What is the difference in tenancy agreements ? What is the difference with Assured Shorthold Tenancies between a fixed-term, a statutory periodic and a contractual periodic tenancy?
What is the difference in tenancy agreements A fixed-term tenancy is created for a specified length of time – 6 or 12 months for example. Both parties are committed to this period – the tenant must pay rent for the full term and the landlord cannot regain possession during this fixed-term. With an AST the tenant has a minimum tenancy term of 6 months in any case, but the contracted period could be shorter.
When tenants stay on after the end of the fixed-term the tenancy will automatically (the landlord does not need to do anything) become a statutory periodic tenancy – a tenancy protected by the statutory rules of the Housing Acts 1988 & 1996, running in periods based on the rent payment periods – month to month for a monthly tenancy.
In the case of a contractual periodic tenancy, this is where the AST is periodic from day one – it is contracted and agreed that way.
With a perodic tenancy the landlord does not have the security of a longer term let.
The tenant can leave with just one full period’s notice in writing – the notice to quit must be a full tenancy period ending on the last day of a tenancy period. In the case of weekly periods (rent paid weekly) the notice period is 28 days.
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What is the difference in tenancy agreements
