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Successor tenancy after the death of a joint tenant under the Renters' Rights Act 2025: the surviving tenant's walkthrough (May 2026)

When a joint tenant dies, the law of survivorship takes over - the surviving joint tenant becomes the sole tenant automatically. No new tenancy, no Form 6A, no eviction. But landlords and letting agents routinely test this rule, asking the surviving tenant to "sign a new agreement" or hinting that they might need to leave. This walkthrough covers the survivorship rule, the four common landlord-dispute scenarios under the new Renters' Rights Act regime, and the two short letters that close those scenarios down.