Student house tenancies since 1 May 2026

On 1 May 2026 the rules for renting in England changed. If you rent a student house from a private landlord, you're likely to have an assured periodic tenancy. This is what that means for you and your housemates.

Your tenancy has no end date

An assured periodic tenancy can't have an end date, even if you're a student. It rolls on weekly or monthly and continues until:

• you and your landlord agree to end it
• you end it by giving notice
• your landlord gets the property back using one of the legal grounds

If a landlord puts an end date in the agreement, it doesn't apply. Tenancies that started before 1 May 2026 automatically became rolling tenancies on that date.

So a student house doesn't end just because the academic year does. Someone has to give notice, or the landlord has to end it properly.

Halls are different

In university halls, or private halls whose landlord has signed up to the National Code, you'll usually have a common law tenancy or licence instead. That normally runs to the end of the academic year, and you pay rent for the whole period. If a private halls landlord hasn't signed up to the code, you're likely to have an assured periodic tenancy.

Giving notice

Your tenancy agreement should say how much notice you need to give. The most a landlord can ask for is 2 months, and if the agreement doesn't say, it's 2 months.

• Give notice in writing. A letter, email or text all count, and your landlord can't insist on one of them. Keep a copy.
• The tenancy has to end on a day your rent is due, or the day before.
• You keep paying rent until the notice runs out.
• You and your landlord can agree in writing to end it sooner.

If you change your mind after giving notice, you can only stay if your landlord agrees in writing.

On a joint tenancy, one notice can end it for everyone

If you and your housemates all signed the same agreement, it's a joint tenancy and you're all responsible for the rent.

One joint tenant can usually end the whole tenancy by giving notice, without the others agreeing. After that:

• a shorter notice period needs every joint tenant to agree
• the tenant who gave notice can only stay if all the other tenants and the landlord agree
• if the rest of the house wants to stay, the landlord can sign a new agreement with them
• a tenant can be swapped for someone new if all the tenants and the landlord agree

Agree as a house when notice will be given, so nobody's tenancy ends before they're ready.

When your landlord can end it

Your landlord can only end the tenancy for a valid reason, called a ground for possession, such as selling the property, moving in, rent arrears or breaking the terms of the tenancy. They must give you a section 8 notice naming the ground, usually with at least 2 months' notice and up to 4.

Your landlord can't remove you by force. If you're still there when the notice ends, they have to apply to court.

Ground 4A for student houses

Your landlord can use ground 4A to end the tenancy at the end of the academic year only if all of these apply:

• all the tenants were full-time students when they signed, or expected to become students during the tenancy
• the landlord intends to let to students next time
• the tenancy was signed less than 6 months before the date you could move in
• the property is a house in multiple occupation (HMO), or part of one
• you were told in writing, before you signed, that you may be evicted under ground 4A
• you're given 4 months' notice, ending between 1 June and 30 September

So if you sign 6 months or more before the date you can move in, ground 4A can't be used. Tenancies that began before 1 May 2026 had different rules.

Rental bidding is banned

When a property is advertised in writing, including online, on social media or by message, the advert must give a specific rent, not a range. After that, the landlord or agent can't:

• ask or encourage you to offer more than the advertised rent
• tell you about other bids to push your offer up
• accept an offer above the advertised rent

You can report rental bidding, or an advert with no rent on it, to the local council. Councils can fine a landlord or agent up to £7,000.

Deposits and rent in advance

The limits on holding deposits, tenancy deposits and rent before you move in are in our guide to deposits and rent in advance.

Sources

• Assured periodic tenancies: a guide for tenants, GOV.UK
• How to end your tenancy, GOV.UK
• If your landlord wants to end your tenancy, GOV.UK
• Rental bidding, GOV.UK
• Renting as a university student, GOV.UK

Checked against these pages on 21 October 2026. This is general information, not legal advice. If you're not sure what kind of tenancy you have, try Shelter's tenancy checker.