Your tenancy on 1 May 2026: what changes automatically, what stays the same, and what your old tenancy agreement can no longer require

If you're renting privately in England under an assured shorthold tenancy on 30 April 2026, two things happen at one minute past midnight tonight: your tenancy automatically converts to an assured periodic tenancy, and several clauses in your existing tenancy agreement stop being enforceable. You don't sign anything. The landlord doesn't sign anything. The conversion is automatic by operation of law.

That sounds dramatic. In practice, most of your tenancy will feel exactly the same on 1 May as it did on 30 April. You still pay the rent, you still live in the property, you still have the same landlord. What changes is the legal framework around three things: how the tenancy ends, how rent increases work, and which clauses in your old agreement can still be enforced.

This guide walks through what changes automatically tomorrow, what stays the same, and what your old tenancy agreement can no longer require — even if the contract says otherwise. The general rule is straightforward: where the contract conflicts with the new statute, the statute wins.

If your landlord is also planning a rent increase to coincide with the new regime, RentSOS can analyse the Section 13 notice (now Form 4A) for procedural defects under the new rules. Free to check, £14.99 only if grounds to challenge are found.

At a glance: what changes at 00:01 1 May 2026

Topic	Old AST regime	New assured periodic regime
Tenancy type	Assured shorthold (fixed term + statutory periodic)	Assured periodic (rolling, no fixed term)
Tenant notice	Whatever the contract says (often 1 month)	2 months minimum (statute)
Landlord notice (no fault)	Section 21 minimum 2 months	Section 21 abolished
Landlord notice (with grounds)	Section 8 grounds list (existing)	Section 8 grounds list (expanded — new 1A re-let, anti-social)
Rent increase form	Form 4	Form 4A
Rent increase notice period	1 month minimum (varies by frequency)	2 months minimum (all frequencies)
Tribunal can raise rent above proposed	Yes	No (capped at proposed figure)
Quarterly / 6-monthly rent	Whatever the contract says	Reverts to monthly automatically
Rent in advance	Whatever the contract says	Capped at 1 month for new tenancies
Pet request	No statutory right	Statutory right; landlord must respond in 28 days
Fixed term clauses	Active	Void (no fixed term in assured periodic)
Decent Homes penalties	£30k cap, no instant penalty	£40k cap + instant £7k Cat 1 hazard penalty

What changes automatically (no action required)

1. Your tenancy type changes

Your assured shorthold tenancy (AST) automatically becomes an assured periodic tenancy on 1 May 2026 — or, if you're currently in a fixed term that ends after 1 May, when that fixed term ends.

Practically: you don't lose your home. Your landlord doesn't suddenly have new grounds to evict you. You keep the same rent, same address, same deposit. What changes is the underlying legal framework.

2. Section 21 is gone

From 1 May 2026, the "no fault" Section 21 eviction route is abolished. A landlord can no longer ask you to leave just because they want the property back without a reason.

If a Section 21 was served against you before midnight tonight, it remains valid for six months from service and can still be enforced. But no new Section 21 can be served from 1 May.

To recover possession from 1 May, your landlord needs a Section 8 ground with evidence:

Ground	What it covers
Ground 1	Landlord wants to move in (or family member) — needs evidence
Ground 1A (new)	Landlord wants to sell or re-let — 12-month re-letting prohibition applies
Ground 6	Landlord wants to redevelop
Ground 7A (anti-social)	Anti-social behaviour — expanded under RRA
Ground 8	Two months' rent arrears
Other grounds	Various — see Housing Act 1988 Schedule 2

3. Quarterly and 6-monthly rent reverts to monthly

If your tenancy agreement says you pay rent quarterly or 6-monthly, those terms become unenforceable on 1 May 2026. From tomorrow, you pay rent monthly in advance, even if the contract says otherwise. The contract's payment frequency clause is overridden by the statute.

If you've already paid rent for a future quarter or 6-month period, that's fine — the payment isn't void; you just can't be required to pay future rent on the old schedule. Going forward, you have the right to switch to monthly payments.

4. Fixed-term clauses become void

Assured periodic tenancies have no fixed term. Any clause in your old tenancy agreement that says "you cannot give notice for the first 12 months" or "this is a 24-month fixed term" is void from 1 May. You can give 2 months' notice to leave at any time.

5. Tenant notice is now 2 months minimum

If you want to leave, you can give your landlord 2 months' notice in writing. This is a statutory floor — it doesn't matter what your contract says. If your old contract said 1 month notice, the statute now requires 2 months. If your old contract said 6 months, that 6-month requirement is unenforceable beyond the 2-month statutory minimum.

The notice must end on the last day of a rental period — see our tenant 2-month notice playbook for the worked example of how to calculate the right end-date.

6. Rent increase form changes from Form 4 to Form 4A

Under the old regime, rent increases used Form 4. From 1 May, the prescribed form is Form 4A. Any "Form 4" served on or after 1 May 2026 is procedurally invalid. Any "Form 4A" served before 1 May 2026 is also procedurally invalid (premature use of the new form).

