England · 13 pages · v2026.09
Assured Periodic Tenancy Agreement (England)
Residential tenancy agreement for lettings in England from 1 May 2026 under the Housing Act 1988 as amended by the Renters' Rights Act 2025, with the statutory written statement of terms built in.
In short
A residential tenancy agreement for lettings in England from 1 May 2026, written for the Renters' Rights Act 2025, which ended new assured shorthold tenancies and fixed terms: almost every new private tenancy is now an assured periodic tenancy. It is for private landlords and letting agents in England letting a house, flat or room they do not live in, and not for Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland or a lodger in your own home. The JustiScript template gives you an editable Word (.docx) agreement and print-ready PDF with the statutory written statement of terms (all 18 items prescribed by SI 2026/324) built in as Schedule 1, rent, deposit, pet and notice clauses that follow the new rules, and a plain-English guidance note on every key clause.
Quick facts
- Price
- £14.99
- Format
- Editable Word (.docx) and print-ready PDF
- Jurisdiction
- England
- Law stated as at
- September 2026
- Version
- v2026.09
- Length
- 13 pages
- Delivery
- Download links emailed straight away after payment; no account needed
- Licence
- Use for all your own matters, as many times as you like; no resale or redistribution of the files
- Refund
- Your 14-day cancellation right ends once the download starts (you agree to this at checkout). 30-day fix-or-refund promise: if a template does not do what its page says, email us within 30 days and we will fix it or refund you
- Renters' Rights Act 2025 ready (lettings from 1 May 2026)
- Statutory written statement of terms built in (s.16D)
- Correct rules on s.16E restricted letting period and both Ground 1/1A
- Pets, rent increases, deposit and notice done correctly
- Guidance note on every key clause
What you get
- Assured Periodic Tenancy Agreement (England) — editable Microsoft Word (.docx) and print-ready PDF
- Part 1 Particulars: fill in the yellow fields and the agreement is complete
- Schedule 1: the statutory Written Statement of Terms (section 16D Housing Act 1988 / SI 2026/324), all 18 prescribed items, so you do not need a separate document
- Clauses on rent (one-month periods, no rent in advance beyond the first period, interest on late rent within the Tenant Fees Act cap), deposit (5-week cap and 30-day protection), pets (28-day written response, no pet fee), repairs, gas and electrical safety, access, assignment, alterations, notices, and how the tenancy ends
- Plain-English guidance notes on every key clause and a pre-letting compliance checklist (Right to Rent, EPC, gas safety, EICR, deposit protection, smoke and CO alarms)
- Signature blocks for one or several tenants and a guarantor cross-reference
Who it is for
Private landlords and letting agents in England granting a new tenancy of a house or flat (whole property or a room with a non-resident landlord). Not for Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, and not for lodgers living with a resident landlord (see our Lodger Agreement).
Compare with a free template
Free templates are fine when they are current and you know what every clause does. This is what you are paying for.
| Free template found online | This document | |
|---|---|---|
| Law currency | Often undated, or written for assured shorthold tenancies, which cannot be created since 1 May 2026 | Law stated as at September 2026, with the version number on every page |
| Guidance notes | Rarely explain what a clause does or what to put in a blank | Plain-English note on every key clause and a compliance checklist |
| Editable Word + PDF | Often PDF-only or locked, so you retype it | Editable .docx with yellow fields to complete, plus a print-ready PDF |
| Support and updates | No one to ask and no updates | Email support, the current version on request when the law changes, and a 30-day fix-or-refund promise |
Questions about this document
- Why is this not an assured shorthold tenancy?
- From 1 May 2026 the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 ended new assured shorthold tenancies and fixed terms in England. Almost every new private tenancy is now an assured periodic tenancy running from rent period to rent period, and section 21 no-fault notices no longer exist. An old AST template signed after that date does not create a fixed term and is likely to contain terms the Act now prohibits, which is why this document is written for the new regime from the ground up.
- Is the written statement of terms included?
- Yes. Section 16D of the Housing Act 1988 requires the landlord to give the tenant a written statement of specified terms, and SI 2026/324 prescribes the 18 items it must contain. Schedule 1 of this agreement is that statement, so one document does both jobs; give it to the tenant before the tenancy is entered into (before they sign, not just before they move in) and keep proof that you did. If you are using an agent’s or another compliant agreement, our standalone Written Statement of Terms covers the same ground.
- How do I increase the rent?
- Only by a section 13 notice in the prescribed form, no more than once in any 12 months and with the statutory notice period. Rent review clauses in the agreement itself no longer work, so the template does not pretend otherwise. The tenant can refer a proposed increase to the First-tier Tribunal, and the guidance note on rent explains how the timing works.
- What deposit can I take, and must it be protected?
- Under the Tenant Fees Act 2019 the deposit is capped at five weeks’ rent (six weeks where the annual rent is £50,000 or more). It must be protected in a government-approved scheme within 30 days of receipt and the prescribed information given to the tenant. The agreement states the cap, names the scheme and records the amount; interest on late rent is also kept within the Act’s limit.
- Can I refuse pets?
- A tenant may ask in writing to keep a pet, you must reply within 28 days, and you may only refuse where it is reasonable to do so. A “pet fee” is a prohibited payment. The pet clause follows these rules and leaves space to record any conditions you reasonably attach to your consent.
- How does the tenancy end if I need the property back?
- There is no section 21. You need a ground for possession under Schedule 2 to the Housing Act 1988, for example Ground 1 (you or close family moving in), Ground 1A (selling), rent arrears or antisocial behaviour, served by a section 8 notice, and a court order if the tenant does not leave. If you rely on Ground 1 or 1A you are then restricted from re-letting for a period under section 16E. The tenant can end the tenancy at any time by giving notice (two months under the new rules). The guidance notes walk through each of these.
- Can I use this in Wales, Scotland, or for a lodger?
- No. Wales uses occupation contracts under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 and Scotland uses the private residential tenancy, both with their own mandatory terms. A lodger who lives with you in your own home is an excluded occupier, not an assured tenant, and needs our Lodger Agreement instead. This document is for a house, flat or room let in England by a landlord who does not live there.
Often needed together
The documents landlords and employers use alongside this one.
Written Statement of Terms (England)
£7.99
View document →
Tenancy Guarantor Agreement (Deed)
£8.99
View document →
Property Inventory & Schedule of Condition
£7.99
View document →
Get this and the documents above in the Landlord Pack 2026 (England) for £29.99 and save £9.97.
Law stated as at September 2026·Version number on every page; law date on the cover
A general precedent drafted by UK lawyers, not legal advice on your situation; take advice on anything unusual. Drafting assisted by AI tools under lawyer review.
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