Describe your housing situation and get instant plain English guidance on your rights as a tenant or landlord — checked against official sources.
↓ Try the Checker NowSection 21 no-fault eviction was abolished in England on 1 May 2026 under the Renters' Rights Act 2025. All assured tenancies are now periodic. Landlords must use specific grounds under Section 8 to evict tenants. Ground 8 arrears threshold is 3 months at both notice and hearing stages.
In England and Wales, your deposit must be protected in a government-approved scheme within 30 days. In England it is capped at 5 weeks' rent (6 weeks if the yearly rent is £50,000 or more). Repairs must be carried out within a reasonable time, and faster for serious problems. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own rules: the checker below uses the guide for your part of the UK.
Key rights covered: eviction defence, deposit disputes, rent increases, repairs, harassment by landlords, housing benefit, homelessness and emergency accommodation. Guidance checked against official sources.
Since Section 21's abolition, landlords must rely on specific Section 8 grounds to end a tenancy — each with its own evidence requirements and notice periods, meaning a landlord can no longer simply give notice without stating a valid reason recognised in law.
Check that any notice correctly states the ground being relied on, gives the correct notice period, and that your deposit was properly protected — a defect in any of these can make a notice invalid, giving you grounds to challenge it before it ever reaches court.
This checker gives you a plain English read on your specific situation, answered only from its own guide for your part of the UK, checked against official sources. No login needed, and your answer is generated instantly based on what you tell us.
Our guidance covers many common situations, but complex or high-stakes cases need professional advice. Official information: GOV.UK (England), GOV.WALES (Wales), mygov.scot (Scotland) and nidirect (Northern Ireland). For free help, contact Citizens Advice (England 0800 144 8848, Wales 0800 702 2020), Citizens Advice Scotland (0800 028 1456) or Advice NI (0800 915 4604), or speak to a solicitor. For urgent housing problems in England, Shelter can help on 0808 800 4444.
Further reading: our blog explains what the abolition of Section 21 changed for renters.
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Do I have to leave when my notice runs out?
No. A notice running out does not by itself mean you must leave. In England and Wales a tenant can only be made to leave by a court order carried out by court officers, and in Scotland by an order of the First-tier Tribunal or the sheriff court. In Northern Ireland a private landlord must get a court order after the notice.
Can my landlord evict me without a reason?
In England, private landlords cannot use Section 21 no-fault notices from 1 May 2026 and must give a Section 8 notice that names a legal reason. In Scotland a notice to leave must name an eviction ground. In Wales a private landlord can still end a periodic contract without a reason using a section 173 notice, with at least 6 months' notice.
Can my landlord lock me out?
No. Locking you out, removing your belongings or cutting off services to make you leave is a criminal offence in England, Wales and Scotland, and evicting you without a court order is an offence in Northern Ireland. If you might lose your home, contact your council housing team (the Housing Executive in Northern Ireland) as soon as you get a notice.
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✉️ Generate My Letter Free →The checker answers only from the guide for the nation you choose, plus what you tell it. If your question is not covered there, it says so instead of guessing. Each guide was checked against primary sources on 24 September 2026.
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Directed and published by Matt Thompson, founder of UK Work Rights. Guidance checked against GOV.UK, ACAS and legislation.gov.uk. This is general rights guidance, not legal advice.
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