This guide applies to England. Different tenancy laws apply in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. It provides general information and should not be treated as legal advice.
What is an Assured Periodic Tenancy?
An APT is an open-ended or ‘rolling’ tenancy. Each tenancy period usually matches how often you pay rent, such as weekly or monthly. A tenancy period cannot be longer than one month.
There is no fixed term or automatic end date. The tenancy continues until:
- You give valid notice to end it
- You and your landlord agree to end it
- Your landlord follows the legal possession process and regains the property
If a new assured tenancy agreement includes a fixed end date, that date will not apply.
Your tenancy is likely to be an APT if:
- You rent your main home in England
- Your landlord does not live in the property
- You have your own room or accommodation, although you may share facilities with other tenants
A tenancy cannot normally be an APT if:
- Your landlord lives in the same accommodation and you are a lodger
- Your landlord is a local council
- You live in qualifying purpose-built student accommodation
- Your tenancy is for more than 21 years
- Your rent is more than £100,000 a year
- Your rent is less than £250 a year, or less than £1,000 in London
- It is a business tenancy, licensed premises or a holiday let
Private student tenants will usually have an APT unless they live in exempt purpose-built student accommodation.
Most existing Assured Shorthold Tenancies automatically became APTs on 1 May 2026. Tenants did not need to sign a new agreement for this to happen, and any fixed end date in the existing agreement stopped applying.
If you had a written tenancy agreement, your landlord or managing agent should have given every named tenant the official Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet by 31 May 2026.
Where an existing tenancy was entirely verbal, the landlord should instead have provided written information about its key terms.
Different transitional rules may apply if your landlord served a valid Section 8 or Section 21 notice before 1 May 2026 or court proceedings are already under way. Seek independent advice if this applies to you.
What should your tenancy agreement include?
An APT can be agreed in writing or verbally, but your landlord must provide key information in writing. For a new tenancy, you should receive this before the tenancy agreement is signed or otherwise agreed.
The written information should cover matters including:
- Your landlord’s name and an address in England or Wales where legal notices can be sent
- The names of all tenants
- The address of the rented property
- The tenancy start date
- The rent, when it is due and how it must be paid
- Any bills included in the rent or payable separately
- The amount of any tenancy deposit
- How much notice you must give to leave
- How the landlord may seek possession
- The landlord’s repair and safety responsibilities
- Your right to request permission to keep a pet
Read all the terms carefully before agreeing to the tenancy and keep a copy for your records.
If more than one person signs the same agreement, it will normally be a joint tenancy. Joint tenants are usually jointly responsible for the rent and other tenancy obligations.
Terms which may not be enforceable
A tenancy agreement cannot take away rights given to you by law. For example, a clause which creates a fixed end date, allows rent to be increased outside the statutory process or requires a prohibited fee will not be enforceable simply because you signed the agreement.
Agreements may include reasonable conditions covering:
- Subletting or taking in a lodger
- Decorating or altering the property
- Smoking
- Looking after a garden or shared area
- Noise and antisocial behaviour
- Reporting repairs
- Allowing reasonable access for inspections or maintenance
You should ask your landlord or letting agent for permission before subletting, making alterations or doing anything which the agreement says requires consent. A serious or repeated breach may give the landlord grounds to seek possession, although they must still follow the correct legal process.
Rent, deposits and payments in advance
Before the tenancy agreement is signed, a landlord or agent can ask for:
- A holding deposit of no more than one week’s rent
- A tenancy deposit of up to five weeks’ rent where the annual rent is below £50,000, or six weeks’ rent where it is £50,000 or more
Your tenancy deposit must be placed in a government-approved protection scheme. You should receive the required information about its protection within 30 days.
A landlord or agent cannot ask for, encourage or accept rent before both parties have entered into the tenancy agreement. Once it has been signed, they can usually ask for up to one month’s rent before a monthly tenancy begins, or up to 28 days’ rent where rent is paid more frequently.
During the tenancy, you must pay rent on the date stated in the agreement. You can choose to pay early, but your landlord cannot usually require you to do so.
