On 1 May 2026 every Assured Shorthold Tenancy in England converted to an Assured Periodic Tenancy. No paperwork to file, the conversion was automatic. Since then: Section 21 cannot be served, fixed-term clauses have fallen away, rent rises must use Section 13 (max once per 12 months), tenants have a written pet-request right, and every new tenancy needs the written statement of key terms before it is agreed. The one-off deadline to serve existing tenants with the Information Sheet (31 May 2026) has passed; missing it can carry a civil penalty of up to £7,000 per breach.
The Renters' Rights Act 2025 converted every existing AST into a periodic Assured Tenancy on 1 May 2026. There was no paperwork to file, the conversion was automatic. What changed is what you can and can't do from that date, and what you should tell your tenant to avoid confusion. For any new letting since conversion day, start from a periodic tenancy agreement template rather than an old AST document.
What converts automatically
- Fixed-term AST in year one or year two, fixed term fell away on 1 May 2026; tenancy continues as periodic.
- Statutory periodic that rolled on after a fixed term ended, already periodic; just reclassified as APT.
- AST with a break clause, break clause survived to 1 May 2026 but has no further effect after conversion.
What you lose on conversion
- The ability to serve a Section 21 notice. Every possession claim now uses a Section 8 ground.
- Any contractual rent-review clause outside Section 13. New rent rises use Section 13 only, one rise per 12-month window.
- Any tenancy-length lock-in. The tenant can leave on two months' notice at any time from day one of the APT.
What you gain
- A strengthened Ground 1 (landlord or family intends to occupy) and a new Ground 1A (landlord intends to sell).
- A four-month notice period for both Grounds 1 and 1A, with a 12-month tenancy minimum to prevent abuse.
- An amended Ground 8 rent-arrears threshold (three months' arrears at both service and hearing).
- Clearer ASB grounds (Ground 14) with a faster court route.
The tenant letter you should send
If you have not already, send every tenant a plain-English letter explaining: (a) that their tenancy became periodic on 1 May 2026; (b) that their existing monthly rent, payment day and other terms continue; (c) that any fixed-term clause has simply fallen away, they do not need to sign anything; (d) that their deposit remains protected; (e) that your contact details are unchanged. Our Transition Pack contains the letter ready for your company name and tenant details.
The statutory conversion is automatic. You can re-issue a Revised Written Statement of Terms as a courtesy, but you are not legally required to. Use the free Transition Wizard to check whether your tenancy needs one, and the old AST document continues to evidence the terms that survived conversion.
What if I served a Section 21 before 1 May?
A valid Section 21 served before 1 May 2026 could be relied upon only if court proceedings were issued in time. The long-stop for those pre-1-May proceedings passed on 31 July 2026, so the Section 21 route is now closed. Every possession claim today must run on a Section 8 ground.
Rent review timing
Contractual rent-review clauses no longer override Section 13. Any rent increase on an assured periodic tenancy must now use the Section 13 statutory process, once per 12 months. Our Section 13 calculator works out the permitted increase and the timing.