Fixed-Term Tenancies Are Void Under the Renters' Rights Act in England

The short answer is no. From 1 May 2026, fixed-term clauses in residential tenancy agreements in England are legally void. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 abolishes the fixed-term assured shorthold tenancy structure entirely. Every assured tenancy in England is now a periodic tenancy with no end date.

What "Void" Actually Means

Any clause in a tenancy agreement that sets a fixed end date, an automatic renewal date or a landlord break clause became unenforceable on 1 May 2026. It does not matter when the agreement was signed. A two-year fixed term that was due to run until March 2027 lost its fixed-term character on 1 May 2026 and became an open-ended periodic tenancy by operation of law.

The tenant is not bound to stay until March 2027. The landlord cannot hold them to that date. And the landlord cannot end the tenancy on that date either — possession now requires Section 8 grounds and a court order.

Do You Need a New Tenancy Agreement

Not just because of the conversion. The Act explicitly provides that existing contractual terms remain in force except where they conflict with the new statutory provisions. So your existing tenancy agreement is still a live document — the repair obligations, the tenant's covenants about use of the property, the rules about subletting, the arrangements for utilities and council tax — all of those survive.

What does not survive:

• The fixed end date
• Any landlord break clause
• Any contractual rent review clause (replaced by Section 13 Form 4A)
• Any contractual notice period that differs from the statutory two-month tenant notice

You do not need to draft and sign a new agreement just to reflect the conversion. But you should review the existing agreement and strike through (or note in writing to the tenant) any clauses that are now void, so there is no confusion down the line.

If you are starting a new tenancy after 1 May 2026, draft it as a periodic tenancy from the outset. Do not include a fixed term — it will be void the moment the agreement is signed.

The Exception That Does Not Exist

Landlords on forums ask whether they can draft a tenancy with a "minimum period" or a "fixed notice date" that achieves the same effect as a fixed term. The answer is no. The Act voids any provision that purports to limit the tenant's right to serve two months' notice and leave. A disguised fixed term is still void.

The only way to guarantee occupancy for a period is to create a tenancy that the tenant wants to stay in — competitive rent, responsive maintenance and a property that meets their needs. The legislative tool for locking tenants in no longer exists.

What About Student Lets

Student lets are the one area where the loss of fixed terms creates genuine operational difficulty. Landlords who let a three-bedroom house to a group of students for the academic year traditionally relied on a 12-month fixed term to ensure all three tenants paid rent through the summer, even if they went home.

The Act addresses this with Ground 4A — a mandatory possession ground specifically for student joint lets. The landlord can serve four months' notice under Ground 4A, with the notice expiring between 1 June and 30 September, to recover the property for the next academic intake. But the tenants can still leave earlier on two months' notice, which means the summer-rent guarantee is gone.

For more detail on Ground 4A and the student letting rules, see HMO and student letting rules under the Renters' Rights Act.

The Renters' Rights Act for Landlords guide explains which clauses in your existing agreement survive the conversion and which are void, with a clause-by-clause reference that saves you the cost of a solicitor's review.

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