Prescribed information and Renters Right Act

mills112

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81954621#Comment_81954621

my friend has protected his deposit with mydeposits and he hasn't heard anything from them. i would expect the process to be automatic for fixed tenancy that ends after 01.05.2026 and you don't need to select to turn it into periodic as it has to become periodic as mandatory, there is no choice to it and you can't end it as it hasn't ended.

haveabreak

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81955188#Comment_81955188

I've got an email from the DPS telling me the protection will end if I don't take action (under the Insured Scheme). The tenancy end date is a couple of days after 1st May. I don't know if it is worth waiting till 1st of May to know if it is automatic - I will probably set it to periodic now and let them sort it out on 1st May.

mills112

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81955264#Comment_81955264

that sounds like the old automated emails that I used to get from mydeposits when I was renting out properties when a tenancy is near the end, where I had to select to turn it into periodic or it will stop. if I remember correctly, I had to make the choice within 10 days of the contract ending. i don't think that is from the new system, which probably won't be kicked in until 01 May. I am assuming that may be when you will get the notifications from the deposit schemes about the new periodic process but I would expect that it will turn periodic for all existing tenancies on 01 May, including ones that end shortly after that.

IziRento

For England private rentals after 1 May 2026 the fixed-term AST converts to an assured periodic tenancy. Official guidance says you do not have to rewrite or re-issue the existing written agreement for that conversion alone, so this is not treated as a brand-new tenancy that forces a fresh Prescribed Information pack by default.

Practical checklist:

1. Serve the Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet 2026 on every named tenant (one copy each, not one for the household). Keep proof of service.
2. Deposit scheme: custodial usually needs no change. On an insured DPS registration, use the scheme’s “periodic” option rather than ending or inventing a fresh fixed term. Keep the certificate and scheme login details with the tenancy file.
3. Do not assume you must re-serve the old Prescribed Information solely because the tenancy became periodic under the Act. Re-serve only if something material about the deposit or the landlord details has changed, or your scheme’s own rules say so — check the scheme wording, not forum guesses.
4. From here, rent increases in the private rented sector go through section 13 using Form 4A: at least two months’ notice, once per year, new rent starting at the beginning of a tenancy period, and not above open-market. Tenants can refer Form 4A to the tribunal.
5. Section 21 is not available for new PRS possession in England after 1 May 2026. Possession is Form 3A (section 8) with a qualifying ground. Deposit protection and correct prescribed information still matter for possession outcomes, so keep the scheme status current even if you are not re-serving PI today.

Non-obvious: if your agreement named more than one tenant, serve the information sheet and any later Form 4A / Form 3A on each of them. Serving one tenant only is a common failure point.

Not legal advice — confirm against current GOV.UK assured-tenancy forms and your deposit scheme’s post-RRA notes before you act.