Periodic Tenancy UK 2026: How Rolling Tenancies Work After the Renters Rights Act

Periodic Tenancies: The New Normal for Private Renting in England

From 1 May 2026, all private assured tenancies in England are periodic. The concept of a fixed-term assured shorthold tenancy has been removed from English law by Section 1 of the Renters Rights Act 2025. Every new tenancy started on or after that date is a periodic tenancy from the outset. Every tenancy that was in a fixed term on 1 May 2026 automatically converted to a periodic tenancy on that date, with no action required by either party. This was the largest simultaneous conversion of tenancy types in the history of English housing law, affecting approximately 4.6 million private rented households in England.

A periodic tenancy has no fixed end date. It runs from one rent period to the next indefinitely, until either the landlord or the tenant takes steps to end it. For a monthly tenancy, each period runs from one rent due date to the next. The tenancy continues until the tenant gives 2 months written notice to leave or the landlord successfully recovers possession under Section 8.

What Happened to Existing Fixed-Term Tenancies on 1 May 2026

Every assured shorthold tenancy that was in a fixed term on 1 May 2026 automatically became an assured periodic tenancy on that date by operation of law. The landlord and tenant did not need to sign a new agreement, serve a notice, or take any other action for the conversion to take effect. The other terms of the existing tenancy agreement continued to apply, including the rent amount, the deposit arrangements, the obligations of the parties, and any inventory or condition report.

The only things that changed automatically were the fixed-term nature of the agreement and the landlord ability to use Section 21. Both ceased to apply from 1 May 2026. A tenant who was in the middle of a 12-month fixed term on 30 April 2026 woke up on 1 May 2026 as a periodic tenant with the right to give 2 months notice to leave and full protection against Section 21.

Landlords were required to serve the official Renters Rights Act 2025 Information Sheet on all existing tenants by 31 May 2026, explaining how the conversion had affected their tenancy. Failure to serve the Information Sheet by 31 May 2026 carries a civil penalty of up to 7,000 pounds per tenancy.

How Periodic Tenancies Work in Practice

A periodic tenancy runs from period to period. Under the Renters Rights Act 2025, rent periods cannot exceed one calendar month. Any existing tenancy agreement that provided for quarterly or other longer rent periods was converted to monthly periods on 1 May 2026, with rent apportioned accordingly under the formula set out in Section 1(6) of the Act.

The tenancy continues indefinitely until ended. There is no automatic end date, no need to serve a renewal notice, and no requirement for either party to do anything to keep the tenancy running. It simply continues from month to month until action is taken.

A tenant who wants to leave gives 2 months written notice to the landlord. The notice can be given at any time, does not need to align with a rent due date, and does not require any minimum occupation period to have elapsed. A tenant who moved in yesterday can in principle give notice today, though they remain liable for rent until the notice period expires.

How a Tenant Ends a Periodic Tenancy

The tenant must give at least 2 months written notice to the landlord. The notice does not need to be in a prescribed form but must be in writing. An email is sufficient provided there is evidence of receipt. The notice period runs from the date the landlord receives the notice, not the date it was sent. Tenants should keep evidence of delivery.

The tenant remains liable for rent until the notice period expires. If the tenant vacates before the notice period expires, they may still owe rent for the remaining days unless the landlord agrees to an early release or re-lets the property, in which case the landlord cannot charge double rent. A tenant who gives notice and then changes their mind should negotiate with the landlord as soon as possible: the landlord is not obliged to accept a withdrawal of notice.

There is no requirement for the tenant to specify a reason for leaving. The right to give 2 months notice and end the tenancy is unconditional. No penalty can be imposed on a tenant for exercising this right.

How a Landlord Ends a Periodic Tenancy

A landlord can only end a periodic tenancy by serving a Section 8 notice specifying a valid ground from Schedule 2 to the Housing Act 1988. The landlord must give the required notice period for the ground being relied upon, which ranges from immediate in serious anti-social behaviour cases to 4 months for selling or moving in. If the tenant does not leave voluntarily, the landlord must apply to the county court for a possession order.

A landlord cannot end a periodic tenancy by simply asking the tenant to leave, by sending an informal letter, or by refusing to accept rent. None of these actions ends a periodic tenancy. The only legally effective mechanism is a correctly served Section 8 notice followed, if necessary, by court proceedings.

Tenancy Agreements for Periodic Tenancies

All new tenancies in England must have a written tenancy agreement. The Renters Rights Act 2025 requires the agreement to contain specific information to be set out in secondary legislation. Until that secondary legislation is in force, landlords should ensure their agreements cover the basic terms: the identity of the parties, the property address, the rent amount, the rent payment date, the deposit amount and scheme details, and the obligations of both parties.

The agreement must not contain a fixed-term provision, a break clause, or any provision that purports to restrict the tenant to a minimum occupation period as a condition of the tenancy. Such provisions are void under the Renters Rights Act 2025. The agreement must also not contain a blanket absolute prohibition on pets, which is now unenforceable against a tenant who makes a proper pet request under Section 15 of the Act.

