Assured tenancies – New prescribed forms from 6 April 2015

The Assured Tenancies and Agricultural Occupancies (Forms) (England) Regulations 2015 come in to force on 6 April 2015. The new regulations set out new prescribed forms for a number of notices set out in the Housing Act 1988. In addition to a number of other amendments, the new regulations also provide a new prescribed form of the s8 notice, commonly used by social landlords as a step towards possession proceedings. From 6 April, every s.8 notices issued must follow the prescribed form.

The regulations also amend the following applications and notices:

1. a notice under section 6(2) proposing terms of a statutory periodic tenancy different from the implied terms
2. an application under section 22(1) to a tribunal for a determination of rent under an assured shorthold tenancy
3. for a notice under paragraph 7 of Schedule 2A, by the tenant to the landlord proposing that an assured tenancy be replaced by an assured shorthold tenancy

These notices are obligatory, so a failure to comply with the precise required notice format could be significant. Landlords utilising these notices, particularly the s8 Notice of Seeking Possession, should take steps now to make sure that their precedent documents are up to date in advance to the changes on 6 April.