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Today (17 April 2026), we have launched the brand-new Renters' Rights Act assured periodic tenancy written statement in Tenancy Builder.
However, whilst we still await final legislation, it should not be used if the agreement will be entered into (signed by all parties) before 1 May (even if it is set to start after 1 May) or if it will start before 1 May. It should only be used if it is to be entered into (signed) and start on or after 1 May.
You could make it as a draft and send that now - just don't sign before 1 May.
The key date for when it's been entered into is the "Date of Agreement" field on page 1 of Tenancy Builder (usually left blank and completed during the digital signing phase).
For the reasons why it's important not to use the new agreements before 1 May, please see here.
If you will be entering into or starting before 1 May, continue to use the assured shorthold tenancy as now, and we recommend a six-month fixed term. On 1 May, it will automatically convert.
To use the new agreement, from the Tenancy Type field, select "Assured periodic tenancy (RRA 1 May 2026)".
| Scenario | Date signed (entered into) | Tenancy start date | Use new APT? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Signed and starting after 1 May | 5 May 2026 | 6 May 2026 | ✅ Yes |
| Draft created in April, signed in May, starting in May | 2 May 2026 | 10 May 2026 | ✅ Yes |
| Signed on 1 May, starting 2 May | 1 May 2026 | 2 May 2026 | ✅ Yes |
| Signed 30 April, but tenancy starts 5 May | 30 April 2026 | 5 May 2026 | ❌ No — signed before 1 May |
| Signed and starting before 1 May | 20 April 2026 | 25 April 2026 | ❌ No — use AST instead |
On selecting the new APT, you will find new fields, and some have been removed.
The last day of the fixed term has been removed because fixed terms are banned from 1 May, and you now just have a start date (the date the tenant is entitled to possession of the dwelling).
We have also removed the break clause for the same reasons.
On selecting the new tenancy, there are 3 new fields:
If you use profiles to quickly auto-fill commonly used entries when creating a new tenancy, you can update those now. We recommend creating a new RRA-specific one and starting to use it from 1 May. All the new fields can be pre-selected along with most other fields, making new creation much quicker and easier.
Due to Tenancy Builder's solid reliability, we know many customers build their tenancy and submit it for digital signing without first downloading and checking the PDF. However, please check these new ones for the first 3 or 4 new creations. Although we have thoroughly tested it, this is a brand-new tenancy built from scratch with new systems in place, so things might go wrong in the first few days. Please check them carefully before sending for digital signing. If you see anything wrong whatsoever, please don't hesitate to contact us.
If a customer ignores our advice and enters into the new agreement or starts before 1 May, we have included, by default, the government's Information Sheet 2026, which is required for existing tenancies on 1 May. However, this is a belt-and-braces approach; you should still issue the Information Sheet yourself between 1 and 31 May. We will remove this from inclusion in any new Builds on 1 May.
It may take time to update technical support pages, although it will be a priority. Be cautious with any LandlordAId chatbot tech support responses whilst we update all the documentation.
We have also introduced several changes today related to digital signing, AI inventory, and other areas, but we will write another article about them later.
Finally, if you haven't already, please take a look at our brand-new website, which will replace the England and Wales websites soon. There's a link in the menu at the top of every page to try the new website.