Existing tenancy agreements do not need to be reissued following the 1 May 2026 conversion. The agreement simply continues with the periodic tenancy terms substituted in by operation of law. New agreements drafted after 1 May 2026 should be on periodic templates that do not reference fixed terms.

Periodic Tenancies and Deposit Protection

The deposit protection requirements under the Housing Act 2004 continue to apply to all assured periodic tenancies. If a deposit was protected under a tenancy deposit scheme during a fixed-term tenancy, it remains protected as the tenancy converts to periodic: no new protection or prescribed information is required solely because of the conversion. However, any changes to the deposit amount or the parties to the tenancy will require updated protection and prescribed information.

At the end of the tenancy, the deposit must be returned within 10 days of the parties agreeing the amount, or a dispute must be raised through the scheme adjudication service. The conversion from fixed-term to periodic did not change these rules.

Periodic Tenancies and Succession Rights

The Renters Rights Act 2025 preserved the existing succession rights that apply to assured tenancies. A spouse or civil partner of a deceased tenant who was residing in the property has a right to succeed to the tenancy on the tenant death, provided they have not previously succeeded to an assured tenancy. A family member who was residing with the tenant for the 12 months preceding the death has a more limited succession right under Section 17 of the Housing Act 1988. The conversion from assured shorthold to assured periodic tenancy may affect the succession position for some tenants, and those who are concerned about succession should seek legal advice.

Periodic Tenancies and HMO Licensing

The conversion of all tenancies to periodic from 1 May 2026 does not affect the licensing requirements for houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) and properties in selective licensing areas. If a property requires a licence under the Housing Act 2004 or a local selective licensing scheme, that requirement continues regardless of the periodic nature of the tenancy. Some HMO licences are issued for a fixed period and include conditions about the maximum number of occupants or the tenancy arrangements in place. Landlords should review their licence conditions to confirm that the conversion to periodic tenancy has not created any inadvertent breach.

Changes in household composition, which can happen more frequently under periodic tenancies because tenants can leave with 2 months notice, may affect whether a property is still within the same licence category. A property that drops below the HMO threshold because a tenant leaves and is not replaced may no longer require a licence. A property that acquires additional occupants above the licensed number would be in breach. Landlords should monitor household composition carefully and update licences as required.

Student Accommodation and Periodic Tenancies

Purpose-built student accommodation operated by universities is excluded from the assured tenancy system and is not affected by the Renters Rights Act 2025. Private student accommodation let by individual landlords and some purpose-built student accommodation managed by private operators is within the assured tenancy system and was therefore subject to the conversion to periodic tenancy on 1 May 2026.

Student landlords who previously relied on fixed-term tenancies aligned to the academic year, typically September to June, can no longer offer such arrangements. All student tenancies in the private sector in England are now periodic. The Renters Rights Act 2025 includes a limited possession ground for student accommodation where the landlord needs to recover the property for the next academic cohort, but this requires the tenancy agreement to have contained a specific provision at the start of the tenancy notifying the student tenant of this possibility. Landlords of private student accommodation should take specialist advice on how to structure their letting arrangements under the new regime.

Periodic Tenancies and Mortgage Conditions

Many buy-to-let mortgage products contain conditions about the type of tenancy agreement the landlord must use. Some older mortgage conditions specifically required fixed-term ASTs. Landlords should check their mortgage terms and conditions and, if necessary, contact their lender to confirm that periodic tenancies are permissible. Most mainstream buy-to-let lenders updated their standard mortgage conditions ahead of the 1 May 2026 implementation date to reflect the new tenancy framework, but landlords with older mortgages or specialist products should verify this with their lender.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a periodic tenancy?

A periodic tenancy is a tenancy with no fixed end date that runs from one rent period to the next. All private assured tenancies in England have been periodic since 1 May 2026. The tenancy continues until the tenant gives 2 months notice or the landlord recovers possession under Section 8.

My tenancy agreement says it is for 12 months. Is it still fixed-term?

No. All fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies in England automatically converted to periodic tenancies on 1 May 2026. Your agreement continues to apply except for the fixed-term provision, which is superseded by law. You can now give 2 months notice to leave at any time.

Can my landlord charge me for leaving before 6 months?

No. There is no minimum stay requirement under a periodic tenancy. Any clause purporting to charge a fee or penalty for leaving within a certain period is void under the Renters Rights Act 2025 and the Tenant Fees Act 2019.

Does the 2-month notice need to expire on a rent day?

No. The 2-month notice can be given at any time and does not need to align with a rent due date or the anniversary of the tenancy. You pay rent up to the date you vacate.

Can a landlord create a new fixed-term tenancy?

No. Creating a fixed-term assured tenancy on or after 1 May 2026 is a civil offence. The local housing authority can impose a civil penalty of up to 7,000 pounds. The tenancy itself will exist as a periodic tenancy regardless of what the agreement says.