Assured Tenancy
An assured tenancy is a form of residential tenancy under the Housing Act 1988 that gives the tenant greater security of tenure than an assured shorthold tenancy. Landlords can only end an assured tenancy by establishing one of the grounds set out in the Act. Assured tenancies are most commonly found in the social housing sector, though many private sector tenancies created before 1997 may also be assured tenancies.
Assured tenancies were created by the Housing Act 1988 and give significantly stronger security of tenure than assured shorthold tenancies (ASTs). A landlord can only obtain possession by proving one of the grounds listed in Schedule 2 of the Act: mandatory grounds (where the court must grant possession, e.g. Ground 8 — at least two months' rent arrears) and discretionary grounds (where the court weighs the circumstances). A court order is always required — no self-help eviction is permitted. Assured tenancies are the standard form for social housing let by housing associations and councils in England and Wales. Private tenancies created before 28 February 1997 default to assured (not shorthold) unless a notice to that effect was served. The Renters Rights Act 2025, once fully in force, will abolish the AST regime and convert most tenancies to a new periodic assured tenancy model.