Assured Periodic Tenancy Agreement for England

Reviewed by Bradley Askew, Solicitor (non-practising), England & Wales · SRA 300076

The tenancy agreement you need in England now is an assured periodic tenancy (APT). Since 1 May 2026 that is the standard private residential tenancy: it runs from one rent period to the next, it has no fixed end date, and Section 21 is abolished for new notices. The assured shorthold tenancy was abolished on 1 May 2026; existing ones converted to APTs that day. This page sets out what an APT agreement has to contain, the rules it must reflect, and a template drafted for the post-Renters'-Rights-Act regime — including what is already in that download, and what is not.

This page is information, not legal advice. Tenancy Agreement Service is not a law firm and does not give advice on your specific situation. For that, consult a practising solicitor.

The Information Sheet deadline was 31 May 2026

If you let a property in England on a tenancy that began before 1 May 2026, and there is a written record of its terms, you were required to give every named tenant the Government’s Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet 2026 by 31 May 2026.

That deadline has passed.

If you have not yet served it, serve the exact PDF published on GOV.UK now — on paper, or as an email or text attachment. Sending only a link does not count. A copy is required for every tenant named on the agreement. A managing agent must serve it too, even if the landlord already has. Keep a dated record of what you sent and when.

Missing it can attract a civil penalty of up to £7,000. If the breach continues for more than 28 days after a financial penalty that has not been withdrawn and is not the subject of an ongoing appeal, that continued failure is an offence and can attract a further penalty of up to £40,000 as an alternative to prosecution. Serving it late does not automatically wipe a past breach; it is still the step to take.

A later duty still applies in a narrow case: if you served a valid section 21 or section 8 notice before 1 May 2026, and that notice later stops being valid or the court process finishes without possession, the tenancy becomes an APT and you then have one month to give the Information Sheet. Check the current GOV.UK Information Sheet page for that situation. The transitional position on any pre-1 May possession notice must be checked on GOV.UK — do not rely on an unofficial cutoff.

If the pre-1 May tenancy was entirely verbal, the Information Sheet was the wrong document. You were required to give a written statement of the tenancy terms by the same 31 May 2026 date. If that was missed, give the written statement now and keep a record.

The law does not require you to re-issue an existing written agreement just because the Act commenced. Void clauses in an old agreement (fixed term, blanket no-pets, Section 21 wording, a rent-review clause, advance rent above one month) simply have no effect. For a new tenancy granted on or after 1 May 2026, you need a current APT agreement and the written statement of terms — not the Information Sheet.

The How to Rent guide was withdrawn on 1 May 2026. It is not a current duty for new tenancies in England.

Source: The Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet 2026, GOV.UK (applies to England; last updated 8 June 2026).

What an assured periodic tenancy agreement is

An assured periodic tenancy is an assured tenancy under the Housing Act 1988, as amended by the Renters’ Rights Act 2025. It runs from one rent period to the next — usually monthly — from the first day. Rent periods longer than a month are of no effect.

The tenant has security of tenure. The tenancy ends in only three ways: the tenant gives notice (normally two months, unless you have agreed a shorter written period of no more than two months), both sides agree to end it, or the landlord proves one of the statutory grounds for possession in Schedule 2 of the Housing Act 1988, served by a section 8 notice on Form 3A, and if the tenant does not leave, pursued through the county court.

A workable template has to do four things: identify the parties and the property without ambiguity; set the rent, the payment date and the payment method; record the deposit, the protection scheme, and a prompt to serve the prescribed information; and set out repair, access and conduct obligations in language that can be tested. The last two are where thin templates fail.

There is no free official “tenancy agreement form” on GOV.UK. The free official forms are the prescribed notices — Form 3A (possession) and Form 4A (rent increase) — on Assured tenancy forms.

When to use this template

Use an APT template where all of the following are true:

• the property is in England
• the tenant is an individual renting it as their only or principal home
• you do not live there
• the rent sits inside the assured-tenancy limits in Schedule 1 of the Housing Act 1988 — a tenancy cannot be assured if the annual rent is more than £100,000, or if it is £250 or less a year (£1,000 or less in Greater London). Check the current figures on legislation.gov.uk before relying on them for an unusual letting.

