One of the quieter but more far-reaching effects of the Renters' Rights Act is that the fixed-term tenancy no longer exists for assured tenancies. From 1 May 2026 every such tenancy is periodic — rolling, open-ended, and ended only by the tenant's notice or a Section 8 ground.
What changed
- No more 6- or 12-month fixed terms; tenancies roll on a periodic basis.
- Tenants can serve two months' notice to leave at any point — including, in practice, soon after moving in.
- Landlords are bound by the Section 8 grounds; there is no fixed end date to fall back on.
- A new tenant has a 12-month protected period during which the sale (1A) and moving-in (1) grounds cannot be used.
What it means for you
The obvious worry is shorter, less predictable tenancies. In reality most tenants stay because moving is expensive and disruptive — but you lose the certainty of a fixed term, so void planning and tenant relationships matter more. The flip side is simplicity: no renewals to chase, no fixed-term expiries to track, just one rolling arrangement per tenancy.
Things you can no longer do
- Lock a tenant in for a fixed minimum term.
- Rely on a rent review clause — increases go through Section 13 only.
- Use a no-fault notice to end the tenancy at the end of a term.
How Rentwire helps
With fixed terms gone, the day-to-day job becomes tracking lots of small, rolling obligations — notice windows, the 12-month protected period, rent-increase anniversaries — across every tenancy. Rentwire holds the state of each tenancy and answers questions like "which tenancies are still inside their protected period?" so the loss of the fixed term doesn't become a loss of control.
Periodic-by-default rewards landlords who treat tenancies as ongoing relationships with good records, rather than fixed contracts to be renewed. Keep your paperwork current and the change is more administrative than dramatic.
This article is general information for UK landlords and letting agents, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules change and individual circumstances differ — check the latest guidance from GOV.UK or a qualified professional before acting.