Renters' Rights Act 2025
What is a periodic tenancy under the Renters' Rights Act 2025?
A periodic tenancy is a tenancy that rolls on from one rent period to the next, usually month to month, with no fixed end date. Since 1 May 2026, under the Renters' Rights Act 2025, this is the standard type of tenancy for most private lets in England: assured shorthold tenancies with a fixed term have been replaced by periodic assured tenancies. In plain terms, your tenancy carries on until either you end it or the landlord ends it using a valid legal ground, rather than expiring on a set date.
This is one of the biggest day-to-day changes the Act brought in, and it affects both sides of a letting. It applies to most private assured tenancies in England rather than to every kind of let: some arrangements, such as licences to occupy and certain student, supported and social housing, sit under different rules. Here is how a periodic tenancy works, how each side can end one, and what it means for rent and for your existing agreement. This guide covers England; the rules differ in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
How is a periodic tenancy different from a fixed term?
A fixed-term tenancy ran for a set length, often six or twelve months, with a date on which the term ended. A periodic tenancy has no such date. It renews itself each rent period, so a monthly tenancy simply continues month after month. Instead of counting down to a date in the diary, the arrangement carries on until one side takes a proper step to end it. For renters, that removes the sense of being counted down towards a renewal decision. For landlords, it removes the single moment that used to prompt a review of the tenancy, which is worth keeping in mind for the dates you need to track.
How can a tenant end a periodic tenancy?
A tenant can usually end the tenancy by giving two months' notice, and rent is still payable across that notice period. A tenant and landlord can agree a shorter notice in writing if both want to. Because there is no fixed term to sit out, a tenant is no longer tied in for a set number of months, though the rent continues until the notice period runs out. Two months is the usual position, but some tenancies and transitional cases can work differently, and the notice needs to be given properly, so it is worth checking the current GOV.UK guidance on the format and timing before serving one.
How can a landlord end a periodic tenancy now that Section 21 has gone?
Since 1 May 2026, landlords in England can no longer serve a new Section 21 notice, the "no-fault" route that let a tenancy be ended without a reason. No new Section 21 notice can be served in England from that date, but earlier valid notices, and any court proceedings based on them, can continue under detailed transitional rules, so check GOV.UK if one applies to you. Ending a tenancy now relies on a ground for possession under Section 8. The grounds are a fixed list set out in the legislation, not any reason a landlord might have, and they cover situations such as selling the property, moving a family member in, and serious rent arrears. Each ground has to be supported by the correct notice and the evidence it calls for, and each has its own notice period and its own conditions. That makes keeping clear records and documents more important than before, and it is an area where professional advice is sensible rather than relying on a summary.
What about rent increases and rent in advance?
For most private assured tenancies, rent increases are now limited to once a year and must follow the statutory process, with tenants able to challenge an increase at the First-tier Tribunal. There is also a cap on rent in advance: as a general rule the most a landlord can ask for before the tenancy begins is one month's rent, and none of that rent can be required until the tenancy agreement has been signed. A holding deposit, which is capped separately and can be taken to reserve a property, is a different thing from rent in advance, and it is worth knowing what a landlord can and cannot charge you for. These sit alongside the move to periodic tenancies as part of the same set of changes, and each carries its own detailed conditions, so check the current GOV.UK guidance for how they apply to a particular let. For more, see how a landlord can increase rent under the Renters' Rights Act 2025.
What happened to my existing tenancy?
Most assured shorthold tenancies in England converted to periodic assured tenancies on 1 May 2026, moving across without a new contract being signed. Some kinds of letting can sit outside this or work differently. The conversion also came with duties of its own, including giving tenants a government information sheet, and transitional rules applied to some notices served before that date. If you are not sure how the change touched your own tenancy, the current GOV.UK guidance sets out the detail.
What is still to come
Not every part of the Act is in force yet. The Private Rented Sector Database, the landlord redress scheme (an Ombudsman), the extension of the Decent Homes Standard to private rented homes, and new timescales for serious hazards are still to be commenced, and their scope and dates will be set out in further regulations. Treat any specific rollout date you read as provisional until those regulations are made, and check GOV.UK for the current position. For a fuller walk-through of the Act, see our guide to what the Renters' Rights Act 2025 means for landlords, and for a plain-English overview, see the Renters' Rights Act 2025 explained.
Common questions
What is a periodic tenancy under the Renters' Rights Act 2025?
It is a tenancy that rolls on from one rent period to the next, usually month to month, with no fixed end date. Since 1 May 2026 it is the standard tenancy for most private lets in England, replacing the fixed-term assured shorthold tenancy, though some kinds of letting sit under different rules. It continues until the tenant ends it or the landlord ends it using a valid ground, rather than expiring on a set date.
How much notice does a tenant give to end a periodic tenancy?
In England, usually two months, with rent still payable during the notice period. A tenant and landlord can agree a shorter notice in writing. Because there is no fixed term, a tenant is not tied in for a set number of months, though rent runs until the notice ends. Some tenancies and transitional cases can differ, so check GOV.UK before serving one.
Can a landlord still end a periodic tenancy?
Yes, but in England not through Section 21, which was abolished on 1 May 2026 for new notices. A landlord now relies on a ground for possession under Section 8, with the correct notice and supporting evidence. Each ground has its own notice period and conditions, so it is worth taking advice.
Did my existing tenancy become periodic automatically?
Most assured shorthold tenancies in England converted to periodic assured tenancies on 1 May 2026, so most moved across automatically, though some kinds of letting can sit outside this or work differently. The conversion came with duties such as giving tenants a government information sheet, and transitional rules applied to some earlier notices.
Keeping the dates and documents in one place
With no fixed term, there is no single renewal date to act as a natural prompt any more. For renters, that means keeping your own details current and ready, so you can move when you find the right home rather than scrambling for paperwork. For landlords, it means the certificate dates, notices and records that used to cluster around a renewal now need tracking on their own.
That is the practical gap VEYLO X is built to close. Renters can gather their renting details in a free renter profile, and keep it current. Landlords can keep their certificates, dates and documents together, with a reminder before each date they add falls due. To be clear about what it is: VEYLO X is a neutral platform and a record-keeping tool. It does not give legal advice, does not decide the outcome of any application, does not check whether a document or notice is correct, and does not assess or guarantee anyone's legal position. It takes no part in whether a letting goes ahead. Reminders are there to help you stay organised, and understanding and meeting your own legal duties remains yours to do.
Sources
The primary sources behind this guide. Where the law and a summary disagree, the law is what counts. How we write these guides.