A tenant-led move has new rules
Tenants who plan a move in England now work to different tenancy rules from those that applied before 1 May 2026. This article summarises the GOV.UK “Renters’ Rights Act overview for tenants”, published on 7 April 2026 and last updated on 1 May 2026, and the GOV.UK landlord guidance on what happens when a tenant wants to leave. Both apply to England and to privately rented homes, and different rules apply to tenants of housing associations or councils, students in halls and lodgers. Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate systems, covered in this site’s articles on moving home in Scotland and moving home in Northern Ireland. This article is general information, not legal advice.
What changed on 1 May 2026 (England)
GOV.UK says most existing assured shorthold tenancies became assured periodic tenancies automatically on 1 May 2026. A new tenancy agreed with a private landlord on or after that date is an assured periodic tenancy. These run on a rolling basis, for example weekly or monthly, and it is no longer possible to have an assured tenancy agreement with an end date. If an agreement contains an end date, that date no longer applies.
Giving notice to leave (England)
For an assured periodic tenancy, GOV.UK says a tenant who wants to end the tenancy after 1 May 2026 can do so by giving two months’ notice. The notice must:
- be in writing, which GOV.UK says can be a letter, email or text; and
- end the tenancy on the day rent is due or the day before it is due.
The tenant continues to pay rent during the notice period. Tenant and landlord can agree in writing to end the tenancy earlier or to a shorter notice period.
The landlord guidance adds that a tenancy agreement should say how much notice a tenant must give, that the maximum a landlord can ask for is two months, and that if the agreement is silent the tenant must give at least two months. A landlord cannot tell the tenant how to give notice. The guidance also says a tenant can move out early without paying rent for the rest of the tenancy only if the landlord agrees.
Tenancies that began before 1 May 2026 (England)
The landlord guidance notes that, for a tenancy that started before 1 May 2026, the notice a tenant needs to give depends on the type of tenancy and what is in the agreement. Tenants in that position should read the agreement before fixing a move date.
Fitting notice around a removal date (England)
Because the tenancy must end on a rent due date or the day before, the last day of the tenancy follows the rent cycle. A move is usually built backwards from that date, with the removal booking, keys and final rent lined up together. The guidance says a tenant who gives notice but changes their mind can stay only if the landlord agrees in writing, and otherwise the tenancy ends as planned. Because staying on after giving notice needs the landlord’s written agreement, the notice date and the removal booking are best confirmed together, and this site’s article on cancelling or rescheduling a removal booking explains what to check in a booking’s terms. The end-of-tenancy checklist covers cleaning, inventory and key handover.
Joint tenancies (England)
Where more than one tenant is on an assured periodic tenancy, the landlord guidance calls it a joint tenancy. One joint tenant can usually end it without the agreement of the others. A shorter notice period needs the landlord and all other joint tenants to agree. A joint tenant who wants to stay after giving notice needs the landlord and the other joint tenants to agree, otherwise the tenancy must end. If some tenants want to stay, a new tenancy agreement can be signed, and additional tenants can be added to an existing agreement.
If the landlord wants the property back (England)
GOV.UK says that a landlord who wants to end an assured periodic tenancy after 1 May 2026 needs a reason, called a ground for possession, and must use the correct forms and give the correct notice, usually four months but shorter for some grounds. From 1 May 2026 a tenant can no longer be evicted using the “no fault” section 21 process, even if the agreement says so. If the landlord needs to sell or move in, that ground cannot be used within the first 12 months of the tenancy. If a correctly served notice is ignored, the landlord can apply to court for a possession order.
Rules that matter when moving into a new rental (England)
The overview lists several rules for tenancies starting on or after 1 May 2026:
- a landlord cannot ask for, encourage or accept rent before the tenancy agreement is signed, and after signing can ask for a maximum of one month’s rent in advance;
- an advertisement or offer must state a specific price, and the landlord cannot accept offers above it; and
- rent can be increased only once a year, not within the first 12 months of a new tenancy, using Form 4A and at least two months’ notice.
Deposit rules for a new rental are covered in the site’s guide to tenancy deposit protection.
Common questions
Does a fixed end date in my old agreement still matter? GOV.UK says an end date in a tenancy agreement no longer applies once the tenancy is periodic.
Can I leave before the notice ends? Only if the landlord agrees, since rent continues to be due during the notice period.
The bottom line
In England, most private tenancies are now rolling assured periodic tenancies. A tenant can end one with two months’ written notice ending on a rent due date or the day before, with rent continuing until then, and earlier exits need the landlord’s agreement. Joint tenants, pre-May 2026 agreements and landlord-led possession follow their own rules, so a removal date should be fixed only after the notice date is clear.