Periodic tenancies: what changed and what it means for landlords

Contractual and statutory periodic tenancies

A contractual periodic tenancy is periodic from day one because the agreement says so. A statutory periodic tenancy is what arose automatically when an older fixed term ended and nobody signed anything new. Both roll period to period, but the terms carry over slightly differently, which matters when you read an old agreement.

Since the Renters' Rights Act 2025, new assured tenancies operate on a single periodic basis, so the distinction mostly comes up when dealing with tenancies that began before the change.

Notice on both sides

Tenants give two months' notice ending at the end of a rental period, with no reason required. That is the biggest operational change for landlords: a tenancy you assumed would run to next summer can end in the spring.

Landlords have no equivalent no fault route. Possession requires a ground, the correct prescribed notice, the right notice period for that ground, and a court order if the tenant stays. Landlord grounds such as selling or moving in also cannot be used during the protected period at the start of a tenancy.

• Plan for shorter, less predictable tenancies when you model void periods.
• Keep marketing photos, inventories and certificates current so you can relet quickly.
• Never rely on an old Section 21 template. It has no effect on an assured tenancy now.
• Record every notice you receive from a tenant with the date it arrived.

Rent, deposits and compliance on a rolling tenancy

Rent increases use Section 13, once in any twelve month period, with two months before the new rent starts. Rent review clauses that let a landlord raise rent at will are not enforceable.

Compliance duties do not pause because the tenancy has no end date. The gas safety record still renews annually, the EICR every five years, the EPC on its own cycle, and the current How to Rent guide should be reissued when tenants change. A rolling tenancy simply removes the annual renewal moment that used to prompt landlords to check all of this.

What good records look like

Because there is no renewal event, your file has to tell the story on its own: who lives there, what they agreed to, what the rent is now and when it changed, which certificates are live, and what you have sent them.

If a dispute reaches the Ombudsman or the county court, the landlord who can produce a signed agreement, a clean rent ledger, in date certificates and a message log is in a completely different position to one reconstructing it from an inbox.

How RentDocs.co.uk helps

• One record per property and tenant, with the current rent and the date it last changed.
• Certificate expiry reminders for gas, EICR and EPC, so nothing lapses on a long tenancy.
• Signed tenancy agreements and deposit prescribed information with an audit trail.
• Automatic rent reminders by email and message, with delivery logged.
• A full communication history you can hand to the Ombudsman without editing.

Frequently asked questions

What is a periodic tenancy?

A tenancy that runs from one rent period to the next, usually month to month, with no fixed end date. It continues until the tenant gives notice or the landlord obtains possession on a valid ground.

Did the Renters' Rights Act 2025 abolish fixed term tenancies?

For assured tenancies, yes in effect. The Act moves assured tenancies onto a single periodic system, so the familiar twelve month fixed term followed by a statutory rollover no longer applies in the same way.

How much notice does a tenant give on a periodic tenancy?

Tenants give two months' notice, ending at the end of a rental period. They do not need a reason, and they cannot be locked into a longer minimum term by the agreement.

How does a landlord end a periodic tenancy?

Only by using a ground for possession and serving the correct notice, then applying to court if the tenant does not leave. Section 21 no fault notices were abolished by the Renters' Rights Act 2025.

Can rent still be increased on a periodic tenancy?

Yes, once every twelve months, using a Section 13 notice with at least two months before the new rent takes effect. The tenant can challenge the figure at the First-tier Tribunal.

Does the deposit need re-protecting when a tenancy becomes periodic?

The deposit stays protected, but the prescribed information must be accurate and the scheme record should reflect the current arrangement. Where tenants change, treat it as a new protection exercise rather than assuming the old record carries over.

Is a written agreement still needed?

Yes. Periodic does not mean informal. You still need a written statement of terms, deposit prescribed information, the current How to Rent guide, gas safety record, EICR and EPC.

What about student and holiday lets?

Purpose built student accommodation and genuine holiday lets sit outside the assured tenancy regime and follow separate rules, so do not apply periodic tenancy logic to them without checking.