Nearly all ordinary private lets — flats, terraces, semis, detached houses, furnished or unfurnished — sit inside those limits.

Do not use this template for:

• a lodger who shares your own home (that is an excluded-occupier licence, not an assured tenancy — see the lodger agreement)
• a letting in Wales (occupation contracts under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016)
• a letting in Scotland or Northern Ireland (different statutes entirely)
• a company let, a holiday let, or a commercial letting (not an assured tenancy)
• social housing let by a private registered provider (the 1 May 2026 private-rented changes do not apply to those tenancies until a later phase)

A house in multiple occupation still uses an APT as the tenancy, but it also carries licensing and management duties — see the HMO guide if that applies.

What your agreement must reflect now

The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 took effect for private rented tenancies in England on 1 May 2026. A pre-Act template reused with only the date changed will contain clauses that are void and will miss duties that are now mandatory.

• Fixed terms are abolished. Every assured tenancy is periodic from the start. A clause committing the tenant to six or twelve months is of no effect.
• Section 21 is abolished for new notices. Possession is available only on the Schedule 2 grounds, using a section 8 notice on Form 3A. If you served a notice before 1 May 2026, the transitional position must be checked on GOV.UK; do not rely on an unofficial cutoff.
• Section 8 grounds were expanded and rebalanced. They include rent arrears (Grounds 8, 10 and 11 — Ground 8 requires at least three months’ arrears, both when the notice is served and at the hearing), the landlord or a close family member moving in (Ground 1) or selling (Ground 1A), persistent breach (Ground 12), antisocial behaviour (Ground 14), and a mandatory ground for student HMOs (Ground 4A). Grounds 1 and 1A cannot take effect in the first 12 months of a tenancy. A landlord who takes possession under Ground 1 or 1A must not re-market or re-let the property for 12 months afterwards (the restricted period), subject to the Act’s stated exceptions.
• Some grounds need prior notice in the written statement. Ground 4A (student HMO) and several other grounds can only be relied on later if the landlord’s wish to use them was stated in writing at the start. A template that omits those statements can lock you out of a ground you thought you had.
• Bidding wars are banned. Advertise one stated rent. You cannot ask for, encourage, or accept an offer above that figure.
• Advance rent is capped at one month after signing. Once the agreement is signed, a clause requiring more than one month’s rent up front (28 days for a shorter rent period) is void. Asking for or accepting rent before the agreement is signed is prohibited.
• Pet requests cannot be unreasonably refused. A blanket no-pets clause is void. The tenant applies in writing, with a description of the pet. You must reply in writing within 28 days. Silence is not deemed consent. The tenant can complain. The 28 days can move if you ask for further information (then the rest of the 28 days or an extra 7 days, whichever is later) or if a superior landlord is involved. The Act itself treats a superior landlord’s prohibition as a reasonable ground to refuse. Do not treat any other refusal reason as settled law — each request is fact-specific.
• Rent increases run only through section 13. A rent-review clause in the agreement no longer works. Use the prescribed Form 4A, no more than once in any 12-month period, with at least two months’ notice. Form 4A is free on GOV.UK assured tenancy forms. The First-tier Tribunal can confirm or reduce a challenged increase but cannot raise it above the figure you proposed, and an increase is not backdated.
• A written statement of tenancy terms is required for tenancies granted on or after 1 May 2026, given before the tenant is committed to the tenancy. It can sit inside the agreement. The prescribed content is on Tenancy agreements: written information for your tenant.
• A Decent Homes Standard for the private rented sector is not yet in force. The Government’s implementation roadmap proposes applying it from 2035 or 2037, subject to consultation. It is not a current letting condition.
• A Private Rented Sector Database is a later phase, expected from late 2026. It is not yet a condition of letting. Check the current position before your next let; do not treat registration as required today.

Landlord checklist — before the next letting

Use this as an action list, not as advice on your case.

