Assured shorthold tenancy (AST)

For nearly three decades the AST was the default private tenancy in England. From 1 May 2026 it no longer exists — but understanding what it was still matters for deposits, old notices and disputes that began under the old rules.

Do assured shorthold tenancies still exist?

Not as a live tenancy type in England. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 abolished assured shorthold tenancies with effect from 1 May 2026. Almost all existing ASTs converted automatically to periodic assured tenancies on that date, and new tenancies can no longer be created as ASTs. The term still matters, though, because years of paperwork, deposits and disputes were built on the AST framework.

My tenancy agreement says it is an AST — is it still valid?

The agreement does not become void. The tenancy itself continued, but from 1 May 2026 it operates as a periodic assured tenancy under the reformed Housing Act 1988, and any terms that conflict with the new framework — such as a fixed term or a section 21 style ending — no longer have effect. The rest of the agreement, like the rent, the parties and the property, carries on.

What happened to section 21 no-fault evictions?

Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 was abolished alongside the AST regime. A landlord in England can now only seek possession using the statutory grounds in Schedule 2 to the Housing Act 1988, served through a section 8 notice, and a court order is still required if the tenant does not leave.

Does my old tenancy deposit protection still apply?

Yes. Deposit protection rules were not swept away — deposits taken for tenancies that were ASTs remain subject to the protection and prescribed-information requirements that applied when they were taken, and protection obligations continue for the converted periodic tenancy. Failures to protect a deposit properly can still support a compensation claim of one to three times the deposit.

I have an old dispute from when my tenancy was an AST. Which rules apply?

Generally the law as it stood at the relevant time. A deposit that should have been protected in 2023, or a section 21 notice served before abolition, is judged against the rules then in force, subject to the transitional provisions in the Renters' Rights Act 2025. For anything happening now, the reformed framework applies.

Were ASTs abolished in Wales and Scotland too?

Wales and Scotland moved away from ASTs earlier and separately. Wales replaced them with occupation contracts under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 from December 2022, and Scotland has used private residential tenancies since 2017. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 reforms described here apply to England.

Assured shorthold tenancy

Renters' Rights · Glossary

Assured shorthold tenancy (AST)

Last reviewed: August 2026

Renters' Rights track

assured shorthold tenancy (AST)

was the standard private tenancy type in England under the Housing Act 1988 — abolished by the Renters' Rights Act 2025, with existing ASTs converting automatically to periodic assured tenancies on 1 May 2026.

Where this comes from

— the Act that created assured and assured shorthold tenancies.

Renters' Rights Act 2025

— the reform that abolished ASTs and section 21 from 1 May 2026.

— gov.uk guidance on the current framework for tenants and landlords.

The Housing Act 1988 created the assured shorthold tenancy as a deliberately landlord-friendly tenure: tenants had protection during any fixed term, but once it ended the landlord could recover the property without giving any reason, using the now-abolished section 21 procedure. From 28 February 1997, almost every new private tenancy in England was an AST by default, and the model shaped everything around it — six or twelve month fixed terms, renewal fees, break clauses, and the ever-present possibility of a “no-fault” notice.

An AST typically arose where the tenant was an individual, the property was their only or principal home, and the landlord did not live in the building. Deposit protection, the prescribed information rules, gas safety and the “How to Rent” guide were all bolted onto the AST framework over the years, and failures to comply restricted a landlord's ability to use section 21.

What changed on 1 May 2026

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 replaced this model wholesale for England. On the commencement date, 1 May 2026, assured shorthold tenancies ceased to exist: almost all existing ASTs — fixed term or periodic, whenever they began — converted automatically to

periodic assured tenancies

with no fixed end date. New lettings can no longer be ASTs, fixed terms can no longer be imposed, and rent must be charged in periods of a month or less.

Fixed terms dissolved.
A tenant part-way through a twelve-month fixed term on 1 May 2026 became a periodic tenant that day — able to end the tenancy with two months' notice rather than being locked in.
Section 21 abolished.
Landlords can no longer end a tenancy without a reason. Possession requires one of the statutory
grounds — and a court order if the tenant does not leave.
Old obligations carried over.
Deposit protection, repair duties and the core terms of the written agreement continue to apply to the converted tenancy.
Transitional rules for old disputes.
Notices served and breaches committed before commencement are generally judged by the law in force at the time, under the Act's transitional provisions.

How the conversion works in practice

A tenant signed a twelve-month AST in October 2025 at £1,100 per month, with the fixed term due to run to October 2026. On 1 May 2026 the tenancy converted automatically to a periodic assured tenancy.

Tenancy type before 1 May 2026

Tenancy type after 1 May 2026

Tenant notice to leave

Landlord route to possession

Nothing was signed and no new agreement was needed — the conversion happened by operation of law. The tenant's deposit, protected in 2025, stays protected. The rent clause continues, though future increases must follow the statutory

process. If the landlord wants the property back, they now need a ground — selling, moving in, serious arrears — not just the passing of time.

Why the term still matters

Even though no tenancy in England is an AST today, the label is everywhere: in agreements signed before 2026, deposit certificates, old possession paperwork and years of case law. Whether a deposit was protected on time, whether a 2025 section 21 notice was valid, whether a landlord owed the tenant prescribed information — these questions are all answered by AST-era law. Tenants pursuing deposit compensation or defending stale possession claims will keep meeting the term for years, which is exactly why it belongs in a current glossary.

Common misconceptions

“My contract says AST, so the new rules do not apply to me.”
The conversion happened automatically. Contract wording cannot opt a tenancy out of the reformed Housing Act 1988 framework.
“My fixed term still locks me in.”
Fixed terms ended with the AST regime. A tenant can normally leave with two months' notice ending at the end of a rent period.
“Without section 21, a landlord can never evict.”
Not so — the statutory grounds for possession remain, including mandatory grounds for serious rent arrears and for selling or moving in, each with its own notice period and conditions.
“Old deposit failures were wiped clean by the reform.”
Deposit protection breaches from the AST era generally remain actionable, subject to the usual limitation rules.

Frequently asked questions

Sources & further reading

(legislation.gov.uk)
Renters' Rights Act 2025
Tenancy deposit protection

Renting problem rooted in the old AST rules?

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Last reviewed: August 2026.

References checked against the Renters' Rights Act 2025 commencement position as at 3 August 2026.

This page is explanatory only and is not legal advice. Start My Claim is self-service software, not a law firm — its tools help you build and run your own case.