Difference between assured shorthold tenancy and assured tenancy
A tenant is the occupier of a leasehold estate, that is, someone who occupies land or property that they rent from a landlord. Tenancy is the agreement between the landlord and the tenant giving them the right of occupancy.
Assured shorthold tenancy (AST) is the most common type of agreement used by landlords to let residential properties to private tenants. ASTs are typically given for a period of six months but can be for longer. After this initial agreed period, the landlord is able to evict the tenant without a legal reason.
An assured tenancy in contrast, provides tenants with far greater security of tenure in the long-term, as they are able to stay in a property until they choose to leave or the landlord gains possession on one of the grounds listed in the Housing Act 1988. This usually requires waiting until a certain condition has arisen which enables them to seek a possession order, for example, the tenants go into arrears on the rent.
This is the central difference between the two tenancies; under an AST the landlord has the automatic right to regain possession at any point after the fixed term of the tenancy agreement has expired as long as they provide reasonable notice, whereas under an assured tenancy, the landlord does not have this automatic right which grants the tenant greater security of tenure.
Prior to February 1997, assured tenancies were the most common type of tenancy, but now they are seldom used as landlords tend to prefer ASTs, since it allows them to recover possession without requiring a reason or proof of infringing a condition. Some assured tenancies are inadvertently created as a result of the landlord failing to adhere to the correct procedure required for ASTs.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
Featured articles and news
This weeks guest editor, Ankita Dwivedi of Firstplanit.
Fropm practice to research and the business of materials.
Terms, histories, theories and practices.
Types of work to existing buildings - repurposing of buildings
Alteration and everything else before demolition.
2023 HSE data on workplace injuries and ill health
And CIOB's response.
Building Safety Act and Secondary Legislation
Presidential update from CIAT's Eddie Weir PCIAT.
Starting pistol Statement for an election campaign?
Rates freeze, NI cuts, full expensing; early election?
Positive pressure or positive input ventilation
Could this be a remedy for condensation, damp or mould?
Unlocking a Healthier Tomorrow
Report on Social housing retrofit in Scotland 2023
Call for ministerial group and National Retrofit Delivery Plan.
The Great Transformation 1860–1920. Book review.
2023 Autumn Statement in brief with reactions
Including the devolved governments, CIOB, ECA, APM and IHBC.
Irish Life Sciences HQ, an exemplar of adaptive reuse
AT awards small to medium size project category winner.
Formal and informal adaptive re-use or new use of buildings.
Broken Record. Emissions Gap Report 2023
Temperatures hit new highs, yet world fails to cut emissions (again).
Environment Agency cuts waste red tape
No longer enforcing certain waste transfer documentation.
APM Project Management Awards 2023
Winners reactions during the event at the Park Plaza Hotel.
BSRIA Living Laboratory Innovation Challenge
An exciting opportunity for stakeholders to collaborate.
Discussing issues related to inside and outside air quality
Report from the BSRIA Briefing 2023, Cleaner Air, Better Tomorrow.