Assured Shorthold Tenancy

The Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) was the default form of private residential tenancy in England under the Housing Act 1988, covering most lettings at market rent where the tenant is an individual. An AST arose automatically where the letting met the criteria in section 19A: rent under £100,000 a year and the tenant occupying the property as their only or principal home. It could be fixed-term or periodic (rolling), and the landlord could end it using a Section 21 no-fault notice provided pre-tenancy obligations had been met.

ASTs no longer exist in England. On 1 May 2026 the Renters' Rights Act 2025 converted every existing AST into an assured periodic tenancy, abolished fixed terms for new lettings, and removed Section 21 altogether. Possession now requires a Section 8 notice citing a statutory ground.

The landlord obligations that applied to ASTs largely carry over to the new regime: protecting the deposit within 30 days and providing prescribed information, supplying an EPC and a gas safety certificate, and checking the tenant's right to rent. In Wales the position is different again — residential lettings there are governed by the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016, under which tenants are "contract-holders" with occupation contracts rather than ASTs.

A worked example. Jonah signed a 12-month AST in September 2025. On 1 May 2026 that agreement automatically became an assured periodic tenancy running month to month. The rent, the deposit, the address, and the landlord are all unchanged, and Jonah did not need to sign anything. What changed is that his landlord can no longer end the tenancy without a reason, and Jonah can now leave by giving notice rather than being locked in until September.

Common pitfalls and misconceptions. Many letting agents still hand out tenancy agreements headed "Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement". The label does not create the tenancy type — the statute does — so a document with the old heading does not revive fixed terms or Section 21. A second misconception is that the change wiped out old obligations: it did not, and a landlord who never protected the deposit or never provided a gas safety certificate remains exposed. A third is that the reform applies UK-wide; it applies in England only, and Scotland and Wales each have their own separate systems.

How it relates to other terms. The AST was the tenancy type that Section 21 operated on, and both went on the same day. What remains is the assured tenancy, which is now periodic from the outset, with possession available only on a Section 8 ground. Deposit protection, HMO licensing, and right to rent duties all carry across unchanged.

What to do next. Read our guide to tenancy agreements to work out what type of tenancy you actually hold, then the Renters' Rights Act 2025 for what the conversion changed. If you are giving or receiving notice, check notice periods when renting before you rely on any date.