Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST): What Changed in 2026

An assured shorthold tenancy (AST) was the standard private tenancy in England under the Housing Act 1988, usually let for a 6- or 12-month fixed term. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 abolished ASTs in the private rented sector: on 1 May 2026, existing private ASTs converted into periodic assured tenancies. Housing association and council tenancies were not part of that change.

What Was an Assured Shorthold Tenancy?

An assured shorthold tenancy (AST) was the standard type of private tenancy in England, created under the Housing Act 1988. Almost every private letting from 28 February 1997 onwards was automatically an AST unless the landlord specifically granted a full assured tenancy instead. An AST was usually granted for a fixed term, commonly 6 or 12 months, after which it could run on as a periodic tenancy (rolling month to month or week to week) if neither side ended it. Because it was a shorthold, the tenancy's defining feature was that a landlord could recover possession at the end of the fixed term without proving any fault on the tenant's part, using a Section 21 notice. The AST was the tenancy type most private renters in England had until the Renters' Rights Act 2025 abolished it.

Deposit Protection Under an AST

Any deposit taken for an AST had to be protected in one of the government-approved schemes within 30 days of receiving it, and the cap on the deposit was 5 weeks' rent where the annual rent was under £50,000. The landlord also had to give the tenant prescribed information about the scheme within the same 30 days. If a landlord failed to protect a deposit or failed to serve the prescribed information, a tenant could apply to the county court, which could order the deposit's return and award compensation of between one and three times the deposit. These deposit protection rules did not change when ASTs converted to periodic assured tenancies; they still apply under the new tenancy type. See our guide to tenancy deposit protection for the full rules and how to check your deposit is protected.

How a Landlord Could End an AST: Section 21 and Section 8

Before 1 May 2026, a landlord had two routes to end an AST. A Section 21 notice was the no-fault route: it required no reason, only correct paperwork and at least 2 months' notice, and normally could not be used during a fixed term. A Section 8 notice was the fault-based route, relying on a specific ground such as rent arrears or anti-social behaviour, decided by the County Court on the facts. Section 21 was by far the more commonly used route, because a court had no discretion to refuse possession once a landlord's paperwork was correct, and it could not be contested on the merits. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 abolished Section 21 in the private rented sector from 1 May 2026; see our guide to the Section 21 notice for how that abolition worked.

What Happened to ASTs on 1 May 2026

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 abolished the assured shorthold tenancy. From 1 May 2026, a private landlord in England can no longer create a new AST; every new private tenancy is now an assured tenancy from the outset. Every private AST that already existed on 1 May 2026 converted automatically into a periodic assured tenancy, with no fixed term and no new agreement required. The conversion did not reset the tenancy: the same deposit protection, the same gas safety certificate, EICR and EPC, and the same start date carried over, so neither the landlord nor the tenant had to do anything to make the switch happen. One transitional exception applied: where a landlord had already validly served a Section 21 or Section 8 notice before 1 May 2026, the tenancy stayed an AST while that notice could still be used. A landlord relying on such a notice had to apply to court by 31 July 2026 at the latest, or earlier if the notice ran out first. After that, a notice served before 1 May 2026 can no longer be used to start a possession claim. Housing association and council tenancies were not covered by the 1 May 2026 changes.

Ending the New Tenancy or Raising the Rent

On the periodic assured tenancy that replaced the AST, a tenant can end the tenancy by giving 2 months' written notice, given on the day the rent is due or the day before; there is no need to wait for a fixed term to expire, because there no longer is one. A landlord cannot end the tenancy without a reason. To regain possession, the landlord must serve a Section 8 notice relying on one of the grounds in the Housing Act 1988 as reformed by the Renters' Rights Act, such as selling the property, moving in family, or serious rent arrears, and prove it to the County Court. See our guide to the Section 8 notice for the grounds and notice periods. Rent can only rise once a year, and not in the first 12 months of a new tenancy, using a Section 13 notice (Form 4A) with at least 2 months' notice, and a tenant can challenge a proposed increase at the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber).

Do You Need a New Tenancy Agreement?

