What Happened to Your AST on 1 May 2026

On 1 May 2026, every assured shorthold tenancy in England automatically became an assured periodic tenancy under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025. You did not need a new agreement. Any fixed end date stopped applying, the tenancy now rolls month to month or shorter, and it ends only by tenant notice, agreement or a Section 8 possession order.

Last updated: 2 November 2026. Applies to England unless stated.

This guide covers England only. Tenancies in Wales are occupation contracts under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act, and Scotland uses private residential tenancies. Below we explain, as part of our Renters’ Rights Act guide, what changed for your existing tenancies, which clauses stopped working and what you still need to do.

What happened on 1 May 2026

Phase 1 of the Renters’ Rights Act converted all existing assured shorthold tenancies into assured periodic tenancies. The government guidance is clear that this happened automatically and landlords did not need to take any action for it to take effect.

From that date you also cannot create a new AST, or an assured tenancy with an end date. Every new assured tenancy is periodic from day one.

The tenancy itself carried on. The same tenants, the same property, the same rent and the same deposit. What changed is the legal framework around it.

AST to periodic tenancy: what changed and what did not

Clauses in your existing agreement that no longer work

Your existing written agreement is still the record of the tenancy terms. But several standard AST clauses no longer operate, and relying on them could put you in breach.

Fixed term and end date

Any end date in an existing tenancy no longer applies. The tenant can stay until they give notice, you both agree to end the tenancy, or you obtain possession through the court.

Break clauses

Break clauses were designed to end a fixed term early. With no fixed term, a landlord’s break clause cannot be used to end the tenancy. Possession needs a Section 8 ground.

Rent review clauses

Rent can only be increased through the section 13 process. Gov.uk guidance confirms that increases agreed through a rent review clause before 1 May 2026 but due to take effect after that date do not apply. Our guide to rent increases under the Renters’ Rights Act explains the new process.

Section 21 references

Section 21 was abolished from 1 May 2026. Notices served before that date could only be used if proceedings were issued by 31 July 2026, and that window has closed. Any clause referring to Section 21 is now redundant. See Section 21 abolished.

Tenant notice and minimum term wording

Tenants can end the tenancy by giving two months’ notice. Wording that ties a tenant in for a minimum period, or requires longer notice, does not reflect the new position.

The Information Sheet: what you had to give existing tenants

Converting the tenancy needed no action. Telling tenants about it did. By 31 May 2026, landlords had to give every named tenant on an existing written tenancy the Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet 2026, published by the government on 20 March 2026.

You could post or hand-deliver a printed copy, or send the exact GOV.UK PDF as an attachment to an email or text message. Sending a link to the PDF was not valid. If the tenancy was oral, you had to give the tenant written information about the key terms instead, by the same date.

If you missed the deadline, give the sheet now and keep proof of when and how each tenant received it. Failing to give existing tenants this prescribed information is a breach. The government’s statutory penalty guidance sets a starting point of £4,000, within a maximum civil penalty of £7,000, and a further penalty is possible if the breach continues more than 28 days after the first.

Rent paid in advance on existing tenancies

The new restriction on rent in advance applies to tenancies entered into from 1 May 2026. The Act excludes tenancies entered into before that date, so an existing arrangement where the tenant paid several months up front is not caught by the new rule.

For new lets, terms requiring rent in advance have no effect, apart from the initial rent paid after the agreement is signed and before the tenancy starts.

Rent periods longer than a month

Assured tenancies now run on periods of no more than a month. If an existing tenancy had quarterly or longer rent periods, check how it now operates and take advice where the position is unclear.

Which tenancies did not convert

Some lets are not assured tenancies at all, so they were never ASTs and did not convert. According to gov.uk, a tenancy is not an assured periodic tenancy where, for example:

• the rent is more than £100,000 a year
• the rent is less than £250 a year (or less than £1,000 in London)
• the tenancy has a fixed term of over 21 years
• you live in the property as a resident landlord
• it is a business tenancy, licensed premises or a holiday let
• it is purpose-built student accommodation covered by the National Code

What to do now: a checklist for existing tenancies

1. List every tenancy that existed on 1 May 2026. Note the start date, rent, rent period and the date of the last rent increase.
2. Confirm the Information Sheet went to every named tenant. If not, send it now and record the date and method.
3. Audit the agreement. Flag fixed-term, break, rent review, Section 21 and minimum-term clauses.
4. Decide whether to reissue terms. You do not have to replace an existing written agreement, but changes to terms need both parties’ agreement. Many landlords issue a fresh periodic agreement for clarity at a natural point.
5. Update your templates for new lets. See updating your AST templates and our guide to periodic tenancy agreements.
6. Diary rent review dates. The next increase can only take effect at least a year after the last one.
7. Keep certificates current. Gas safety, EICR and EPC records will be needed when your region’s PRS database window opens.

AI Document Studio builds tenancy agreements for assured periodic tenancies and updates them when terms change. ORBIT tracks certificate dates and tenancy events for each property, with automated alerts.

This guide is general information, not legal advice.