Assured Shorthold Tenancies (ASTs)

Assured shorthold tenancies — ASTs — were the default form of private renting in England from 1989 until 1 May 2026. They were abolished by the Renters’ Rights Act 2025. If you are a landlord with an existing AST, this page explains what has happened to your tenancy, what you must do, and what will replace it.

What was an AST?

An assured shorthold tenancy was the form of residential tenancy that grew out of the Housing Act 1988 and became the standard following amendments by the Housing Act 1996. Its defining feature was flexibility for landlords: a landlord could end the tenancy after the fixed term using a Section 21 notice — without giving any reason — provided the procedural requirements were met.

For more than 35 years, the AST shaped how rental property was let in England. Most six- or twelve-month tenancies you have seen, signed, or granted were ASTs. They were not the only kind of tenancy — high-rent tenancies, lodger arrangements, tenancies granted by educational institutions and several other categories sat outside the AST regime — but they were by far the most common.

What replaced the AST?

From 1 May 2026, every assured tenancy is an open-ended assured periodic tenancy with a rent period of one month or shorter. There is no fixed term. The tenancy continues until the tenant gives notice (a minimum of two months) or the landlord obtains possession through one of the statutory grounds in Section 8 of the Housing Act 1988.

The change is structural rather than cosmetic. A periodic tenancy is not just an AST without an end date — the entire framework around possession, rent, and the contractual terms has shifted. Section 21 — the no-reason eviction route — is gone. Rent reviews must follow Section 13. Rent in advance is capped at one month. Pet refusals must be reasonable. Tenants gain new statutory protections that cannot be contracted out of.

For a comprehensive explanation of the reforms, see our Renters’ Rights Act 2025 guide. For the new tenancy form itself, see what a tenancy agreement looks like under the current regime.

What happened to my existing AST on 1 May 2026?

If you had a fixed-term AST in place on 30 April 2026, the tenancy converted automatically to an assured periodic tenancy on 1 May. You did not need to do anything to make this happen and there was no break in the tenancy. The tenant remained in occupation under the same agreement; only the legal framework around it changed.

The original written agreement is not invalidated. Most of its provisions continue to bind both parties. However, a number of clauses that were standard in pre-2026 ASTs are now void, meaning they cannot be enforced even though they remain in the document. The most common void clauses are:

• Any clause creating or referring to a fixed term of any duration.
• Any contractual rent review clause — including index-linked, agreed-formula, or “annual review” provisions. Rent can only be increased through the statutory Section 13 mechanism.
• Any clause requiring rent in advance of more than one month during the tenancy.
• Any blanket prohibition on pets. Tenants now have a statutory right to request a pet, which the landlord cannot unreasonably refuse.
• Any clause requiring the tenant to give more than two months’ written notice to leave.
• Break clauses operable only by the landlord, where the effect is equivalent to Section 21.

If your tenancy agreement contains any of these clauses, ignore them — but they cannot harm you, and there is no legal requirement to issue a new agreement. The void clauses simply have no effect.

What landlords with former ASTs must do

1. Provide the government Information Sheet to every existing tenant by 31 May 2026. This is the single most important short-term obligation. The Information Sheet is a government-produced document explaining the changes brought by the Act. The deadline is statutory and a local authority can impose a civil penalty of up to £7,000 if you fail to provide it. If your former tenancy was verbal, you must additionally provide a written summary of the main terms — see our guide on verbal tenancies under the new regime.
2. Stop relying on Section 21. A Section 21 notice can no longer be served. Notices served before 1 May 2026 remain valid for a transitional period, but possession proceedings must be issued at court by the earlier of (a) six months from the notice date, or (b) 31 July 2026. After 31 July 2026, no Section 21 claim can be brought regardless of when the notice was served. For ongoing possession matters, see our guide to Section 8.
3. Review your tenancy template for new lettings. Any new tenancy granted on or after 1 May 2026 must comply with the post-RRA framework. The standard pre-2026 AST template is no longer fit for purpose. See how to write a compliant tenancy agreement now.
4. Review your rent review practice. Rent increases must now use Section 13 (Form 4) with two months’ notice and can only happen once every 52 weeks. Contractual review clauses in your existing agreements no longer work.
5. Audit your advertising and tenant referencing. “No DSS” and “no children” clauses, even informal ones in property listings or referencing criteria, are now unlawful.

Common questions about former ASTs

Do I need to issue a new tenancy agreement?

No. The existing agreement remains valid and binding for everything that has not been superseded by the Act. Issuing a new agreement is optional, and in many cases it is unwise — a new agreement could be argued to create a new tenancy with new statutory protections, including a fresh 12-month protected period for some grounds for possession.

My tenant paid 12 months’ rent in advance. Is that still allowed?

For tenancies entered into before 1 May 2026, yes. The rent-in-advance cap applies only to new tenancies. Existing arrangements continue under their original terms. However, if the tenant later signs a new tenancy with you (for example after moving to a different property you own), the new tenancy is subject to the one-month cap.

My old AST said the tenant must give two months’ notice. Is that still binding?

Two months’ notice from the tenant is the statutory minimum and matches the new regime, so this clause continues to operate. If your AST required more than two months’ notice from the tenant, the excess is now void — the tenant cannot be held to anything beyond two months.

Are AST templates still useful for anything?

Only as historical reference. Pre-RRA AST templates contain provisions that are now void or unlawful. Using one for a new tenancy in 2026 risks unenforceability and exposes you to the £7,000 penalty for failing to comply with the new written-statement requirements. Always use a current template designed for the post-1-May regime.

Authoritative sources

• Renters’ Rights Act 2025 (legislation.gov.uk)
• Housing Act 1988, as amended
• Guide to the Renters’ Rights Act (gov.uk)