1. Confirm the let is an England private residential APT (not a lodger, not Wales/Scotland/NI, not a company or holiday let).
2. Start from an APT template drafted for the Renters’ Rights Act 2025. Do not type a new date onto an old shorthold template.
3. Give the written statement of terms before the tenant is committed — usually by using an agreement that already contains it.
4. Include any prior-notice statements for grounds you may later need (especially Ground 4A on a student HMO).
5. Advertise one rent. Do not accept a higher offer.
6. Do not ask for rent before the agreement is signed. After signing, take at most one month in advance.
7. If you take a deposit: cap it at five weeks’ rent (six if annual rent is £50,000 or more); protect it in DPS, mydeposits or TDS within 30 days; serve that scheme’s prescribed information in the same 30-day window, on every named tenant and any third party who paid.
8. Do not rely on a blanket no-pets clause. If a written pet request arrives, diary the 28-day reply.
9. Do not put a rent-review clause in the agreement. When you next increase rent, use Form 4A from GOV.UK.
10. If a pre-1 May tenancy still has no Information Sheet (or, if it was verbal, no written statement), serve the correct document now and keep proof.
11. Give a valid EPC, a Gas Safety Record where there is gas, and an Electrical Installation Condition Report (inspect and test at least every five years). Complete right-to-rent checks before the tenancy begins. Do not issue How to Rent — it was withdrawn on 1 May 2026.
12. Keep a file: signed agreement, written statement, deposit protection certificate, prescribed-information service proof, inventory, and safety certificates.

The recommended template

For an APT for any ordinary residential property in England, the template this page points to is Net Lawman’s Assured Periodic Tenancy Agreement: Any Type of Property. It is drafted for the post-Renters'-Rights-Act regime. It is not an official form, and it is not the only document a landlord may lawfully use.

It covers the parties, the property, the rent and payment terms, the deposit and protection-scheme reference, repairs and access, Schedule 2 grounds wording, and the written statement of terms required since 1 May 2026.

Detail
Format	Word, Apple Pages, RTF
Length	28 pages (9,153 words)
Customisation	Online questionnaire, around 15 minutes
Delivery	Instant, by email
Refund	Full refund if not suitable
Status	Current for the Renters’ Rights Act 2025

Net Lawman is a third-party provider — we earn a small commission if you buy through us, at no extra cost to you.

The download is an editable document with a menu of tenant covenants you can keep or remove. In the same pack it also includes a guarantor provision written into the agreement, a draft inventory form, a security-deposit rent receipt, and supporting rent-increase and possession notices.

Those supporting notices are drafting aids. For a rent increase you must still use the current prescribed Form 4A. For possession you must still use the current prescribed Form 3A. Both are free on GOV.UK — Assured tenancy forms. Do not change the wording of a prescribed form unless the form says you can.

What is bundled — and what you still need separately

A lot of tenancy-template pages tell landlords to buy a separate guarantor agreement and a separate inventory. With this SKU you do not need to.

• Guarantor terms are in the agreement. That is the right place for them. A guarantee signed only after the tenant has already moved in is the weaker position.
• A draft inventory is in the download. An inventory is not a statutory form, but deposit deductions are hard to defend without one.
• The written statement of terms can sit in the agreement. You should not need a second product for that if the template includes the prescribed content.

The document that is not in the tenancy agreement, and that most landlords still miss, is the deposit prescribed information.

If you take a deposit you must protect it in one of the three Government-approved schemes — the Deposit Protection Service, mydeposits, or the Tenancy Deposit Scheme — within 30 days of receipt, and serve the prescribed information on the tenant in the same 30-day window, under section 213 of the Housing Act 2004. Serve every named tenant and any third party who paid the deposit.

Use the scheme’s own prescribed-information template. It is free from the scheme you joined. A generic third-party notice is optional, not a legal requirement.

Miss the 30-day window and two things follow. A court can order a penalty of one to three times the deposit under section 214. And — this is the trap the old shorthold wording no longer captures — a court will generally not make a possession order until the deposit is protected, the scheme’s requirements are met, and the prescribed information has been given (or the deposit has been returned, or a court challenge has been decided, settled or withdrawn). That restriction does not apply to the antisocial-behaviour grounds 7A and 14. See Repossessing your privately rented property after 1 May 2026 and our deposit protection guide.