The substantive changes to rent increase rules:

• Minimum 2 months' notice for all payment frequencies.
• The First-tier Tribunal can no longer raise rent above the landlord's proposed figure (it can only confirm the proposed rent, lower it, or set the rent at a different figure not exceeding the proposed amount).
• Tribunal decisions no longer take effect retrospectively — they apply from the tribunal hearing date.

7. New tenant rights kick in

Right	Detail
Pet request	You can request to keep a pet in writing. Landlord must respond within 28 days. Refusal must be on one of 4 reasonable grounds. Specialist insurance condition is unlawful.
1-month rent in advance cap	New tenancies starting from 1 May cannot require more than 1 month's rent in advance
Decent Homes Standard penalties	Council can issue £7,000 instant penalty for unaddressed Category 1 hazards; £40k max for ignoring improvement notices
Information Sheet	Landlord must give you the Government's Information Sheet for existing tenancies by 31 May 2026; failure = up to £7,000 penalty

What stays the same

This is the section that calms most tenants down. The basics don't change.

Topic	Status from 1 May 2026
Same address, same landlord, same deposit	Yes
Same monthly rent (until a Section 13 / Form 4A is served)	Yes
Existing deposit protection	Carries over (DPS, MyDeposits, TDS)
Tenancy agreement	Still binding except where it conflicts with new statute
Right to live in the property	Yes — you're not being forced to move
Section 8 grounds (rent arrears etc)	Existing grounds carry over; new grounds added
12-month minimum gap between rent increases	Yes (carries over)
Repairs obligations	Yes — landlord still has Section 11 LTA repair duties
Right to quiet enjoyment	Yes — unchanged
Joint tenancy mechanics	"Any one tenant ending ends for all" — carries over

If you've been renting from the same landlord for 5 years, the only thing that changes for you tomorrow is the legal framework around how the tenancy can end and how rent increases work. The home is still your home.

What your old tenancy agreement can no longer require

This is the technically complex part. Your tenancy agreement is a private contract. The Renters' Rights Act is statute. Where they conflict, the statute wins.

Conflicts that the statute resolves in your favour:

1. "You cannot give notice for the first 12 months." Void from 1 May. You can give 2 months' notice to leave at any time.
2. "You must pay rent quarterly / 6-monthly." Void from 1 May. Reverts to monthly.
3. "This is a 24-month fixed term." Void from 1 May. Assured periodic — no fixed term.
4. "Pets are not permitted." Now superseded by the statutory pet request right. You can request a pet; landlord must respond on the 4 reasonable refusal grounds within 28 days.
5. "The first 6 months' rent is payable upfront." For new tenancies starting from 1 May, capped at 1 month. (For existing tenancies where you've already paid 6 months upfront, the payment isn't reclaimed — but the requirement going forward reverts to 1 month max.)
6. "Rent will increase by 8% on each anniversary." A rent increase still requires a Section 13 / Form 4A notice. An automatic escalator clause cannot bypass the formal process; the landlord must serve the notice and you can challenge it.
7. "Tenant liable for any damage to fixtures and fittings." Existing fair wear-and-tear protections carry over; the landlord still cannot deduct from your deposit for normal wear.
8. "Tenant must accept landlord's specialist pet insurance." Unlawful from 1 May.

Conflicts where the statute is more nuanced:

1. "Tenant must be employed (no DSS / no benefits)." Discriminatory under the new regime. From 1 May, blanket "no DSS" or "no benefits" policies are prohibited. Landlords must use individual affordability assessments instead.
2. "Tenant must agree to inspections every 3 months." Still allowed under the statute, but inspections must be reasonable and with reasonable notice.
3. "Tenant must inform landlord of any new occupants." Still allowed; the tenancy agreement governs lodger / occupant rules.

What your contract still controls:

1. Day-to-day conduct — noise, parties, decorating, sub-letting (subject to statute).
2. Rent amount (until a formal Section 13 / Form 4A increases it).
3. Specific arrangements — parking, garden maintenance, etc.
4. Notice formalities — your tenancy agreement might still specify how to deliver notice; check what it says, but the statutory 2-month minimum overrides any shorter contractual requirement.

Worked example — the conversion in practice

Tenancy: 12-month AST starting 15 September 2025, expiring 14 September 2026. Rent: £1,200/month, paid monthly on the 15th. Deposit: £1,400 (DPS). Existing tenancy agreement says "tenant must give 2 months' notice in last 2 months of fixed term, otherwise tenancy continues for further fixed term unless landlord serves Section 21."

