Section 21 Abolished: What UK Landlords Must Do Before 1 May 2026
The Renters' Rights Act 2025 received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025 and Phase 1 comes into force on 1 May 2026. For the 2.3 million private landlords in England, this is the most significant change to the legal landscape since the Housing Act 1988 created Assured Shorthold Tenancies nearly four decades ago.
The headline change is the abolition of Section 21. But that is only one of several reforms that will affect how you let and manage your properties from May onwards. This guide explains everything you need to know.
What is changing on 1 May 2026
The following changes apply to all private residential tenancies in England from 1 May 2026. They apply to both new tenancies and existing ones.
1. Section 21 no-fault evictions are abolished
From 1 May 2026, landlords can no longer end a tenancy without giving a specific, legal reason. The Section 21 "no-fault" eviction route — which allowed landlords to recover possession simply by giving two months' notice — is gone.
In its place, landlords must rely on Section 8 of the Housing Act 1988, which requires the landlord to prove one or more grounds for possession from the revised Schedule 2. We explain the most important grounds in detail below.
What this means in practice: you can still recover your property, but you must now have a lawful reason. Common legitimate reasons include serious rent arrears, antisocial behaviour, wishing to sell the property, or wishing to move back in yourself.
2. Fixed-term Assured Shorthold Tenancies are abolished
All existing Assured Shorthold Tenancies (ASTs) automatically convert to Assured Periodic Tenancies (APTs) on 1 May 2026. You do not need to issue new tenancy agreements for existing tenants — the conversion is automatic.
All new tenancies granted from 1 May 2026 must be periodic from the outset. Fixed terms are no longer enforceable. An Assured Periodic Tenancy has no fixed end date. It continues on a monthly rolling basis until either the tenant serves a valid notice to quit, or the landlord obtains a possession order through the Section 8 process.
3. Tenants can end the tenancy with 2 months' notice from day one
Under the new rules, tenants can serve notice to quit at any point during the tenancy, from day one, by giving 2 months' written notice. There is no minimum term before they can do this.
4. Rent increases are restricted to once per year using Section 13
From 1 May 2026, landlords may only increase rent once every 12 months and must do so using the formal Section 13 procedure (Form 4A) with a minimum of 2 months' written notice.
Any rent review clauses in existing tenancy agreements are unenforceable from 1 May 2026. Tenants have the right to challenge any proposed rent increase at the First-tier Tribunal.
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Generate a Section 13 Notice →5. Landlords must provide an information sheet to existing tenants by 31 May 2026
The government will publish an official information sheet explaining the new tenancy rules to tenants. Landlords with existing tenancies must provide this to their tenants by 31 May 2026. Failure to do so can result in a civil penalty of up to £7,000.
6. Pet requests cannot be unreasonably refused
Landlords can no longer impose a blanket ban on pets. Where a tenant makes a written request to keep a pet, the landlord must consider it and must respond within 28 days with either consent or a written refusal giving reasonable grounds.
7. Discrimination against tenants with children or on benefits is banned
Landlords and letting agents cannot refuse to let to prospective tenants simply because they have children or receive housing benefit.
8. Rent in advance is limited to one month
From 1 May 2026, landlords cannot require more than one month's rent in advance once a tenancy agreement has been signed.
The transitional rules — critical deadlines
If you are thinking about serving a Section 21 notice, you must act immediately. The transitional window is closing fast.
| Action | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Serve a valid Section 21 notice | On or before 30 April 2026 |
| Issue court proceedings using a pre-May Section 21 | On or before 31 July 2026 |
| After 31 July 2026 | Section 21 cannot be relied upon under any circumstances |
If you served a valid Section 21 notice before 1 May 2026 but do not issue court proceedings by 31 July 2026, the notice lapses and you cannot use it. You would need to start again using the Section 8 process.
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Generate a Section 21 Notice →What replaces Section 21 — the key Section 8 grounds
Section 8 is now the only legal route to possession. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 significantly revised Schedule 2 of the Housing Act 1988, adding new grounds and updating notice periods.
Ground 1A — you want to sell the property (NEW)
A new mandatory ground allowing a landlord to recover possession where they intend to sell the property.
- Notice period: 4 months
- Restriction: Cannot be used in the first 12 months of the tenancy
- Re-letting ban: Cannot re-let for 12 months. Misuse can result in a fine of up to £40,000.
Ground 1 — you or a family member want to move in
- Notice period: 4 months
- Restriction: Cannot be used in the first 12 months of the tenancy
Ground 8 — serious rent arrears (UPDATED)
- The arrears threshold has increased from 2 months to 3 months
- The notice period has doubled from 2 weeks to 4 weeks
- Arrears attributable to delayed Universal Credit payments are excluded
- Arrears must exist both at the date of notice and at the court hearing
Ground 10 — some rent arrears (UPDATED)
- Notice period: Increased from 2 weeks to 4 weeks
Ground 11 — persistent late payment (UPDATED)
- Notice period: Increased from 2 weeks to 4 weeks
Ground 14 — nuisance and antisocial behaviour
- Notice period: Immediate — proceedings can be issued on the same day
Ground 7A — serious criminal behaviour
- Notice period: Immediate — no notice period required
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Generate a Section 8 Notice →What you need to do now — a practical checklist
Before 30 April 2026
- If you need possession and are eligible to serve Section 21, do it before this date
- Ensure any Section 21 notices are served correctly by the right method of service
- Review your portfolio for any tenancies where you may need possession in the next 12–18 months
Before 31 May 2026
- Provide the government information sheet to all existing tenants
- Review and update your tenancy agreements to reflect the new rules
- Remove any rent review clauses from template agreements — they are unenforceable
From 1 May 2026 onwards
- All new tenancies must be Assured Periodic Tenancies — do not use fixed-term AST templates
- Use the Section 13 Form 4A process for all rent increases
- Respond to pet requests in writing within 28 days
- For possession claims, use Section 8 only
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Generate your documents now →Official sources and further reading
- Renters' Rights Act 2025 — Full text at legislation.gov.uk
- Government implementation roadmap — GOV.UK
- Guide to the Renters' Rights Act — GOV.UK
- NRLA guidance on the Renters' Rights Act
Generate your documents now
LetSecure AI provides all the documents you need to navigate the transition:
- Section 21 Notice — valid for service before 30 April 2026 only, with built-in validity calculator
- Section 8 Notice — all revised Schedule 2 grounds with updated notice periods
- Assured Periodic Tenancy Agreement — compliant with the new rules from 1 May 2026
- Section 13 Rent Increase Notice — the only lawful rent increase method from 1 May 2026