Changes to the way you rent student accommodation if you live in a shared house or flat
There are major changes to legislation coming on 1 May 2026, that affect how you rent private student accommodation. It’s important that you understand these changes as they could impact your living and financial situation. It's always a good idea to keep communications open with your accommodation provider, so that you can ask questions and ensure that there are no misunderstandings.
The information below is relevant to students who are currently renting a room in a house or flat and have a fixed term Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement. If you are unsure which type of tenancy you have, read about them here [link].
If you are living in private halls, please visit this page [link], as the legislation is different for this type of accommodation.
In this section:
Check what type of tenancy you have
Your Assured Shorthold Tenancy will automatically be replaced with an Assured Periodic Tenancy
Differences between these two types of tenancy
Giving Notice to Quit your periodic tenancy
What happens if not all tenants in a joint tenancy want to give notice
Paying rent
Pets
Possession of the property by the accommodation provider or eviction
Advice for specific circumstances
How to get support
Check what type of tenancy agreement you have
The changes will affect those students who have signed Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreements. You can check which type you have by looking at the language used on the contract.
Assured Shorthold Tenancy - The document may state ‘Assured Shorthold Tenancy’ in the title and you are referred to as a ‘tenant’ throughout the contract.
If you have this type of contract and live in a private hall, please see this page [link] for information about how the Renters’ Rights Act will affect you.
Licence Agreement – The document may state ‘Licence Agreement in the title and you are referred to as a ‘licensee’ on the contract. Please visit this page [link] for information relevant to you.
Assured Shorthold Tenancies will be replaced with Assured Periodic Tenancies
From 1 May, landlords and agents must offer you an Assured Periodic Tenancy agreement if you are renting a private student property such as a house, flat or room in a private hall.
If you currently have a signed Assured Shorthold Tenancy with a fixed end date, it will automatically convert to an Assured Periodic Tenancy, with no end date (also known as a rolling tenancy), on 1 May.
The differences between an Assured Shorthold Tenancy and Assured Periodic Tenancy are as follows:
Assured Shorthold Tenancies:
Assured Periodic Tenancies:
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To end the tenancy, tenants must give two full months’ notice to quit. Alternatively, there must be mutual agreement between the landlord and tenant to end the tenancy or by the landlord obtaining possession following service of an appropriate notice. See Ground4A Notice for details [insert relevant link].
Notice to Quit the Assured Periodic Tenancy
With the new type of periodic tenancy, you will need to give notice to your accommodation provider to end your tenancy, as there is no fixed end date in a rolling tenancy. This means you will need to tell them in writing when you wish to end the tenancy and move out.
The notice period is 2 full months’ notice.
For example:
If you wish to end the tenancy and move out of the property on 31 March 2027, you will need to give notice in writing to the accommodation provider on 31 January 2027. However, if notice is given a couple of days later on 2 February 2027 the tenancy will end on 30 April 2027, so you will pay an extra months’ rent, as the notice period needs to be 2 full months.
Take action if you want your tenancy to end on 30 June 2026.
You will need to give notice to quit your tenancy on 1 May 2026 to end your tenancy on 30 June 2026.
What happens if you have a joint tenancy agreement and not all tenants want to give notice
If there is a joint tenancy agreement (when all tenants are listed on the same contract) and only one or some of the tenants give 2 months’ notice, then this will end the tenancy for everyone. It’s important that you communicate your intentions with the other tenants.
The landlord and the remaining tenants may negotiate a new tenancy agreement for the property.
Paying rent
From 1 May 2026 accommodation providers cannot request more than one month’s rent at a time. However, tenants can request to have longer rent periods, for example timed with Student Loan payments.
Rent already paid in advance will not need to be returned, unless notice is given by the tenant to end the tenancy.
Advance rent cannot be paid before signing a tenancy agreement
Accommodation providers cannot ask for a payment of rent from you, before signing a tenancy agreement.
If a landlord or letting agent accepts a pre-tenancy payment of rent, they will be in breach of the Tenant Fees Act 2019 and can receive a financial penalty from the local authority. Any advance rent paid prior to 1 May 2026 will not need to be returned.
