Your AST converts on 1 May 2026. Here's what changes.
Every Assured Shorthold Tenancy in England converts to a periodic Assured Tenancy at midnight on 1 May 2026. No action is required — but a lot changes. Here's the before / after, in plain English.
Commencement countdown
1 May 2026, 00:00 BST
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00Hours
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Before vs after
| Before (until 30 Apr 2026) | After (from 1 May 2026) | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Section 21 'no fault' notice | Abolished — notice cannot be served on or after 1 May 2026 | high |
| Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) | Existing ASTs convert to periodic Assured Tenancies at midnight 1 May 2026 | high |
| Minimum fixed term (e.g. 6 or 12 months) | No fixed term — all tenancies periodic from day one | high |
| Section 13 rent increase — any frequency | One increase per 12 months, only to market level, prescribed Form 4 | high |
| Pets: discretionary | Tenant may request; landlord must not unreasonably refuse | medium |
| Bidding wars common | Banned — advertised rent is the ceiling at which offers may be accepted | medium |
| PRS Ombudsman: voluntary | Mandatory membership (date TBC — likely Phase 2 late 2026) | low |
| Private Landlord Database: none | Mandatory registration (date TBC — Phase 2) | low |
| Ground 8 rent arrears: 2 months | Raised to 3 months for monthly tenancies | medium |
| Ground for sale: none (had to use s.21) | Ground 1A — 4 months' notice, 12-month tenancy minimum, 12-month re-let ban | high |
What you must do before 1 May 2026
- ✓Identify every AST in your portfolio
- ✓Send the tenant the mandatory notification letter
- ✓Set a diary note — last chance to serve s.21 is 30 Apr 2026
- ✓Update your tenancy-agreement templates (use LS-E-001)
- ✓Review rent-increase timing under the new 12-month cap
What you can stop worrying about
- ✓End-of-fixed-term dramas — there is no fixed term after 1 May
- ✓Guessing which notice to serve — grounds now clear
- ✓Awkward pet refusals — clear reasonableness test
- ✓Bidding wars creating confusion — advertised = ceiling
The Transition Pack does all the letters for you
Our hero SKU (LS-E-130) includes the tenant notification letter, a portfolio checklist, a rent-review timing playbook, and the full s.21 cliff-edge decision tree. Buy once, use it across your whole portfolio.
Generated by LetSafe UK — letsafeuk.co.uk · AST → APT Transition Wizard · Information only, not legal advice.