent takes effect from the date of the Tribunal's determination rather than being backdated. (Source: Guide to the Renters' Rights Act, GOV.UK.)

What about written tenancy agreements?

New tenancies must be accompanied by a written statement of prescribed terms before the tenancy begins. Existing agreements did not need to be reissued at conversion; instead, landlords with existing written tenancies were required to give every named tenant the official government Information Sheet by 31 May 2026. The written statement requirementsand the Information Sheet obligation are covered separately. Landlords who previously relied on verbal agreements now need a written document covering the prescribed information.

What this means for landlords

Tenancy templates with fixed term clauses are obsolete and should not be reused. Every possession route now runs through Section 8, so the compliance record behind the tenancy, including certificates, deposit protection, and proof of service, determines whether a claim succeeds. Rent reviews need a diary system of their own, because a missed Section 13 window cannot be recovered through the agreement. And any plan to sell or reoccupy a property needs to account for the 12 month protected period and the four month notice requirement from the outset.

LLCR records tenancy details, rent, certificates, and notices for each property and flags the deadlines that now govern periodic tenancies. Run a free two minute compliance check; no account is required.