At 00:01 1 May 2026:

• Tenancy converts? No, not yet — the fixed term hasn't ended. The fixed term runs until 14 September 2026. So between 1 May and 14 September, you're on a fixed-term assured tenancy (not assured shorthold) with new rules applied.
• Section 21? Cannot be served from 1 May regardless of fixed-term status.
• Quarterly rent? N/A — you pay monthly already.
• Pet request? Yes — statutory right kicks in.
• Tenant notice? 2 months minimum from any point in the assured periodic phase (after 14 September 2026).

At 00:01 15 September 2026:

• Tenancy converts to assured periodic automatically.
• "Further fixed term unless landlord serves Section 21" clause is void — Section 21 doesn't exist, and assured periodic has no fixed term.
• You can give 2 months' notice in writing to end the tenancy at any rental period end-date thereafter.

The key insight: existing fixed terms run their course. The new regime applies during the fixed term phase only to specific items (no Section 21, new pet request, new repair penalties). The full assured periodic conversion happens at the end of the fixed term.

Three response templates

Template A — landlord asks you to sign a new fixed term

Subject: Re: new tenancy agreement — current tenancy is assured periodic

Hi [Landlord / Agent],

Thanks for sending the proposed new tenancy agreement. I'm writing
to clarify my position.

My current tenancy converts to an assured periodic tenancy under the
Renters' Rights Act 2025. Under the new regime, there is no fixed
term, and I retain the right to give 2 months' notice in writing
at any rental period end-date.

I won't be signing a new fixed-term agreement. If there are specific
items in the proposed agreement that you'd like to discuss
(e.g., updated contact details, repairs schedule), I'm happy to
correspond.

Thanks,
[Your name]
[Property address]

Template B — landlord tries to enforce the old quarterly payment clause

Subject: Re: rent payment frequency — monthly from 1 May 2026

Hi [Landlord],

I note your reminder that the next quarterly rent payment is due on
[date]. Under the Renters' Rights Act 2025, payment frequency
clauses on assured periodic tenancies are unenforceable beyond the
statutory monthly cap.

I'll be paying rent monthly from now on, on [day of month, e.g.
the 15th of each month]. The first monthly payment will be on
[date].

If this causes any administrative issue at your end, please let
me know and I can adjust the payment date for consistency.

Thanks,
[Your name]

Template C — landlord refuses pet request citing the contract's "no pets" clause

Subject: Re: pet request — statutory right under Renters' Rights Act

Hi [Landlord],

I note your refusal of my pet request, citing the "no pets" clause
in the tenancy agreement.

From 1 May 2026, the Renters' Rights Act 2025 establishes a
statutory tenant right to request to keep a pet. The landlord
must respond within 28 days, and refusal must be on one of four
reasonable grounds:

1. Property unsuitability (specific, evidenced).
2. Head-lease prohibition.
3. Credible evidence of specific harm.
4. Insurance unobtainable.

A blanket "no pets" clause in the tenancy agreement does not
override the statutory right. Could you respond on the substantive
grounds — i.e., which (if any) of the four reasonable categories
applies, with evidence?

If no specific reasonable refusal applies, refusal is unlawful and
I would be entitled to apply to the County Court for an order
permitting the pet (Form N208, fee £342, Help with Fees if
eligible).

Thanks,
[Your name]

Edge cases

"My tenancy started before October 2015." Pre-October 2015 tenancies have additional protections (no requirement to provide How to Rent guide, EPC, gas safety in the same prescribed information format). The conversion to assured periodic still applies from 1 May 2026.

"I have a guarantor." Guarantor agreements continue under the new regime. The guarantor remains liable for any rent arrears or damage during the assured periodic phase, subject to the wording of the guarantee agreement.

"My tenancy is in joint names." Joint tenancies remain joint. The "any one tenant can end the tenancy by serving notice" rule applies in the assured periodic phase — see our 2-month notice playbook for the joint-tenancy mechanic.

"My landlord wants to put up the rent immediately on 1 May." A rent increase requires a properly served Form 4A with at least 2 months' notice. The earliest valid effective date for a Form 4A served on 1 May 2026 is 1 July 2026. Any "rent increase from 1 May" without a properly served notice is unenforceable.

"I rent through a managing agent — what happens to my agreement?" The managing agent's authority continues. The tenancy is still between you and the landlord (the agent is acting on the landlord's behalf). The conversion mechanics are the same.

Faqs

(See FAQs below.)

Where RentSOS fits

RentSOS analyses Section 13 / Form 4A rent increase notices for procedural defects under the new regime. From tomorrow, our analysis includes:

• Whether the landlord used the correct form (Form 4A, not Form 4).
• Whether the 2-month minimum notice has been observed.
• Whether the 12-month minimum gap from the previous increase has been observed.
• Whether the proposed rent matches local market evidence (PropertyData market data + comparables).

The check is free. We charge £14.99 only if we find grounds to challenge.

If you're holding any Form 4 or Form 4A served around the cliff-edge (30 April / 1 May), run the free check today. Notices served at the regime boundary are particularly prone to procedural defects, and a procedurally invalid notice is unenforceable until corrected.