Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement Template: What Changes Under the RRA
If you're searching for an AST template, here's the immediate answer: you don't need one from 1 May 2026. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 abolishes Assured Shorthold Tenancies entirely. Every AST in England converts to an assured periodic tenancy on that date, and every new tenancy granted from 1 May 2026 must be an assured periodic tenancy.
That doesn't mean tenancy agreements stop existing. You still need a written agreement — in fact, you're now legally required to provide one. What changes is the content. This guide walks through exactly which clauses need removing, what must be added, and how the new Written Statement requirement works.
What happens to existing AST agreements on 1 May 2026
Your existing written tenancy agreements don't need rewriting. The conversion to periodic happens automatically by operation of Section 1 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025. The agreement continues to apply, but any clauses that conflict with the Act have no legal effect.
What you do need to provide:
| Tenancy type | What's required | Statutory anchor | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Existing wholly/partly written AST | Statutory Tenant Information Sheet | RRA 2025 Sch 6 para 7(1)(a) + 7(2) — s.16D / s.16E disapplied; Information Sheet prescribed by SI 2026/324 | 31 May 2026 (one month from commencement) |
| Existing wholly oral agreement | Modified s.16D Written Statement of key tenancy terms | RRA 2025 Sch 6 para 7(5) modifies the s.16D(4) deadline trigger from tenancy start to one month from commencement | 31 May 2026 (one month from commencement) |
| New tenancy from 1 May 2026 | Full s.16D Written Statement (prescribed by SI 2026/324) | HA 1988 s.16D (inserted by RRA 2025 s.12) | Day of tenancy commencement |
Monitor GOV.UK's assured tenancy forms page for the published prescribed formats (Written Statement + Information Sheet under SI 2026/324, in force 1 May 2026).
Penalty for non-compliance: Up to £7,000 for failure to provide a Written Statement or Information Sheet.
Clauses that are disapplied by statute from 1 May 2026
These clauses remain in your document but are of no effect from 1 May 2026. The statutory phrase is "is of no effect" — new HA 1988 s.13(4A) (inserted by RRA 2025 s.6(7)) uses exactly that wording for pre-authorised rent-review clauses, rather than "void". You should still remove them when updating your template — leaving disapplied clauses in an agreement creates confusion and may attract scrutiny if a dispute reaches the Ombudsman.
Note — what is preserved. New HA 1988 s.13(4B) (also inserted by RRA 2025 s.6(7)) expressly preserves the parties' general right to vary the tenancy by agreement — so mutual variations that are not rent increases (e.g. rent reductions, non-rent-term changes) remain effective. The disapplication bites on pre-authorised upward-rent mechanics only.
Fixed-term clauses
Any clause stating "this tenancy is for a period of X months/years commencing on [date]" has no effect from 1 May 2026. All tenancies are periodic — rolling monthly with no end date.
Remove: Fixed-term duration, commencement and end dates, renewal provisions.
Break clauses
Redundant. Tenants can give 2 months' written notice at any time — there's no fixed term to "break" from.
Remove: All break clause provisions, notice periods tied to break clauses, early termination fees.
Contractual rent review clauses
Any clause specifying when or how rent increases (e.g., "rent shall increase by RPI + 2% on each anniversary") is of no effect from 1 May 2026. The statutory route to a rent increase is the Section 13 process using Form 4A — or an agreement under HA 1988 s.13(4)(b) following a valid s.13 notice, or a downward agreement following a s.14 tribunal determination.
Remove: All contractual rent review mechanisms, RPI/CPI escalators, anniversary increase provisions.
Replace with: A reference to the statutory process: "Rent may only be increased in accordance with Section 13 of the Housing Act 1988 using the prescribed form (currently Form 4A), subject to the statutory notice period and frequency limits."
No-pet clauses
Blanket clauses prohibiting pets are unenforceable from 1 May 2026. Tenants have the right to request a pet, and landlords must respond within 28 days.
Remove: "No pets permitted" or similar blanket bans.
Replace with: "The tenant may request to keep a pet by written notice. The landlord will respond in writing within 28 days of the request (RRA 2025 s.11). Any refusal will be on reasonable grounds and documented with reasons. A damage-related condition may be agreed between the landlord and tenant at the time of consent; this template does not impose pet insurance as a unilateral statutory condition of consent (the pet-insurance clause was removed from the Bill before Royal Assent — landlord and tenant may agree damage-related conditions under general contract terms; see RRA 2025 s.11 inserting HA 1988 s.16A: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2025/26/section/11)"
Discriminatory clauses
Any clause that directly or indirectly restricts tenancy to people who don't receive benefits or don't have children is void and may trigger penalties.