If you already have an older agreement with no guarantor clause or no inventory, standalone rent-guarantee and property-inventory documents exist separately. For a new APT created from the recommended template, you do not need either — they are already included.

What to look for in a quality APT template

Most free tenancy templates still circulating are pre-Act shorthold documents with the date changed. Whatever you use, check it against this list:

• Drafted under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, not retro-fitted. Periodic from day one. No fixed term. No Section 21 wording.
• Includes the written statement of terms the law now requires before the tenant is committed.
• Includes prior-notice wording for any Schedule 2 grounds you may later need.
• References the deposit scheme, with placeholders for the scheme name, certificate number, and the date prescribed information was served — and a reminder that the scheme’s PI notice is a separate document.
• Repair and access clauses that match section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 and the duty to keep the property fit for human habitation.
• No banned clauses — no fixed term, no blanket no-pets clause, no advance rent above one month, no fees prohibited by the Tenant Fees Act 2019.
• Customisable to the property, so the right covenants go in and the wrong ones come out.
• A refund or fix-it offer if the document does not suit.

Three mistakes that still cost landlords money

Reusing an old shorthold template. An old template with the date typed over still contains a fixed term, a no-pets clause, a rent-review clause and Section 21 wording — all void or unusable now — and it will not contain the written statement of terms or the prior-notice statements. The fix is to start from a template drafted under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, not to edit an old one.

Protecting the deposit but never serving the prescribed information. The agreement’s deposit clause is not the prescribed information. Months later the tenant falls into arrears; until the prescribed-information failure is put right, a court will generally refuse a possession order, and you may face a penalty of one to three times the deposit. The fix is the scheme’s 30-day prescribed-information notice, served on time, every time, with proof of service.

Treating the Information Sheet as still upcoming — or as optional. The 31 May 2026 deadline has passed. The duty is not advisory. If you missed it, serve the exact GOV.UK PDF now and keep a dated record. If a pre-1 May notice is still running, check GOV.UK for the later one-month duty rather than guessing a cutoff.

Get the template

The recommended assured periodic tenancy agreement for any ordinary residential property in England, drafted for the post-Renters'-Rights-Act regime. One-off purchase, no subscription, full refund if it is not suitable. It is a third-party template, not an official form.

Net Lawman is a third-party provider — we earn a small commission if you buy through us, at no extra cost to you.

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This page explains the paperwork and the law behind it. It is information, not legal advice on your individual situation. Tenancy Agreement Service is not a law firm. If your circumstances are unusual — an HMO, a company let, arrears already in progress, or a dispute over an existing agreement — take advice from a practising solicitor or a service such as Shelter or Citizens Advice before you act.

Common questions

What tenancy agreement do I need in England now?

An assured periodic tenancy agreement. Since 1 May 2026 that is the standard private residential tenancy in England: periodic from day one, no fixed end date, no new Section 21 notice. There is no official GOV.UK tenancy-agreement form. A current APT template, plus the written statement of terms (often inside the agreement), is what a new letting needs.

Is the old shorthold tenancy gone?

Yes, for private rented tenancies in England. The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 abolished it with effect from 1 May 2026. Every new assured residential tenancy from that date is an APT. Tenancies that were shorthold on 1 May 2026 converted automatically to APTs the same day — the tenancy itself did not end, and did not need re-signing.

Did I have to give existing tenants anything by 31 May 2026?

Yes, if the tenancy began before 1 May 2026. Where there was a written record of terms, you had to give every named tenant the exact Information Sheet PDF by 31 May 2026. A link does not count. If the tenancy was entirely verbal, you had to give a written statement of terms by the same date. If you missed it, serve the correct document now. A later one-month duty still applies after certain pre-1 May possession notices lapse — check GOV.UK.

Can I still ask for several months’ rent in advance?

No. Once the agreement is signed, you can require at most one month’s rent in advance (28 days for a shorter rent period). Any provision requiring more is void. Before the agreement is signed, asking for or accepting rent is banned. The Tenant Fees Act 2019 cap on holding deposits — one week’s rent — still applies.

Can I still refuse pets?

