An Assured Shorthold Tenancy or an AST was the default form of tenancy in England between private landlords and housing associations, and tenants, until it was abolished on 1 May 2026 by the Renters’ Rights Act..
ASTs had become the default tenancy after the implementation of the Housing Act 1996, following on from the Housing Act 1988 which completely overhauled the private rented sector. ASTs offered no long-term security of tenure to renters, and made it easy for landlords to evict tenants without giving a reason, using Section 21.
However, Assured Shorthold Tenancies were removed from the Housing Act 1988 by the Renters’ Rights Act on 1 May 2026, and were replaced by Assured Periodic Tenancies under a new Section 4A of the Housing Act 1988.
>> Related Post: Guide to the Assured Periodic Tenancy
What were the requirements for an AST?
These were the requirements for a letting arrangement to be an Assured Shorthold Tenancy in England:
- The tenancy started on or after 15 January 1989.
- The property is the tenants’ main or sole home.
- The landlord does not live in the property.
- The rent must be more than £250 a year (£1,000 in London), and under £100,000.
- It must not be a business tenancy or a holiday let.
- The tenant cannot be a company.
These are the same requirements for an Assured Periodic Tenancy, although the latter also does not include long leases.
What was the difference between Fixed Term and Periodic Tenancies?
Assured Shorthold Tenancies tended to have an initial fixed term period of six or twelve months, after which the parties can renew the agreement for a further fixed term. This was called a Fixed Term Tenancy.
If a fixed term tenancy wasn’t renewed for another fixed term, assuming the rent was paid monthly, the tenancy would convert automatically to a rolling monthly contract, called a periodic tenancy.
Although most ASTs had an initial fixed term, they could also be a periodic tenancy from the start, running on a week-by-week or (more commonly) a month-to-month basis.
The tenant could then terminate the tenancy by serving one month’s notice, whereas the landlord needed to give a minimum of two months’ notice under Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988, assuming their paperwork is in order. Otherwise they needed to use Section 8 to terminate the tenancy.
Fixed term tenancies were abolished by the Renters’ Rights Act, with no minimum term. Tenants can now able to terminate an Assured Periodic Tenancy at any time by serving two months’ written notice to expire at the end of a rent period.
>> Related Post: Guide to the Assured Periodic Tenancy
What’s the equivalent of tenancy agreements in Wales?
On 1 December 2022, tenancy agreements in Wales were replaced by occupation contracts. They’re pretty much the same as ASTs, apart from the nomenclature. But the devil’s in the detail and the transition arrangements are complex.
>> Related Post: Landlord Guide to Occupation Contracts in Wales