Remove: Any reference to "professionals only," benefit status, or family composition as eligibility criteria.
Clauses to add to your new template
Section 48 notice address
Include an explicit clause identifying the landlord's address in England or Wales for service of notices under Section 48 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987. Without this, rent is technically not payable and eviction notices may be invalid.
For the full Section 48 requirements, see Understanding Section 48 notices for landlords.
Tenant notice period
"The tenant may terminate this tenancy by giving not less than 2 months' written notice to the landlord at any time."
This reflects the statutory position. Including it avoids disputes where a tenant believes (from an old clause) that they need to serve notice at a specific point in the year.
Rent increase reference
"Rent may only be increased through the statutory Section 13 process. The landlord must serve the prescribed form (Form 4A) with at least 2 months' notice. Rent may not be increased within the first 12 months of the tenancy, and no more than once in any 12-month period."
Deposit protection statement
Include your deposit scheme details and confirm that prescribed information has been provided. This isn't new, but it's critical — deposit non-protection exposes the landlord to a court-ordered penalty of 1–3× the deposit paid out to the tenant under Housing Act 2004 s.214(4). Pre-RRA it also blocked Section 21 notices; from 1 May 2026 Section 21 is abolished by RRA 2025 s.2, so the go-forward risk is the statutory penalty (Section 8 possession claims are not affected by deposit-protection status).
Landlord identity (Section 47)
Every written demand for rent must include the landlord's name and address (Section 47, Landlord and Tenant Act 1987). Include this in the agreement to satisfy the requirement automatically with every rent demand.
What a compliant agreement looks like from 1 May 2026
| Section | Key contents |
|---|---|
| Parties | Landlord name, tenant name(s), property address |
| Tenancy type | "This is an assured periodic tenancy within the meaning of Part I of the Housing Act 1988 as amended by the Renters' Rights Act 2025" |
| Rent | Amount, payment date, payment method. Reference to statutory Section 13 increase process. |
| Tenant notice | 2 months' written notice at any time |
| Landlord notice | Section 8 grounds only — reference to Housing Act 1988 Schedule 2 |
| Deposit | Amount, scheme name, prescribed information reference |
| Landlord address for notices | Section 48 compliance address in England or Wales |
| Pet requests | Right to request; 28-day response; insurance requirement |
| Repair obligations | Landlord obligations under Section 11, Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 |
| Tenant obligations | Rent payment, property care, access for inspections (24hrs notice) |
Written Statement vs tenancy agreement
These are not the same thing:
- Tenancy agreement: The full contract between landlord and tenant. Can be as detailed as you like. Not prescribed by the government.
- Written Statement: A prescribed document with mandatory content specified by the government. Must be provided to all tenants. The exact format and required content will be published on GOV.UK.
You can include the Written Statement content within your tenancy agreement, or provide it as a separate document. Either approach satisfies the legal requirement — as long as the mandatory information is included.
Practical steps
- Don't rush to rewrite existing agreements. They continue to apply (minus clauses that are of no effect under the RRA). Focus on the Information Sheet deadline (31 May 2026).
- Update your template for new tenancies. Any tenancy commencing from 1 May 2026 should use a periodic tenancy template with the clauses above.
- Wait for the prescribed Written Statement format. The government hasn't published it yet. When it's available, integrate the mandatory content into your template or prepare it as a separate document.
- Review your verbal agreements. If any current tenancy is a verbal agreement, you must provide a Written Statement by 31 May 2026. Identify these now.
- Check your Section 48 compliance. Include the notice address in every agreement.
For a full AST conversion impact assessment — including rent increase dates and clause changes — use the free AST Conversion Calculator.
For the full conversion walkthrough, see AST to periodic conversion explained.
For the complete Phase 1 checklist, see the Landlord Compliance Checklist.
This guide covers tenancy agreements under the Renters' Rights Act 2025 as it applies to private rented sector tenancies in England only. This is not legal advice. For specific questions about your tenancy agreement, consult a solicitor specialising in landlord and tenant law.
Information is current as of the date shown above. We will update this guide when the government publishes the prescribed Written Statement format.