The fixed-term tenancy agreement has been a cornerstone of the English rental market for decades. Six-month or twelve-month contracts have provided both landlords and tenants with predictable timelines and clear renewal points. On 1 May 2026, that model disappears entirely.
Every Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) in England will automatically convert to an Assured Periodic Tenancy (APT). There is no phasing period, no gradual transition, and no opportunity to run existing fixed terms to their natural conclusion. The change is immediate, universal, and permanent.
The conversion mechanism is deliberately simple. At the stroke of midnight on 1 May 2026, all existing ASTs become APTs. This applies regardless of where a tenancy sits in its current fixed term: whether it began last week or is due to expire next month.
Landlords and agents do not need to issue new tenancy agreements. The existing AST documentation remains legally valid and enforceable, treated as one continuous tenancy. The only change is that any clause specifying a fixed term: such as "for a term of 12 months from 1 March 2026": will lose its legal effect.
Attempting to enforce a fixed-term clause after the conversion date may result in civil penalties. The Renters' Rights Act 2026 makes it clear that the periodic tenancy model is not optional or subject to contractual override. This is a fundamental shift in the legal framework governing residential lettings.
The conversion is automatic, but it is not a reset. Existing tenancy terms, obligations, and protections carry forward intact. This continuity is crucial for both administrative efficiency and legal clarity.
Compliance documents do not need to be reissued. Gas Safety Certificates, Energy Performance Certificates, How to Rent Guides, and deposit protection paperwork remain valid. The tenancy is treated as continuous, so there is no triggering event that would require re-serving statutory documents.
Deposits remain protected under their original scheme registration. There is no need to transfer funds or update protection details simply because the tenancy structure has changed.
Rent amounts and payment dates continue unchanged unless a valid rent increase procedure is followed. The conversion to a periodic tenancy does not provide grounds for an immediate rent adjustment.
What does change is the fundamental nature of the tenancy duration. Fixed end dates disappear. Renewal negotiations become obsolete. The tenancy continues on a rolling basis until one party serves valid notice.
Under the APT structure, tenancies have no set end date. They roll from period to period: typically month to month, or week to week if rent is paid weekly: until either the landlord or tenant terminates the arrangement through the proper legal channels.
For tenancies where rent is payable quarterly or annually, the legislation includes a statutory formula to convert the rent period to monthly. This prevents administrative complexity and ensures consistency across the sector.
The rolling structure fundamentally changes the relationship dynamic. Tenants are no longer locked into specific end dates, and landlords can no longer rely on the natural expiry of a fixed term to regain possession.
This shift aligns England more closely with Scotland's long-established Private Residential Tenancy model, which has operated without fixed terms since 2017. The Scottish experience demonstrates that periodic tenancies can function effectively, though they require different administrative approaches and mindset adjustments.
The conversion to periodic tenancies brings significant changes to notice requirements, particularly for tenants.
Tenants must now give at least two months' notice to end a periodic assured tenancy. This doubles the previous one-month notice period that applied to ASTs. The extended notice period provides landlords with more time to market properties and secure new tenants, reducing void periods.
The notice period is calculated from the point at which the notice is served, not from the end of a rent period. If a tenant serves notice on 15 March, the earliest the tenancy can end is 15 May, assuming all other requirements are met.
Landlords cannot use no-fault Section 21 notices after 1 June 2024 (when this provision came into force). To end a tenancy, landlords must use the grounds-based Section 8 procedure and provide a valid reason for possession. The available grounds are covered in detail in Chapter 6 of this guide.
The asymmetry in notice requirements reflects the Act's tenant protection focus. Tenants retain flexibility to leave with reasonable notice, while landlords face higher procedural hurdles to regain possession.
The transition period creates several crucial deadlines that landlords and agents must observe to avoid penalties.
For any tenancy that exists without a written agreement: known as an oral tenancy: landlords must issue a written statement of tenancy terms to tenants by 31 May 2026. Failure to comply carries a civil penalty of up to £7,000.
The written statement must include key terms such as rent amount, payment frequency, property address, tenant and landlord names, and the start date of the tenancy. While oral tenancies are relatively uncommon in professionally managed lettings, they do exist, particularly in informal arrangements or where paperwork has been neglected.
Landlords who served valid Section 21 notices before the abolition date face a "use it or lose it" deadline. They must initiate court proceedings by the earlier of 31 July 2026 or the expiry date of their notice.
This creates a narrow window for action. Landlords who delay risk losing the right to enforce their notices, as Section 21 will be permanently removed from the legislative framework. Any notices not converted into court proceedings by the deadline will become unenforceable.
The deadline is designed to prevent a backlog of Section 21 evictions extending beyond the intended abolition date. It forces a clean break from the no-fault eviction system.
The death of the fixed term requires operational adjustments across the lettings sector. Workflows built around renewal cycles, expiry date tracking, and periodic tenancy negotiations need fundamental redesign.
Renewal processes become redundant. There is no longer a natural break point at which to renegotiate terms or serve notice. Tenancies simply continue until one party acts to end them. This removes administrative burden but also eliminates a structured opportunity for rent reviews and property inspections.
Rent increase procedures gain new importance. Without fixed-term renewals to trigger rent adjustments, landlords must rely on the formal rent increase mechanisms set out in the Act (covered in Chapter 3). These procedures have specific notice requirements and tenant rights to challenge increases through the tribunal system.
Communication patterns shift. Regular touchpoints with tenants become more important when there are no built-in renewal discussions. Property inspections, maintenance check-ins, and proactive relationship management take on greater significance in maintaining long-term tenancies.
Void management requires different strategies. Without known end dates months in advance, predicting when properties will become vacant becomes more challenging. Marketing lead times compress, and landlords need more flexible turnover processes.
Record-keeping demands increase. With continuous tenancies potentially running for years, maintaining accurate records of notices served, rent increase history, and communication becomes critical. The paper trail matters more when tenancy timelines are open-ended.
The transition from fixed-term to periodic tenancies represents one of the most significant structural changes in The Renters' Rights Act 2026. It eliminates a familiar framework that has shaped lettings administration for decades.
The shift requires landlords, agents, and tenants to think differently about tenancy relationships. The focus moves from contract periods to ongoing management, from renewal negotiations to continuous engagement, and from fixed end dates to evidence-based possession grounds.
Understanding this new framework is essential for navigating the post-May 2026 landscape. The following chapters will explore related changes: particularly rent increase rules and possession grounds: that complete the picture of how periodic tenancies will function in practice.
The fixed term is dead. The question now is how effectively the sector adapts to its replacement.
Let Tech Solutions Ltd is an Appointed Representative of George Stubbs Insurance Services Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
