Section 21 Is Abolished: What Happened on Day One

It is done. After years of delays, consultations, two general elections, and more "will they, won't they" drama than a soap opera, Section 21 is officially gone. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 came into force this morning. No-fault evictions are finished. Every assured shorthold tenancy in England is now, in effect, a periodic tenancy that can only end when the tenant chooses to leave or when the landlord proves a specific ground for possession.

If you are a landlord reading this today, here is what actually changed, what stays exactly the same, and what you should do this week.

What changed at midnight

Three things happened at 00:01 on 1 May 2026:

1. Section 21 notices can no longer be served. Any Section 21 notice served before today remains valid for four months from the date of service, but no new ones can be issued. If you served one in January, it may still be usable. If you were planning to serve one tomorrow, you cannot.
2. All assured shorthold tenancies became periodic. Fixed-term tenancies still exist on paper, but the "fixed" part no longer gives landlords any special advantage. At the end of a fixed term, the tenancy rolls into a periodic tenancy automatically. Tenants can give two months' notice at any time.
3. Section 8 is the only route to possession. To regain possession, a landlord must now serve a Section 8 notice citing one or more specific grounds for possession. The grounds themselves have been expanded and rewritten under the Renters' Rights Act.

What stays the same

Quite a lot, actually. The fundamentals of being a landlord have not changed overnight:

• You can still evict a tenant who does not pay rent. Ground 8 (mandatory, two months' arrears) and Ground 10 (discretionary, some rent owed) still exist. Ground 8A is new and slightly more flexible for persistent late payment.
• You can still sell. Ground 1A allows possession if you intend to sell the property. Three months' notice, and it is a mandatory ground: the court must grant possession if the conditions are met.
• You can still move back in. Ground 1 (landlord or family occupation) still works. Three months' notice, mandatory ground.
• Anti-social behaviour grounds are stronger. Ground 14 now covers a broader range of behaviour and notice can be as short as two weeks.
• Deposits and compliance obligations are unchanged. You still need a valid gas safety certificate, EICR, EPC, deposit protection, and the prescribed information. The How to Rent guide has been replaced by the RRA Information Sheet, but the principle is the same.

The truth is, if you were already running your property professionally, managing compliance, fixing problems promptly, keeping proper records, today does not change your life dramatically. Section 21 was always the blunt instrument. Section 8 requires more paperwork and more patience, but it protects good landlords who have legitimate reasons to regain their property.

What landlords should do this week

Do not panic. Do take these five steps:

1. Review your current tenancies

Check whether any fixed terms are about to expire. They will now roll into periodic tenancies with no Section 21 fallback. If you had planned to serve a Section 21 at the end of a fixed term, that option is gone. You need to either let it roll or prepare a Section 8 notice on the appropriate ground.

2. Check your compliance

Under Section 8, the court will look at your conduct as a landlord. If your gas safety certificate is expired, your deposit is unprotected, or you have not served the prescribed information, that weakens your position. Get everything up to date. Use the LandlordOS compliance checker to run through each property.

3. Send the RRA Information Sheet

Every tenant must receive the government's new information sheet by 31 May 2026. You have 30 days. Do not leave it to the last minute. We have a detailed guide on the deadline and how to send it.

4. Understand the new notice periods

Notice periods under the new Section 8 grounds vary from 2 weeks to 3 months depending on the ground. Our full breakdown of every ground and its notice period is worth bookmarking.

5. Update your tenancy agreements

If your standard tenancy agreement still references Section 21 or includes clauses that assume the old regime, get them updated. Any new tenancy you grant from today should reflect the new framework.

Ace knows the new eviction rules

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The Section 8 process in brief

For landlords who have never used Section 8, here is the short version:

1. Identify the ground. Which of the Section 8 grounds applies to your situation? Rent arrears, property sale, landlord occupation, anti-social behaviour? Each has different requirements.
2. Serve the notice. Use the correct form (Form 3 under the new rules) with the right notice period. Get the dates right. Serve it properly.
3. Wait for the notice period to expire. You cannot apply to court until the notice period has passed. Do not jump the gun.
4. Apply to court if the tenant has not left. File a claim for possession. A hearing will be listed. Bring evidence.
5. Court grants (or refuses) possession. For mandatory grounds, the court must grant possession if the conditions are met. For discretionary grounds, the court weighs reasonableness.
6. Bailiff enforcement if needed. If the tenant still does not leave after a possession order, apply for a warrant of eviction.

The whole process, from serving notice to bailiff enforcement, typically takes 4 to 8 months. It is slower than Section 21. There is no getting around that. But if your ground is solid and your paperwork is correct, the outcome is the same.

What about existing Section 21 notices?

If you served a valid Section 21 notice before 1 May 2026, it remains valid for four months from the date of service. You can still use it to apply for a possession order during that window. After four months, it expires and cannot be renewed. Any court proceedings already started under Section 21 will continue to completion.

If your Section 21 notice was served in, say, March 2026, you have until July 2026 to issue court proceedings. After that, the notice is dead and you would need to start again under Section 8.

The bigger picture

Section 21 abolition is the headline, but the Renters' Rights Act 2025 does more than that. The new Section 8 grounds are designed to give landlords legitimate routes to possession while making it harder to remove tenants without cause. Ground 6A (major works) is new. Ground 1A (sale) is new. Ground 8A (persistent late payment) is new. The system is not rigged against landlords. It is rigged against bad landlords.

For those of us who take this seriously, who maintain properties, treat tenants fairly, and keep proper records, Section 8 is workable. It is more work than Section 21, and it is slower. But it gives you every tool you need to manage your portfolio properly.

The transition will be bumpy. Courts are already slow, and a wave of Section 8 claims over the next 12 months will not help. But the direction of travel was set years ago. Today it arrived. The landlords who thrive from here are the ones who understand the new rules and act accordingly.