Assured periodic tenancies: a guide for landlords
Ending a tenancy
If you need your tenant to leave, you must have a valid reason and give them notice in a particular way.
If the tenancy began before 1 May 2026 as an assured shorthold or assured tenancy, it became an assured periodic tenancy on 1 May 2026. You cannot serve a section 21 notice to end a tenancy from this date, even if the tenancy agreement says you can.
How you can end assured periodic tenancies
You can only end the tenancy if you have a valid reason. These reasons are known as ‘grounds for possession’. For example:
- you want to live in the property
- you want to sell the property
- your tenant owes you rent
- your tenant has broken any other terms of the tenancy
- your tenant has damaged the property
- your tenant has committed antisocial behaviour
To end an assured periodic tenancy you must give your tenant a section 8 notice of seeking possession.
The notice will need to include the grounds you’re using to end the tenancy.
You need to give your tenant the right notice period.
You must give at least the minimum notice for the grounds you’re using. This is usually at least 2 months, but can be up to 4 months.
You can give more than this if you would like to.
If you took a deposit from your tenant, you need to have complied with the rules relating to the tenancy deposit. You need to have kept the deposit safe using a government-approved tenancy deposit protection scheme.
Your tenants will be able to give 2 months’ notice to end the tenancy at any point, unless you have agreed a shorter notice period.
If you are renting to students
Assured periodic tenancies cannot have an end date, even if you’re renting to students.
You will be able to evict students using ground 4A at the end of the academic year if all of the following apply:
- all the tenants were full time students when they signed the tenancy, or you expected them to become full time students during the tenancy
- you are intending to let to full time students when you next let the property
- the tenancy was signed less than 6 months before the date the tenants could move in
- the property is a house in multiple occupation (HMO) or is part of a HMO
- you gave your tenants written notice that you may evict them under ground 4A before they signed the tenancy
- you gave your tenants 4 months’ notice of your intention to evict them - the notice period must end between 1 June and 30 September
If the tenancy began before 1 May 2026
You have until 31 May 2026 to give your tenants the written notice that you may evict them using ground 4A.
You can then serve a notice of seeking possession that gives your tenants 2 months’ notice instead of 4 months. You must do this between 1 May and 30 July 2026.
You can use ground 4A even if the tenancy was signed more than 6 months before the date the tenants could move in.
If your tenant does not leave the property
You cannot remove your tenants by force.
You may be guilty of harassing or illegally evicting your tenants if you do not follow the correct procedures. Illegal eviction is a criminal offence that can lead to a prison sentence.
If the notice period expires and your tenants do not leave the property, you will be able to apply to court for a possession order to try and evict them.