Tenancy & deposits
What is an assured shorthold tenancy (AST)?
An assured shorthold tenancy is the most common form of residential tenancy in England. It gives the tenant security for a fixed term and the landlord defined routes to possession afterwards.
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<img src="https://propertyoptix.co.uk/glossary/assured-shorthold-tenancy/diagram.svg" alt="assured shorthold tenancy — diagram from PropertyOptix" width="880" height="620" loading="lazy">
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<a href="https://propertyoptix.co.uk/glossary/assured-shorthold-tenancy">What is an assured shorthold tenancy (AST)?</a> — diagram by
<a href="https://propertyoptix.co.uk">PropertyOptix</a>
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</figure>Whether a tenancy is an AST follows from the facts — a private landlord, a separate dwelling, the tenant's only or main home, and rent within defined limits — rather than from what the agreement is headed.
The consequences of the type are substantial: deposit protection, the prescribed information, and the availability of a no-fault notice all attach to ASTs specifically.
Reform has been repeatedly proposed to replace this framework, so anyone relying on how it works should be checking the current position rather than a remembered one.
What goes wrong in practice
- A template AST used where the arrangement is in fact a licence or a common law tenancy.
- Assuming deposit and notice rules apply identically to non-AST arrangements.
- Relying on a remembered position where the framework has since changed.