The periodic tenancy playbook: rent reviews, notices and end-of-tenancy under the new default

The fixed-term assured shorthold tenancy is no longer a thing. From 1 May 2026, every assured tenancy in England is periodic by default. There is no twelve-month tenancy any more. There is no six-month break clause. There is one running tenancy that continues until someone - landlord or tenant - does something specific to end it.

That sounds simple. In practice, it changes most of the operational rhythms a letting agent has built their business around.

This is the playbook for managing tenancies in the post-fixed-term world: how to handle rent reviews, what notice to serve when, and what to do at the moments that used to be quiet but aren't anymore.

What "periodic by default" actually means

Three things you need to internalise:

• The tenancy continues indefinitely unless ended by a valid notice from either party.
• The rent period is monthly for almost all assured tenancies. This determines when rent is due, when notices take effect, and how Section 13 increases are calculated.
• There is no end date on the tenancy agreement. There is a start date, and that's it.

Every internal system that relied on a fixed end date - diary reminders, renewal automations, rent review schedules - needs to be re-pointed. Most agency CRMs ship with an "end of fixed term" trigger as the centre of their workflow. That trigger has nothing to fire on now.

Rent reviews under the new default

The only legal route to increase rent on an assured tenancy is Section 13. Here's the mechanic:

• Serve form 4 (Notice of Increase of Rent) at least one month before the new rent takes effect.
• The increase can happen no more frequently than once a year. If you increased rent in March 2026, you cannot increase again until March 2027.
• The new rent must be at market rate. Market is defined as what a willing landlord would charge a willing tenant for an equivalent property.
• The tenant has one month from the notice date to apply to the First-tier Tribunal challenging the increase.

The two questions agencies are getting wrong:

"Can we still index-link rent in the tenancy agreement?" No. Any rent review clause in the tenancy is now subordinate to Section 13. Even if the agreement says rent will increase by 5% on the anniversary, the only way to actually increase it is to serve form 4.

"What if the tenant doesn't respond?" Silence equals agreement. After one month, if no tribunal application has been made, the new rent stands.

We've covered the full Section 13 process in our dedicated post. The rest of this guide assumes you've got that down.

Notices: what to serve, when

Five notices will cover 95% of what you do.

Section 8 — possession on grounds. Used for arrears, breach, antisocial behaviour, and the new mandatory grounds. Notice period varies by ground (two weeks to four months).

Section 13 — rent increase. One month notice. Once per year per tenancy.

Form 6A is gone. This was the Section 21 form. It no longer exists.

Tenant's notice to quit — given by the tenant. Two months in writing.

Mutual surrender — agreed between both parties. Always document in writing, even if the conversation was on the phone.

The single biggest mistake we see: agencies serving "renewal" notices that don't exist any more. There is no renewal. The tenancy continues. If you want to vary terms, you need a deed of variation signed by both parties.

End-of-tenancy: who does what, when

Tenants end periodic tenancies by giving notice. That's it. Two months in writing, addressed to the landlord or their agent, and the tenancy ends on the rent payment date that falls after the notice period expires.

Landlords cannot end periodic tenancies except via a valid Section 8 ground. The grounds are listed in Schedule 2 of the Housing Act 1988 as amended by the Renters' Rights Act 2025. The most-used in practice:

• Ground 1A - landlord intends to sell (four months' notice, evidence required).
• Ground 1 - landlord or family member intends to occupy (four months' notice, restrictions apply).
• Ground 8 - serious rent arrears (three months' arrears at the date of the hearing, four weeks' notice).
• Ground 14 - antisocial behaviour (immediate, discretionary).

We cover the rent arrears process in detail in our next post. For everything else, the principle is: evidence first, notice second. A notice with no evidence behind it is a piece of paper that costs you a court fee.

The mid-tenancy moments that used to be quiet

Three moments that used to be invisible are now active operational events.

Pet requests. Every request must be considered and responded to in writing. We covered the pet request process here.

Decent Homes Standard inspections. The DHS now applies to the PRS. You need a documented condition inspection at least once during the tenancy. Agencies that don't have a property condition log are exposed.

Tenant complaints about the property. Under the new framework, unaddressed disrepair complaints can support a tenant counterclaim in possession proceedings. Every complaint should be logged with a timestamped response.

Document discipline: what to keep on every tenancy file

If a tenancy went to tribunal next month, what would you need to produce? Build the file now:

• Signed Written Statement of Terms (covered here).
• Property condition report at start of tenancy.
• All Section 13 notices and any tribunal correspondence.
• Pet requests and responses.
• All maintenance and repair correspondence.
• Rent ledger.
• Any conversations with the tenant about behaviour, repairs, or non-payment.

If the file isn't built proactively, it doesn't get built reactively under deadline pressure.

A scheduled check-in to replace the renewal moment

Without fixed terms, you've lost the structured moment when issues used to surface. Replace it with a scheduled check-in.

Once a year - pick a month and stick to it - call every tenant. Ten minutes. Ask:

• Is the property working for you?
• Anything not been reported that should be?
• Any changes in the household composition?
• Any concerns about the rent or your tenancy?

Log the call. The conversation often surfaces a maintenance issue that's been festering, a guarantor change that should have been notified, or a dissatisfaction that explains why a Section 13 challenge is coming.

This single change — institutionalising the annual check-in — has done more for our agencies' renewal-equivalent revenue than any other process change since 1 May.

Frequently asked questions

Can I still write a fixed-term tenancy for 12 months?

No. Any tenancy granted on or after 1 May 2026 is a periodic assured tenancy as a matter of law, regardless of what the tenancy agreement says.

What if my tenant wants a fixed term for visa or mortgage purposes?

You can issue a written confirmation of the tenancy and the tenant's right to occupy. You cannot make the tenancy itself fixed-term. Most lenders and visa frameworks have updated their guidance.

Does this apply to HMOs?

Yes. HMO tenancies follow the same regime. Joint tenancies remain joint, with all the usual joint-and-several liability considerations.

What about company lets?

Company lets are not assured tenancies and are outside the Renters' Rights Act framework. They remain contractual.

The takeaway

The periodic tenancy isn't harder than the fixed-term tenancy. It's just different. Agencies that build the new operational rhythm - Section 13 discipline, written templates, an annual check-in, proper documentation - will find it more sustainable than the old renewal cycle ever was.

The agencies that try to recreate fixed-term behaviours inside periodic tenancies will keep getting tripped up by tribunals and tenant challenges.