Section 21 abolition: what UK landlords must do instead (2026)

Section 21 'no-fault' notices were abolished on 1 May 2026 by the Renters' Rights Act 2025. Here is what landlords use now to recover possession lawfully.

Section 21 has gone. Here is what replaces it.

On 1 May 2026, the Renters' Rights Act 2025 came fully into force in England. Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 — the so-called 'no-fault' eviction route — was abolished. Every assured shorthold tenancy (AST) converted automatically to an assured periodic tenancy.

This post explains, in plain English, what landlords must now use in place of Section 21.

The new framework, in one paragraph

You can still recover possession — but only on a specific statutory ground under a revised Section 8 procedure. There is no 'end of fixed term' route any more. Every notice must name a ground, give the correct notice period, and be served on the prescribed form.

The grounds you will use most

| Ground | What it covers | Notice period | |