fixed term tenancy, you agree to rent the property for a fixed length of time -- say six months or a year. The advantage of a fixed tenancy is that the rent cannot be increased unless there is a clause in the lease -- you should make sure there isn't. The Periodic Tenancy A periodic tenancy is the most common type of tenancy and has no fixed timescale. To end it you must give three weeks notice to the landlord -- as an extreme example, the tenancy could last for as little as three weeks if you give notice to quit on the same day as you move in. Or it could last for years. The landlord needs to give you six weeks notice to end your tenancy. Your landlord needs to give you 60 days notice of a rent increase. Since you can leave after giving him 21 days notice, you have plenty of time to leave if you want to before the rent goes up. In practice, rent increases are rare for sitting tenants. Your rent will probably go up only if you are a tenant for more than a year. Periodic is Best As a new immigrant, it's best to keep your options open. It's better if you only need to give 21 days notice before moving to another house / district / city than having to wait for several months. If any landlord should insist on a long, fixed-term tenancy, it would be a good idea