Periodic Tenancy Notice to Quit — Landlord Guide UK 2026

Overview

How Periodic Assured Tenancies end — the two routes

• Tenant gives 2 months' written notice: The only way a tenant can end a Periodic Assured Tenancy — minimum 2 months' notice, served in writing. The notice must end on the last day of a rental period
• Landlord obtains a court possession order under Section 8: The only way a landlord can end a Periodic Assured Tenancy — must prove a ground in Schedule 2 of the Housing Act 1988 (as amended). No out-of-court landlord NTQ route exists
• There is no equivalent of the old AST expiry mechanism — a Periodic Assured Tenancy continues indefinitely until one of these two events occurs
• Surrender by mutual agreement (Deed of Surrender): a third route — both parties sign a formal surrender document bringing the tenancy to an end. This requires both parties to agree

Tenant notice to quit — 2 months, correct service

• The tenant must give at least 2 months' written notice
• The notice must end on the last day of a rental period (for monthly tenancies, the last day of the calendar month; for weekly tenancies, the last day of the week)
• Example: monthly rent due on 1st — tenant serves notice on 5 April. The notice period of 2 months expires on 30 June (the last day of June's rental period, which is the first full rental period after 2 months from service)
• No prescribed form — the tenant's notice must be in writing and specify the date they intend to vacate
• If the tenant serves notice but stays beyond the notice date, they are holdover — continue to accept rent as a gesture of good faith while serving Section 8 if needed
• Tenant cannot withdraw a valid notice to quit once served without the landlord's agreement — but in practice, negotiate a withdrawal if both parties agree the tenancy should continue

What happens when a tenant gives notice

• Acknowledge the notice in writing, confirming the vacating date
• Arrange a check-out inspection for the notice expiry date or shortly after
• Prepare a check-out report and compare it to the check-in inventory — photograph all condition issues
• Return the deposit (or the uncontested portion) within 10 days of the tenancy end — use the deposit scheme's repayment process
• If there are deductions, notify the tenant in writing with evidence (invoices, photographs) and initiate adjudication through the deposit scheme if the tenant disputes the deductions
• Re-let the property: all new tenancies from 1 May 2026 must be Periodic Assured Tenancies — no fixed-term ASTs

Landlord possession — Section 8 is the only route

• Landlords cannot serve a notice to quit to end a Periodic Assured Tenancy — they must use Section 8
• Section 8 requires a ground from Schedule 2 of the Housing Act 1988 (as amended by the Renters' Rights Act 2025)
• Common grounds: Ground 8A (persistent rent arrears — mandatory), Ground 1 (own occupation — mandatory, 4-month notice), Ground 1A (sale — mandatory, 4-month notice), Ground 14 (nuisance/antisocial behaviour — discretionary)
• Notice periods vary by ground — the minimum is 2 weeks (for most discretionary grounds), the maximum is 4 months (Grounds 1 and 1A)
• After the notice expires, the landlord must apply to court for a possession order — there is no automatic possession without a court order
• Attempting to evict without a court order (changing locks, removing belongings, cutting utilities) is an illegal eviction — a criminal offence and an RRO trigger