Section 21 Abolished — What Landlords Must Do Now

Section 21 no-fault eviction was abolished on 1 May 2026 under the Renters' Rights Act. The abolition applies to all assured shorthold tenancies in England, regardless of when the tenancy started. Any Section 21 notice served on or after 1 May 2026 is invalid. Section 21 notices served before 1 May 2026: a private landlord could only rely on one if court proceedings were started in time: within six months of serving the notice, and by 31 July 2026 at the latest. Claims issued in time can continue to a possession order. Any other pre-May 2026 notice can no longer be used. Housing associations can still use section 21 for social housing tenancies (see the box on this page).

Section 8 of the Housing Act 1988 is now the only route for possession of an assured shorthold tenancy. The Renters' Rights Act introduced new mandatory grounds under Section 8 to give landlords legitimate routes to regain possession without needing to prove tenant fault: Ground 1 (landlord or family member requires the property as their home) and Ground 1A (landlord intends to sell). Ground 6 covers redevelopment; Ground 6A is decant accommodation (social landlords only). These grounds, combined with existing grounds for rent arrears and antisocial behaviour, give landlords a range of options.

Yes. The abolition of Section 21 does not mean landlords cannot regain possession — it means you must use Section 8 and rely on specific grounds. If you want to sell your property, you can use Ground 1A (intention to sell). If you or a family member want to move in, you can use Ground 1. If the tenant owes three months' rent, you can use Ground 8. We advise on the strongest grounds for your situation and handle the entire process from notice to enforcement.

The notice period for Section 8 depends on the ground used. For Ground 8 (three months' rent arrears), the notice period is 4 weeks. For Ground 1 (landlord requires property as home), Ground 1A (intention to sell) and Ground 6 (redevelopment), the notice period is 4 months. For Ground 7A (serious antisocial behaviour), no notice is needed and you can apply to court straight away. See our full list of grounds and notice periods at /services-for-landlords/grounds-for-possession.

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 changed several Section 8 grounds: Ground 1 (extended — landlord, spouse, civil partner or close family member requires the property as their only or principal home), Ground 1A (landlord intends to sell the property) and Ground 11 (persistent late payment of rent — discretionary, 4 weeks' notice). If you use Ground 1 (moving in) or Ground 1A (selling), you can't market or re-let the property for 12 months. There's a limited exception for shared owners using Ground 1A who can show a genuine attempt to sell. Ground 6 covers redevelopment; Ground 6A is decant accommodation (social landlords only).

Wales has its own separate legislation. The Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 came into force in December 2022 and replaced assured shorthold tenancies with occupation contracts. In Wales, landlords must use a Section 173 notice (equivalent to Section 21) with a minimum 6 months' notice, or a Section 157 notice (equivalent to Section 8) for fault-based possession. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 applies to England only. We advise landlords in both England and Wales.