Assured Periodic Tenancy Agreement

Assured Periodic Tenancy Agreement for Landlords in England

An assured periodic tenancy agreement sets out the terms of a private let in England. From 1 May 2026, most new private tenancies in England are assured periodic tenancies under the Housing Act 1988, as amended by the Renters' Rights Act 2025. They roll on from one rent period to the next with no fixed end date. Robot Lawyer drafts your agreement from your answers, and it includes the information the law requires in the landlord's written statement of terms.

CONTENTS

What Is an Assured Periodic Tenancy?

An assured periodic tenancy has no fixed term. It continues from one rent period to the next until the tenant gives notice or a court orders possession on a legal ground.

The tenant can leave by giving at least two months' written notice. The landlord can only end the tenancy by serving a notice on a ground for possession, such as rent arrears, selling or moving in, and getting a court order if the tenant does not leave.

Rent can only be paid weekly, fortnightly, every four weeks or monthly. The landlord can increase it once a year, with a Section 13 notice.

What's Included in Your Agreement?

• The parties and the property
  The landlord, every tenant, the property and any parking.
• Rent and bills
  The rent, when it is due, how it is paid, and who pays each bill.
• Deposit
  The amount and the scheme that protects it.
• Rent increases
  How the rent can be increased using the Section 13 process.
• Repairs and safety
  The landlord's repair, gas, electrical, smoke alarm and carbon monoxide alarm duties.
• Pets
  Any pets agreed now, and how the tenant can ask to keep a pet.
• Ending the tenancy
  The tenant's two-month notice, and how the landlord can recover possession.
• Possession grounds warnings
  Any warnings the landlord must give before the tenancy starts to rely on certain grounds later, such as student lets.

The Law in England

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 applies to private tenancies in England. Landlords must give tenants a written statement of the key terms before the tenancy starts, and can be fined up to £7,000 if they don't. You can't charge rent before the agreement is signed, and before the tenancy starts you can ask for no more than one month's rent (or 28 days' rent if rent is not paid monthly). Deposits are capped at five weeks' rent (six weeks if the annual rent is £50,000 or more) and must be protected in a government-approved scheme within 30 days. Different rules apply in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

How It Works on Robot Lawyer

1. Answer the questions
   Tell us about the property, the landlord and tenants, the rent, bills, deposit and pets.
2. Generate your agreement
   We draft an assured periodic tenancy agreement from your answers.
3. Get it verified
   On the Verified plan, one of our solicitors checks your agreement within 24 hours and makes amendments where needed. The Essentials plan does not include this check. See how our documents are verified.
4. Sign and give it to your tenant
   Sign it online with your tenants, and give them a copy before the tenancy starts.

What Your Document Looks Like

Your agreement is a numbered contract: the parties, definitions, the property, the start date and type of tenancy, rent and rent increases, bills, the deposit, each side's obligations, pets, ending the tenancy, notices and signatures. Here is an extract from a sample agreement we generated:

4. Rent increases

4.1 If the Landlord proposes a new rent, the Landlord must serve notice under section 13 of the Housing Act 1988 in the prescribed form, currently Form 4A, giving at least two months' notice.

4.2 A new rent cannot take effect within the first 12 months of the tenancy or within 12 months of the last increase.

4.3 The Tenant may apply to the First-tier Tribunal to determine the rent before the date on which the proposed new rent is due to start.

4.4 The Rent cannot otherwise be increased. There is no other rent review under this agreement.

Assured Periodic Tenancy Agreement FAQs

Do I need a new tenancy agreement under the Renters' Rights Act?

For a new tenancy from 1 May 2026, yes. It must be an assured periodic tenancy, and you must give the tenant a written statement of its key terms before it is agreed. This agreement includes that statement.

For an existing tenancy, no. It became an assured periodic tenancy automatically on 1 May 2026. If it was agreed in writing, you must give every named tenant the government's Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet 2026, printed or as a PDF attachment. If it was agreed only verbally, you must give a written statement of terms instead. Both were due by 31 May 2026, with fines of up to £7,000.

What must the written statement of terms include?

The minimum is set by regulations (SI 2026/324) and includes:

• every landlord's and tenant's name, the property address, and an address in England or Wales for serving notices on the landlord
• the move-in date, the rent and when it is due
• that any rent increase must follow the section 13 process
• any bills paid to the landlord, and the amount of any deposit
• the tenant's minimum notice period, and that the landlord usually needs a notice on a ground for possession and a court order
• the landlord's duties on fitness for habitation, repairs, electrical safety and gas safety
• the tenant's right to ask to keep a pet, and, where relevant, a disabled tenant's right to ask to make improvements

You can put this information in the tenancy agreement or give it separately.

Can I refuse tenants with children or who receive benefits?

No. You can't refuse or discourage someone from viewing or renting a property, or from getting information about it, because they have children or receive benefits, and a tenancy term banning either has no effect. If you check affordability, you must count benefit income like any other income. You can limit children living at the property only where it is genuinely necessary, for example to prevent overcrowding, and must be able to explain why. A ban in an insurance policy taken out before 1 May 2026 can apply only until the policy ends or is renewed. Councils can fine landlords up to £7,000.

Can I set a fixed term, such as 12 months?

No. A fixed term has no effect in a new private assured tenancy in England. The tenancy runs from one rent period to the next.

How do rent increases work now?

Only through the section 13 process: serve Form 4A, giving at least two months' notice. The rent can go up once a year, and not in the first 12 months. Rent review clauses have no effect.

If the tenant thinks the new rent is above the open market rent, they can apply to the First-tier Tribunal before it starts. The tribunal can't set more than you proposed, and the increase isn't backdated: if it decides after the proposed start date, the new rent usually applies from the next rent period. For undue hardship, it can delay the increase by up to two months.

How much notice does a tenant or landlord need to give?

A tenant must give at least two months' written notice, ending at the end of a rent period, unless you both agree in writing to end the tenancy sooner.

A landlord can't end the tenancy just by giving notice. You must serve a section 8 notice (Form 3A) on one or more grounds for possession, and the ground sets the notice period: four months to sell or move in (not in the first 12 months), four weeks for serious rent arrears (at least three months' rent), and none for antisocial behaviour. If the tenant doesn't leave, you need a court order.

Can I refuse a tenant's request to keep a pet?

You can't unreasonably refuse. You must reply in writing within 28 days, and give reasons if you refuse.

Can I accept offers above the advertised rent?

No. You must state the rent in your advert and can't ask for or accept offers above it.

Does this work in Wales or Scotland?

No. This agreement is for homes in England only. Wales uses occupation contracts, and Scotland uses private residential tenancies. For a property outside England, use our Tenancy Agreement.

Create an Assured Periodic Tenancy Agreement

Give your tenants clear terms that follow the Renters' Rights Act 2025. You can start with a 7-day free trial. See our pricing for the plans. Related documents: Section 8 Notice, Notice of Rent Increase or Decrease and Occupation Contract.