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Periodic tenancies and landlord insurance in England after 2026

England is moving away from the fixed-term assured shorthold tenancy, and a wording written around one may not fit the tenancy you now have. This is for landlords checking that wording before a renewal or a new policy.

Read the latest updates on landlord insurance See what the Renters' Rights Act changed for your policy

What to ask at renewal

A renewal is the moment the schedule gets looked at again, and it is worth reading it against the tenancy you actually have rather than assuming the two still match. If the agreement with your tenant has become periodic, the question is whether the wording your insurer sends you this year still describes that tenancy correctly, or whether it was written for the fixed term you used to hold.

  • Does the schedule name an assured shorthold tenancy (AST) by type, or does it describe the letting without naming a tenancy type at all?
  • Does any condition for cover to apply, particularly for rent guarantee, require a fixed term, and if so, does a periodic tenancy meet it?
  • If the tenancy has moved from fixed-term to periodic since the policy was last renewed, does the insurer need telling before renewal, and does that change anything in the schedule?
  • Where the wording refers only to "the tenancy agreement" without naming a type, will the insurer confirm that a periodic tenancy is included?

Where you are not sure whether the event you are dealing with sits under rent guarantee, loss of rent or the unoccupancy terms at all, When the rent stops: which cover pays? walks through what has happened to your let and sets out which cover is meant to answer it, along with the questions worth putting to your own wording before you raise the renewal query above.

Get the answer in writing

A verbal answer from a call centre is not something you can point back to if a claim is later disputed. Ask for any confirmation about how the policy treats a periodic tenancy to be put in writing, either by email or as an endorsement to the schedule, so there is a record to rely on if the question comes up again when you need to claim.

Telling your insurer how the property is let, and keeping that description current as the tenancy changes, is part of the fair presentation of the risk that the law asks of you. You can read more about what that requires in Fair presentation of the risk: what the Insurance Act 2015 requires.

What to ask at renewal

A renewal is the moment the schedule gets looked at again, and it is worth reading it against the tenancy you actually have rather than assuming the two still match. If the agreement with your tenant has become periodic, the question is whether the wording your insurer sends you this year still describes that tenancy correctly, or whether it was written for the fixed term you used to hold.

  • Does the schedule name an assured shorthold tenancy (AST) by type, or does it describe the letting without naming a tenancy type at all?
  • Does any condition for cover to apply, particularly for rent guarantee, require a fixed term, and if so, does a periodic tenancy meet it?
  • If the tenancy has moved from fixed-term to periodic since the policy was last renewed, does the insurer need telling before renewal, and does that change anything in the schedule?
  • Where the wording refers only to "the tenancy agreement" without naming a type, will the insurer confirm that a periodic tenancy is included?

The same question about how a tenancy is described can decide which cover actually answers an event, since rent guarantee and unoccupancy terms are each written with their own assumptions about the tenancy behind them. When the rent stops: which cover pays? walks through what has happened to your let and shows which cover is meant for it, along with the questions to put to your insurer once you know.

Get the answer in writing

A verbal answer from a call centre is not something you can point back to if a claim is later disputed. Ask for any confirmation about how the policy treats a periodic tenancy to be put in writing, either by email or as an endorsement to the schedule, so there is a record to rely on if the question comes up again when you need to claim.

Telling your insurer how the property is let, and keeping that description current as the tenancy changes, is part of the fair presentation of the risk that the law asks of you. You can read more about what that requires in Fair presentation of the risk: what the Insurance Act 2015 requires.

Checking your wording

Phrases to look for in your schedule

A policy schedule describes the tenancy it covers in its own words, and those words decide whether a periodic tenancy still fits. Read your schedule and wording alongside this list before you call your insurer.

  • "Assured shorthold tenancy" or "AST"

    Where the schedule names this tenancy type specifically, check whether a periodic tenancy in England still falls within that definition in the wording, not just in the schedule.

  • "Fixed term" or "fixed period of"

    This phrasing ties cover to a tenancy with a stated end date, which a periodic tenancy does not have.

  • "Statutory periodic tenancy"

    This is the tenancy that arises automatically once a fixed term ends and the tenant stays on. A wording that only mentions it in passing may not treat it the same as the tenancy named on the schedule.

  • "Contractual periodic tenancy"

    This is a periodic tenancy set out in the original agreement. Some wordings draw a line between the two, and the schedule does not always say which one applies to your let.

  • "Tenancy type" or "type of letting" on the schedule itself

    This is the field your insurer used when the policy was set up. If it still reads as a fixed-term tenancy and your letting has since become periodic, that field may no longer match your let.

  • Any duty to notify a change in tenancy

    Some wordings require you to tell the insurer when the tenancy type changes, including when a fixed term runs out and becomes periodic. Check whether this duty exists in your wording and what it asks you to send.

The wording on your own schedule decides the answer, and insurers do not all use these phrases the same way. Where a phrase is unclear, ask your insurer to confirm in writing how it treats a periodic tenancy. If you're also trying to work out which cover answers something that has already happened on your let, our When the rent stops: which cover pays? tool sets out the right questions to put to your insurer.