Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Related legal acts

Key definition

Assured shorthold tenancy definition

What does Assured shorthold tenancy mean? An assured shorthold tenancy (AST) is the standard agreement used to let a dwelling to a private residential tenant in England. It is a statutory form of assured tenancy under the Housing Act 1988 (as amended). In practice, most private lettings are ASTs unless an exclusion applies (for example, a resident landlord, business or holiday letting, a company let, or certain high‑rent tenancies). Key features include: - Fixed‑term or periodic terms at market rent. - Landlord possession routes: section 21 Housing Act 1988 (no‑fault) and section 8 (fault‑based grounds in Schedule 2, such as rent arrears). - Strict preconditions for section 21, including...

Ending assured and assured shorthold tenancies in England: sections 8 and 21, pre-conditions, grounds, procedure and enforcement

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Practice notes

FORTHCOMING CHANGE :

The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025. For guidance on the Act’s impact on residential tenancies in England, see Practice Note: Renters' Rights Act 2025—key provisions.

This Practice Note outlines the options available to landlords and tenants for bringing an assured tenancy (AT) or an assured shorthold tenancy (AST) in England to an end. It concentrates on the landlord routes under sections 8 and 21 of the Housing Act 1988 (HA 1988), including the requirements for serving a notice seeking possession and the need to evidence any grounds relied upon. The pre-conditions for a section 21 notice include:

Providing a gas safety certificate
Supplying an Energy Performance Certificate
Giving the How to Rent document
Complying with a Tenancy Deposit Scheme

It also addresses the court process for possession—varying according to whether section 8 or section 21 is used—and the steps to enforce a possession order where required. For material on granting ATs and ASTs, see Practice Note: Assured and assured shorthold tenancies—granting...

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Web page updated on 27/05/2026

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