Section 21 Is Gone — What Actually Changed for Renters?

If you're renting in England, you've probably heard "Section 21 has been abolished" somewhere — but what does that actually mean for you, practically? Here's the plain English version.

What Section 21 actually was

Section 21 was the "no-fault eviction" notice. It let a landlord end your tenancy without giving any reason at all — no need to prove you'd done anything wrong, just two months' notice and you were expected to leave. It was one of the most common ways renters lost their home with no explanation.

What's changed

As of 1 May 2026, Section 21 no longer exists in England. Landlords can no longer serve a "no-fault" notice. Every tenancy is now effectively a periodic (rolling) tenancy from day one — there's no more fixed-term contract that automatically ends and forces you out.

So can you still be evicted?

Yes — but now your landlord has to give an actual reason, using one of the specific grounds under Section 8. The main ones people run into are:

• Rent arrears — falling behind on rent by a set amount
• The landlord selling the property — this is now a valid ground, but with a required notice period
• The landlord or a family member moving in
• Anti-social behaviour or breach of tenancy terms

Each ground has its own notice period and its own evidence requirements. A landlord can't just say "I want you out" — they have to fit an actual legal ground and follow the correct process.

What this means practically

If you get any eviction notice, the first thing to check is which ground it's citing. A notice that doesn't name a valid ground, or gets the notice period wrong, may not be valid at all. This is exactly the kind of thing worth checking properly rather than assuming a notice is automatically enforceable just because you've received one.

Our free Housing Rights Checker walks through your specific situation — including whether a notice you've received actually holds up — and our letter templates include options for challenging an invalid notice or requesting more information from your landlord.