Renters' Rights Act
Information for students currently living in university halls
If you are living in a hall that is owned and managed by your university then you will have signed a Licence Agreement to rent your room. This is a different type of letting agreement, that is not affected by the changes on 1 May. If you intend to stay on in university halls next year, these changes won’t apply to you.
However, if you choose to rent a private house, flat or room in a private hall in the future, it’s good to be familiar with the changes taking place.
Living in a private hall booked through your university’s Accommodation Office
Liverpool John Moores University
LJMU students are allocated rooms in partner halls by the Accommodation Office. The halls are owned and managed by private accommodation providers. Please see this page for information for students living in private halls.
University of Liverpool
The Accommodation Office may have allocated you a room in a private hall, this is usually when the university owned halls are fully booked. If this situation applies to you, please see this page for information for students living in private halls.
Changes to the way you rent private student accommodation
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 if you are considering leaving university halls to rent privately.
If you intend to stay on in university halls next year, these changes won’t apply 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 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:
Assured Shorthold Tenancies:
- These are the most common type of tenancy agreement used by accommodation providers to rent their properties to students, but which will no longer exist from 1 May.
- They are a type of fixed term tenancy, so they include a start and end date for the rental period.
- The tenancy ends on the date specified and you should move out by that date.
Assured Periodic Tenancies:
- The rental period cannot be longer than one calendar month (runs month to month) and there is no end date for the tenancy. It is also known as a rolling tenancy.
- 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.
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. Check your tenancy agreement to see if there are intructions to how notice should be given. If you need to give notice by post, you will need to allow additional days for postal delivery. If there are no details on how notice should be given, it must still be in writing, so email should be sufficient and quicker.
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.
Advice specific to students in the following circumstances:
You have signed a tenancy agreement for a private property for the next academic year, before 1 May
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.
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.
You have not yet signed a tenancy agreement for 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 agreement. You can get advice 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. The exception to this is if you are signing for a room in a private hall which is a member of the National Code, when you are likely to be offered a fixed term Common Law 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.
Getting advice
If you need further advice and guidance you can contact your university, Students’ Union and Liverpool Student Homes.