UK Landlord Forum / Life

My property has been let to tenants under a 12 month assured shorthold tenancy which is shortly due to expire. I am happy to renew the tenancy for another year and the tenants are happy to stay. However I have told them I need to serve them with a s.21 Housing Act notice as a legal formality as part of the process of renewing the fixed term tenancy and they have taken fright at this, believing they are at risk of eviction. In fairness the s. 21 notice does read very much like a notice to quit, which is not the intention at all! Am I right in believing I still need to do this? 

No.

I am sure the Housing Act 1988 said that this procedure was to be followed otherwise the assured shorthold would be transformed into a periodic tenancy at the end of the fired term. If that has now changed,  where are the new regulations or procedures laid down? I ought to know this sort of thing really.

I can assure you there is no need to issue 21 in this situation.Ideally you would allow the tenancy to go into periodic,it does not affect the rights of either tenant or landlord.I am not surprised your tenants were alarmed to be told you would serve notice.