Section 21 “no fault” possession notices were abolished in England on 1 May 2026 by the Renters' Rights Act 2025. New Section 21 notices can no longer be served, so this compliance checklist no longer applies. Landlords seeking possession must now use a Section 8 Notice with valid grounds under the expanded Schedule 2 of the Housing Act 1988.
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Read our full Renters' Rights Act 2025 guide
A plain-English overview of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 — what changed on 1 May 2026, the abolition of Section 21, the reshaped Section 8 grounds, and the new tenancy regime in England.
Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 previously allowed landlords in England to recover possession of an assured shorthold tenancy without giving a reason, provided certain procedural requirements were met (the “no fault” route).
The Renters' Rights Act 2025 ended this route on 1 May 2026. All assured shorthold tenancies have been converted to periodic assured tenancies, and possession can now only be sought under Section 8 with valid grounds. The expanded Schedule 2 includes new and amended grounds — including a 4-month notice requirement for Ground 1 (landlord moving in) and Ground 1A (selling), a higher Ground 8 arrears threshold (3 months), and new grounds for student lets and repeated arrears.
For the full set of changes, see our Renters' Rights Act 2025 guide.
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