No new tenancy agreement is required. The conversion from an AST to a periodic assured tenancy happened automatically by law on 1 May 2026, and the tenancy is treated as continuous rather than as a new letting. A landlord does not need to re-register the deposit, re-serve the gas safety certificate, EICR or EPC, or issue a new written agreement. Landlords were required to send existing tenants an official government information sheet explaining the changes. If your paperwork still describes your tenancy as an "assured shorthold tenancy," that no longer reflects your legal position from 1 May 2026 onwards. It is a periodic assured tenancy now, whatever the original paperwork called it, and the Section 21 route described in it can no longer be used.

England Only: Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland Are Different

The abolition of the assured shorthold tenancy applies to England only. Wales also used the AST until 1 December 2022, when the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 converted existing tenancies into occupation contracts; it now uses the occupation contract, and still allows no-fault eviction through a Section 173 notice with 6 months' notice. Scotland never used the AST; it uses the open-ended Private Residential Tenancy, which has no no-fault ground (although an older Scottish short assured tenancy created before 1 December 2017 can still be ended with a section 33 notice if the Tribunal finds it reasonable), with eviction decided by the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland. Northern Ireland runs its own private tenancy under the Private Tenancies Act (Northern Ireland) 2022, with landlord Notice to Quit periods rather than an AST or Section 21 structure. For the full comparison of tenancy types across all four nations, see our guide to tenancy types explained.

For the full reform, see our guide to the Renters' Rights Act 2025, and for what replaced Section 21 see the Section 21 notice and Section 8 notice guides. For how tenancy types differ across the UK, see tenancy types explained. For the full four-nation picture, see our UK tenant rights hub, part of our wider guide to United Kingdom law.

This article is general information about the law in England, not legal advice. Whether your specific tenancy converted correctly, or whether court proceedings on a notice served before 1 May 2026 were started in time, depends on the facts of your case. If you are unsure about your tenancy status or a notice you have received, consult Citizens Advice, Shelter, or a qualified solicitor.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an assured shorthold tenancy?

An assured shorthold tenancy (AST) was the standard private tenancy in England under the Housing Act 1988, usually let for a fixed term of 6 or 12 months, that let a landlord recover possession at the end of the term without proving fault. It was abolished for private tenancies on 1 May 2026.

Can a landlord still create a new AST in England?

No. Since 1 May 2026, a private landlord in England cannot create a new assured shorthold tenancy. Every new private tenancy is now an assured tenancy from the outset, and the Renters' Rights Act 2025 has abolished the AST.

What happened to my AST on 1 May 2026?

If you rented privately on an AST on 1 May 2026, it converted automatically into a periodic assured tenancy with no fixed term, unless your landlord had already served a valid Section 21 or Section 8 notice, in which case it stayed an AST while that notice could still be used. You did not need to sign a new agreement, and your deposit protection and safety certificates carried over unchanged.

How much notice do I need to give to leave now?

Under the new periodic assured tenancy, a tenant can end the tenancy by giving 2 months' written notice, given on the day the rent is due or the day before. There is no need to wait for a fixed term to end, because ASTs no longer have one.

Can my landlord still evict me without a reason?

No. Section 21 no-fault eviction was abolished alongside the AST from 1 May 2026. A private landlord in England can only evict a tenant now by serving a Section 8 notice and proving a specific ground to the County Court. A Section 21 notice served before 1 May 2026 could only be used to apply to court up to 31 July 2026 at the latest.

My tenancy agreement still says assured shorthold tenancy. Does that matter?

No. The law changed automatically on 1 May 2026 regardless of the wording in your paperwork. Your tenancy is legally a periodic assured tenancy now, and any Section 21 clause described in your old agreement can no longer be used.

Did my deposit protection change when my AST converted?

No. The same deposit protection rules apply: your deposit must still be held in an approved scheme, protected within 30 days, capped at 5 weeks' rent. The conversion did not require re-protecting the deposit.

Does the AST abolition apply in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland?

No. It applies to England only. Wales used ASTs until 1 December 2022, when they converted into occupation contracts, and Scotland never used the AST; both now run entirely different tenancy systems, and Northern Ireland has its own private tenancy law; see our guide to tenancy types for the full comparison.