Only with a reasonable, written reason, and only after a written request. A blanket no-pets clause is void. The tenant applies in writing describing the pet. You must respond in writing within 28 days. Silence is not deemed consent. The tenant can complain. The 28 days can move if you ask for further information (then the rest of the 28 days or an extra 7 days, whichever is later) or if a superior landlord is involved. The Act itself treats a superior landlord’s own prohibition as a reasonable refusal. Other reasons are fact-specific; do not treat an informal list as case law.

How do I end a tenancy now that Section 21 is gone?

By a section 8 notice on Form 3A, citing one or more Schedule 2 grounds, then a county court claim if the tenant does not leave. Form 3A is free on GOV.UK. Process and evidence are set out in Repossessing your privately rented property after 1 May 2026. If you served a notice before 1 May 2026, check the transitional position on GOV.UK; do not rely on an unofficial cutoff.

How do I increase the rent?

Through the section 13 process on the prescribed Form 4A — the only route since 1 May 2026 for private APTs in England. Once in any 12-month period, at least two months’ notice. Form 4A is free on GOV.UK. If the tenant challenges the increase at the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber), the Tribunal can confirm or reduce the figure but cannot set a rent higher than the one you proposed, and the increase is not backdated.

Which deposit protection scheme should I use?

Any of the three Government-approved schemes: DPS, mydeposits, or TDS. Each offers a custodial option (the scheme holds the money) and an insured option (you hold it and pay a fee). The deposit is capped at five weeks’ rent (six weeks if annual rent is £50,000 or more) under the Tenant Fees Act 2019, and must be protected, with the scheme’s prescribed information served, within 30 days of receiving it.

Does the agreement have to be signed by both parties?

It is strongly advisable. A tenancy of less than three years can be created without a deed, and once the tenant is in occupation and paying rent a tenancy can exist whether or not anything is signed. The signed agreement still matters: it records the terms and is the usual way to give the written statement the law now requires.

What other documents do I need to give a new tenant?

For a new APT in England: the written statement of key tenancy terms, given before the tenant is committed; a valid Energy Performance Certificate; a Gas Safety Record (CP12) where there is gas; an Electrical Installation Condition Report, with the installation inspected and tested at least every five years; and the deposit prescribed information within 30 days of taking a deposit. Right-to-rent checks must be carried out before the tenancy begins. The How to Rent guide was withdrawn on 1 May 2026 and is no longer issued for new tenancies.

Official sources

Dated from the live page at last fetch, 28 August 2026. All URLs below returned HTTP 200 this session. Do not cite a URL that later 404s.

• Renters’ Rights Act 2025 (2025 c. 26) — legislation.gov.uk
• Renters’ Rights Act: an overview for landlords — GOV.UK, published 1 May 2026, applies to England
• Guide to the Renters’ Rights Act — GOV.UK (current path; /guidance/guide-to-the-renters-rights-act 404s)
• The Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet 2026 — GOV.UK, last updated 8 June 2026, applies to England
• Tenancy agreements: written information for your tenant — GOV.UK, published 1 May 2026
• Assured tenancy forms — GOV.UK, last updated 1 May 2026 (Form 3A, Form 4A)
• Repossessing your privately rented property after 1 May 2026 — GOV.UK, last updated 13 July 2026
• Implementing the Renters’ Rights Act 2025: roadmap — GOV.UK
• Housing Act 1988 — legislation.gov.uk
• Housing Act 1988, Schedule 2 (grounds for possession)
• Housing Act 1988, Schedule 1 (tenancies that cannot be assured)
• Housing Act 1988, section 13 (rent increases)
• Housing Act 2004, section 213 (deposit protection)
• Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, section 11
• Tenant Fees Act 2019, Schedule 1
• Tenancy deposit protection — GOV.UK
• How to rent (withdrawn 1 May 2026) — GOV.UK; not a current duty
• Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020
• First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) — GOV.UK

Related guides

• Renters’ Rights Act 2025 — the full guide
• End of fixed-term tenancies explained
• The new Section 8 grounds in full
• Tenancy deposits and protection
• How to serve a Section 8 notice
• Section 8 grounds for possession
• Section 13 / Form 4A rent increase
• Written statement of terms
• Houses in multiple occupation (HMO) rules
• Court forms
• Lodger agreement