At a glance
Section 21 has been abolished. From 1 May 2026, no landlord in England can serve a new Section 21 no-fault eviction notice. But in the weeks before that date, many landlords rushed to serve Section 21 notices — and if you received one, you may be wondering whether it can still be used to evict you.
The answer depends on one critical deadline: 31 July 2026.
A Section 21 notice served before 1 May 2026 does not automatically become void when the Act comes into force. But it only remains usable if your landlord starts court possession proceedings before 31 July 2026. If they miss that deadline, the notice expires. They cannot then use it to evict you, and would need to start again using Section 8 with a valid legal ground.
What Section 21 abolition means from 1 May 2026
The Renters' Rights Act 2025 abolishes Section 21 no-fault evictions from 1 May 2026. After that date:
- No landlord can serve a new Section 21 notice
- All new eviction notices must use Section 8, which requires a specific legal ground for possession
- Courts cannot grant possession on Section 21 grounds for any notices served after 1 May 2026
This is one of the most significant changes in England's private rented sector in decades. But the law includes transitional provisions for notices already served before commencement.
If you received a Section 21 notice before 1 May 2026
A notice served before 1 May 2026 is not automatically void. The transitional rules allow landlords to rely on a pre-commencement Section 21 notice — but only within a strict time window.
The rule: a pre-1 May Section 21 notice remains valid only if the landlord files a possession claim at court before 31 July 2026.
Two things are important here. First, the notice must have been valid when it was served — it must have used the correct form, given the required two months' notice, and met the conditions around deposit protection and prescribed information. A defective notice does not become valid simply because it was served before 1 May.
Second, "starting proceedings" means actually filing a possession claim at court — not writing you a letter, not instructing a solicitor, not threatening to go to court. The landlord must lodge the claim with the court before the 31 July 2026 deadline.
The 31 July 2026 deadline explained
The transitional cut-off is 31 July 2026 for court proceedings to be issued.
If your landlord served a valid Section 21 notice before 1 May 2026 and files a possession claim before 31 July 2026, the case can proceed under the old rules.
If your landlord served a Section 21 notice before 1 May 2026 but does not file a possession claim by 31 July 2026, the notice expires and becomes void. At that point:
- The notice cannot be used to evict you
- Your landlord cannot "renew" the Section 21 notice, because Section 21 no longer exists
- If they want to seek possession, they must serve a fresh Section 8 notice with a valid ground
Keep a note of this date. If 31 July 2026 passes and you have not received court papers, the notice cannot be used against you.
What to do now if you have a Section 21 notice
Check the service date. The date the notice was served must be before 1 May 2026 for the transitional rules to apply. The service date is usually shown on the notice itself, but it may also be evidenced by the covering letter, email, or postal record.
Check whether the notice was valid when served. A Section 21 notice was only valid if it:
- Was on the correct prescribed form (Form 6A)
- Gave at least two months' notice
- Was served while the tenancy deposit was properly protected and the prescribed information had been given
- Was not served during the first four months of the tenancy
If the notice had any of these defects when it was served, it was already invalid — the transitional provisions do not rescue a defective notice.
Watch for court papers. If your landlord intends to use the notice, they must file a possession claim at court before 31 July 2026. You will receive court papers if this happens. Do not ignore them. Contact Shelter or Citizens Advice as soon as possible if you receive court papers, taking the full file with you.
If the deadline passes without court papers, the notice is void. Keep a record of the date just in case.
From 1 May 2026: evictions must use Section 8
From 1 May 2026, any eviction notice that is not covered by the transitional rules must use Section 8 and a valid possession ground. Section 8 requires the landlord to specify a legal reason for seeking possession — such as rent arrears, antisocial behaviour, or wanting to sell the property.
Unlike Section 21, Section 8 notices can be challenged on the merits. If the landlord does not have evidence for the ground they are relying on, the court can refuse possession.
If you are unsure about your situation, read the evictions and notices guide for tenants for a fuller picture of how the notice process works and what your rights are.
Common questions
The most common confusion is between the abolition of Section 21 and the expiry of notices already served. These are different things. The abolition stops new notices. The transitional rules govern what happens to notices that were already served.
Another common mistake is assuming that if no court papers have arrived, nothing can happen. That is partly right — a notice alone is never enough to force you to leave, and a notice with no court proceedings is void after 31 July 2026. But if court papers do arrive before that date, act quickly. Court timelines move faster once a claim is filed.
If you have received any formal court documents, or if you are facing urgent eviction action, do not rely on a guide alone. Get advice from Shelter or Citizens Advice with the full paperwork in front of you.