I own a property that I rent out. The same tenants have lived there for several years, and agreed a new 12-month fixed tenancy in January 2026.

I believe that now the Renters' Rights Act has come into force that tenancy agreement has been superseded. The 12-month term no longer means anything, and the tenants can leave at any time if they give the correct notice. Is that right?

Also, do I need to send my tenants any information about these changes - or should my letting agent sort that out?

Ed Magnus, of This is Money, replies: Our mailbox is full of questions similar to yours, from landlords trying to comply with the new Renters' Rights Act rules.

That isn't a surprise, as they represent the biggest set of changes to hit the private rental sector since the 1980s. 

The Act, which came into force on 1 May, has given tenants a raft of new protections governing things like evictions and rent rises. 

If landlords fall foul of the rules they risk being fined by their local council, with some penalties amounting to tens of thousands of pounds.

One of the new rules is that all fixed-term assured tenancies and assured shorthold tenancies have been abolished, and replaced with rolling periodic tenancies. 

This means landlords can't tie tenants in to contracts of a certain length, and will have to allow them to leave at any time as long as they provide the right amount of notice which will usually be two months.  

Crucially, the rule applies retrospectively. This means tenants who signed rental agreements prior to 1 May - such as yours - are no longer bound by any fixed term. 

Separately, it is also now a legal requirement for landlords to provide their tenants with an official information sheet found here at gov.uk that explains how the new rules will impact them.

Landlords need to send this specific Renters' Rights Act PDF document to their tenants by the end of this month or risk being fined £7,000 per property they own. 

A letting agent may be responsible for doing this, but it will depend on the service level the landlord agreed with them.

For expert advice, we spoke to Isobel Thomson, chief executive of Safeagent, the accreditation scheme for letting and management agents, and Megan Eighteen, president at Propertymark, the leading membership association of residential letting agents.

Is their 12-month tenancy now a rolling contract? 

Megan Eighteen replies: Yes. The existing fixed-term assured shorthold tenancy has effectively converted into an assured periodic tenancy by operation of law.

The tenancy itself continues, but the fixed end date agreed in January 2027 no longer has legal effect.

Although the tenancy has changed status automatically, there is generally no requirement to issue a brand new tenancy agreement unless you and the tenant both want updated wording that reflects the new regime.

Isobel Thomson replies: Landlords must serve an information sheet, which can be found on the Government website, to all their tenants by 31 May. 

If you appoint a letting agent to manage your property day-to-day (as opposed to simply using them to find tenants) then they should provide your tenants with the sheet.

There is no need for you as the landlord to duplicate this and provide it as well but if there is no managing agent, then you must do it as you retain the statutory obligation to do so. 

The document should be delivered as a PDF attachment via email or text, or as a printed hard copy to all named tenants. A link to the document is not considered sufficient.

What if the agent doesn't manage the property? 

Megan Eighteen replies: If you either use an agent to just find tenants or collect rent, they may not be obliged to carry out compliance after the tenant has moved in - unless your terms of business say otherwise. 

In that situation, you, as the landlord, may need to serve the information sheet yourself.

Isobel Thomson adds: The new laws strengthen the argument for landlords to use a professional agent to ensure they are fully compliant, as those who fail to comply could be fined up to £7,000. 

What should landlords do to avoid being fined £7,000? 

Megan Eighteen replies: First, check your agency agreement as soon as possible to see if you or the agent are responsible for sending this information.

If you think the agent is responsible, ask them in writing whether they have already served the Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet.

If they have, ask for evidence that this has been done.

You should also check that all other compliance documents remain up to date, including the energy performance certificate, gas safety record, electrical installation condition report and deposit protection information.