Rent increases
Your landlord can normally increase the rent only once a year and cannot increase it during the first 12 months of a new tenancy. They must use the prescribed Form 4A and give you at least two months’ notice. This is known as the Section 13 process. A rent review clause cannot be used instead.
If you believe the proposed rent is higher than the open-market rent for a comparable property, you can ask the First-tier Tribunal to decide what the rent should be. Make sure you apply before the proposed increase takes effect.
Can you keep a pet?
You have the right to request permission to keep a pet, but you should not bring one into the property without consent. Make your request in writing and describe the animal, including its type, size and needs. Your landlord must respond in writing within 28 days and cannot refuse without a reasonable explanation. A refusal may be reasonable if:
- The property is too small for the animal
- Another occupier has an allergy
- The animal is illegal to own
- A superior lease prevents pets from being kept in the building
A general dislike of pets or concern that a pet might cause damage will not usually be enough on its own. You can complain if your landlord does not respond or you believe the refusal is unreasonable. You remain responsible for your pet’s behaviour and any damage it causes. Your landlord may make a reasonable deduction from your deposit for damage at the end of the tenancy.
Your landlord must keep the property fit for human habitation and meet their legal repair and safety duties. These generally include:
- Maintaining the structure and exterior
- Keeping water, gas, electricity and sanitation installations in working order
- Maintaining heating and hot-water systems
- Meeting gas and electrical safety requirements
- Installing and maintaining the required smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
- Addressing hazards which could affect your health or safety
Report problems promptly and keep copies of emails, photographs and other evidence. Your landlord or agent should normally give at least 24 hours’ notice before visiting and arrange access at a reasonable time, unless there is an emergency.
You must:
- Pay the rent and agreed bills on time
- Take reasonable care of the property and its contents
- Report repairs as soon as possible
- Pay for damage caused deliberately or carelessly by you, members of your household or visitors
- Avoid antisocial or illegal behaviour
- Follow lawful terms in the tenancy agreement
- Allow reasonable access for inspections, repairs and safety checks
Do not withhold rent because repairs are outstanding without first taking professional advice. Rent arrears can give your landlord grounds to seek possession.
How can you end an APT?
Your agreement should state how much notice you must give. The landlord cannot require more than two months’ notice. If the agreement does not specify a period, you must give at least two months. Your notice must:
- Be in writing, such as by letter, email or text
- End on a rent payment day or the day before rent is due
Keep a copy and evidence that it was sent. You must continue paying rent throughout the notice period unless the landlord agrees in writing to end the tenancy earlier. If you are a joint tenant, one tenant’s notice can usually end the tenancy for everyone. Speak to the other tenants and your landlord before giving notice. Tenancies which began before 1 May 2026 may retain a shorter notice period from their previous agreement. Check the agreement or seek advice if you are unsure.
If your landlord wants you to leave
Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions were abolished on 1 May 2026. Your landlord must now have a legally recognised reason, known as a ground for possession, and serve a Section 8 notice explaining which ground they are using. Grounds include circumstances where:
- The landlord or a close family member needs to live in the property
- The landlord intends to sell
- There are serious rent arrears
- The tenancy agreement has been breached
- The property has been damaged
- The tenant, household members, visitors or pets have caused antisocial behaviour
For a new tenancy, you cannot normally be required to leave during the first 12 months because the landlord wants to sell or move into the property. After that protected period, the landlord must give four months’ notice when using these grounds. Other grounds have different notice periods.
A notice does not end the tenancy by itself. If you do not leave, your landlord will usually need to obtain a possession order from the court and have it lawfully enforced. They cannot remove you, change the locks or force you out without following the proper process.
Getting help
If you believe your landlord or agent has broken the rules, keep copies of relevant agreements, adverts, payment records, notices and messages.
You can contact:
- Your local council’s private rented housing or Trading Standards team
- Citizens Advice
- Your letting agent’s independent redress scheme
If your agent is Propertymark Certified and Accredited, they have voluntarily committed to higher professional standards. You can find a Propertymark property expert or read our consumer complaints process.
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