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Is Section 21 abolished?
By the VoxaMTD team. Last verified 31 October 2026
Yes. In England, Section 21 no fault evictions ended when the Renters' Rights Act changes took effect on 1 May 2026. GOV.UK says landlords cannot evict tenants using the section 21 process and need a legal reason to evict them.
The legal reasons are the possession grounds in section 8. After the implementation date, landlords cannot serve new section 21 notices or old-style section 8 notices. Existing assured shorthold tenancies became assured periodic tenancies, and a tenancy agreement cannot have an end date. If a tenant does not leave, landlords must still go to court.
Some grounds cannot be used in the first 12 months of a new tenancy, including moving in and selling, and a landlord who uses those grounds cannot market or re-let the property for 12 months afterwards. Check the ground before you serve notice, keep proof of how and when you served it, and take advice if a case is contested. This answer covers England only.