Assured Tenancy
England
An assured tenancy is a residential tenancy in England, created by the Housing Act 1988, under which an individual tenant occupies the property as their only or principal home and can be evicted only on a statutory ground proved in court. Under section 1 of the Housing Act 1988, it covers most lettings by private landlords and housing associations granted since 15 January 1989. Since 1 May 2026, every assured tenancy has been periodic.
Position verified 4 November 2026. England only; Wales and Scotland have separate regimes.
What makes a tenancy an assured tenancy?
A tenancy is assured when four conditions are met: the property is let as a separate dwelling, the tenant is an individual rather than a company, at least one tenant lives there as their only or principal home, and the letting is not excluded by Schedule 1 of the Housing Act 1988. The main exclusions are:
annual rent above £100,000, or below £1,000 in London and £250 elsewhere
holiday lets, and student lettings by specified educational institutions
lettings where the landlord lives in the same building, other than in a purpose-built block of flats
business and licensed premises, and lettings with more than two acres of agricultural land
lettings by local authorities and the Crown
since 27 December 2025, fixed-term tenancies of more than 21 years, which removes long residential leases from the regime
A lodger who shares the landlord's home is a licensee, not an assured tenant.
Who grants assured tenancies?
Private landlords grant assured tenancies, and so do housing associations and other private registered providers of social housing, often after a probationary starter tenancy. Councils do not. Local authority tenants hold secure tenancies under the Housing Act 1985. Tenancies granted before 15 January 1989 are usually regulated tenancies under the Rent Act 1977, with stronger rent controls and succession rights.
Security of tenure: how an assured tenancy ends
A landlord cannot end an assured tenancy by notice alone. The tenancy continues until the tenant leaves or a court makes a possession order, and the landlord must first serve a Section 8 notice relying on one or more grounds in Schedule 2 of the Housing Act 1988. Mandatory grounds oblige the court to order possession once proved. These include Ground 8 (at least three months' rent arrears) and Grounds 1 and 1A (the landlord or close family moving in, or a sale), which cannot be used in the first 12 months of a tenancy. Discretionary grounds, such as breach of the tenancy or anti-social behaviour, give the judge a choice about whether possession is reasonable.
From working with self-managing landlords across the UK, the possession claims that fail are rarely about the ground itself. They fail on the paperwork behind it: a notice with the wrong dates, missing rent records, or no evidence that the tenant received required documents.
Assured tenancies and the Renters' Rights Act 2025
The Renters' Rights Act 2025 abolished the assured shorthold tenancy and with it the no-fault Section 21 route. On 1 May 2026, every existing AST in England became an assured periodic tenancy, and every new private letting is one from the start. Fixed terms now have no effect, and a landlord who attempts to let on a fixed term risks a civil penalty of up to £7,000. The assured tenancy did not disappear. It became the only route, with the protections that assured tenants had always held now applying to private renters generally. Our Renters' Rights Act guide to the new tenancy landscape explains what else changed.
In our experience supporting landlords through the 1 May transition, the most common misunderstanding was that tenancies "became assured". Most already were. What changed was the shorthold layer that sat on top.
Frequently asked questions
Are assured tenancies being abolished?
No. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 abolished the assured shorthold tenancy, not the assured tenancy. Since 1 May 2026, the assured periodic tenancy has been the standard private tenancy in England.
Can you evict an assured tenant?
Yes, but only with a court order based on a Schedule 2 ground, after serving a valid Section 8 notice. Changing the locks or removing a tenant without a court order is unlawful eviction, a criminal offence under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977.
What is the difference between an assured tenancy and an assured shorthold tenancy?
An assured shorthold tenancy was a type of assured tenancy that a landlord could also end without a reason, using Section 21. ASTs no longer exist in England. Every former AST is now an assured periodic tenancy, which can end only on a statutory ground.
Can I set a fixed end date on an assured tenancy?
No. Since 1 May 2026, any fixed-term clause in a private assured tenancy in England has no effect. The tenancy runs month to month until the tenant gives notice or the court orders possession. Our article on fixed-term tenancies being abolished covers what to do with existing agreements.