No more than one month’s rent can be paid before moving in
From 1 May 2026 accommodation providers will be allowed to request up to one months’ rent, between the tenancy agreement being signed and you moving in on the first day of the tenancy.
Rent changes
If you move into a property and you believe that your rent amount is not in line with market rents in your area, you can make an application to the First-tier Property Tribunal, to have your rent reduced. You can only do this within the first 6 months of the start of the tenancy.
If you intend to live in a property for more than 12 months, the accommodation provider will only be able to increase the rent once per year, and only in line with the market rent for the area. They must give you 2 months’ notice of the rent increase.
If the rent increase is not in line with market rents, you can challenge this at the First-tier Property Tribunal.
Pets
From 1 May, you will have stronger rights to request permission to have a pet in your property.
Landlords must consider each pet request fairly, and if they refuse them, they must include a reason for their decision. If you believe a refusal is unfair, you can appeal.
Reasons why an accommodation provider may refuse permission for a pet:
How to request permission for a pet in your property:
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Extending decision deadlines. If you provide additional information, the landlord can extend the decision deadline by 7 days. However, if you fail to respond to the request for more information, the accommodation provider doesn’t need to take any further action.
Grounds for possession of the property by the accommodation provider
A new way for landlords to gain possession of their property, so a new group of students can rent it, is a Ground 4A Notice.
The accommodation provider must provide a written statement at the start of the tenancy of their wish to recover the property to let it to another group of students. The accommodation provider must give at least 4 months’ notice and it must expire at some point between 1 June and 30 September.
Ground 4A will not be available if the tenancy of the property has been signed 6 months or more before it commences. More information about Ground 4A can be found here [insert relevant link].
Advice specific to students in the following circumstances:
Final year or leaving studies at the end of the academic year 2026
It’s important that you communicate with your landlord about your intentions to leave the property and agree the date that you will give notice.
You plan to stay in your current property and have signed again for the next academic year
Your current Assured Shorthold Tenancy will convert to an Assured Periodic Tenancy automatically on 1 May 2026. This is a rolling tenancy with no end date, so it will continue into the next academic year running month to month, until you give 2 months’ notice to quit.
You are currently living in a private property and you have signed a tenancy agreement for a new property for the next academic year
Both tenancy agreements (current and for the next academic year) will convert from a fixed term Assured Shorthold Tenancy to an Assured Periodic Tenancy on 1 May 2026. This is a rolling tenancy with no end date, so it will continue into the next academic year running month to month, until you give 2 months’ notice to quit.
You have not yet signed a tenancy agreement for next academic year but intend to do so before 1 May 2026
If you sign a tenancy before 1 May 2026 it will be a fixed term Assured Shorthold Tenancy, which will convert to an Assured Periodic Tenancy on 1 May. This is a rolling tenancy with no end date, so it will continue into the next academic year running month to month, until you give 2 months’ notice to quit.
You have not yet signed a tenancy agreement for the next academic year but intend to do so after 1 May 2026
From 1 May 2026 landlords and agents must offer you an Assured Periodic Tenancy and be compliant with all new regulations. You can get advice from your university, Students’ Union or Liverpool Student Homes, if the landlord does not comply with new legislation after 1 May and they offer you a fixed term tenancy instead of a periodic tenancy.
You require a UK guarantor to rent a property
You may be asked by a landlord to provide a UK guarantor – this is usually someone who is a homeowner in the UK and who voluntarily signs a guarantee to pay your rent on your behalf, should you not be able to pay.
If you do not have a UK guarantor, there are companies who will act as your guarantor, for a fee. These can be found online by searching for UK guarantor companies. You should research the companies carefully.
Check if the landlord accepts guarantor companies as a guarantor, as not all do.
Not all landlords request guarantors. When searching for a property, look for this information on the property advert or ask the landlord directly.
How to get support
If you have any questions or need housing advice, you can contact your university, Students’ Union or Liverpool Student Homes.