What happened on 1 May 2026?
The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 came into force on 1 May 2026, abolishing Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 — the so-called ‘no-fault eviction’ notice — for all private tenancies in England. This is the most significant change to residential landlord and tenant law in a generation.
From that date, landlords can no longer serve a Section 21 notice. Any Section 21 notice served on or after 1 May 2026 is invalid and will not be recognised by the courts. Existing Section 21 notices served before 1 May 2026 that have not yet resulted in a possession order are also affected — the government applied transitional rules, so you should seek legal advice if you have any in flight.
What replaces Section 21?
Possession can now only be obtained through Section 8 of the Housing Act 1988, using one of the statutory grounds listed in Schedule 2 of that Act (as heavily amended by the RRA 2025). There is no other route.
This means every possession claim must now go to court, where a judge will consider whether the ground is made out. The days of simply serving a notice and waiting for the tenant to leave are over.
Fixed-term tenancies are abolished too
Alongside Section 21, the Act abolished fixed-term Assured Shorthold Tenancies. All tenancies granted on or after 1 May 2026 are periodic from the outset — rolling month-to-month with no end date. Existing fixed-term tenancies automatically became periodic when the Act came into force.
This means you cannot include a break clause, and you cannot wait for a fixed term to expire as a route to possession. You must use Section 8 grounds.
The key Section 8 grounds you need to know
The most commonly used grounds under the new framework are:
- Ground 1 — Landlord or close family member needs to move in. 4 months’ notice. Cannot be used within the first 12 months of the tenancy.
- Ground 1A — Landlord intends to sell. 4 months’ notice. Cannot be used within the first 12 months. A 12-month re-letting restriction applies after possession.
- Ground 8 — Mandatory: at least 3 months’ rent arrears at both the notice date and the court hearing. 4 weeks’ notice.
- Ground 7A — Mandatory: serious anti-social behaviour or criminal conviction. Immediate notice (court cannot make an order until 14 days have passed).
What must you do right now?
- Stop using Section 21 notices immediately. They are void. Serving one wastes time and money.
- Serve the RRA 2025 Information Sheet on all existing tenants by 31 May 2026. Failure to do so can result in a fine of up to £7,000.
- Ensure all compliance certificates are in order. A landlord who has not complied with Gas Safety, EPC, and EICR obligations may face restrictions on using certain Section 8 grounds.
- Register with a deposit scheme if you haven’t. Failure to protect a deposit within 30 days is a separate offence and can affect possession claims.
- Understand the notice periods for each ground. Serving the wrong notice period invalidates the notice and restarts the clock.
How Comprent helps
Comprent automatically generates all compliance tasks for each property and tenancy the moment you add them. Your Information Sheet deadline, deposit protection deadline, and certificate renewals are all tracked in one place. When you need to serve a Section 8 notice, the document generator selects the correct ground, calculates the correct notice period, and produces a court-ready PDF.
You should always seek independent legal advice before serving a possession notice. Comprent is compliance software, not a law firm.