Renters’ Rights Act 2025: What landlords must do now section 21 has been abolished

The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 is now in force

The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 came into force on 1 May 2026. Section 21 “no-fault” evictions have been abolished, and a new set of landlord obligations now applies to every assured and assured shorthold tenancy in England.

If you are a landlord, there are immediate steps you need to take this month. There is also a hard deadline for any section 21 notice you served before commencement.

You must give tenants the Information Sheet by 31 May 2026

Every landlord must give their tenants a copy of “The Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet 2026”. This document explains how the new rules affect the tenant’s existing tenancy.

The deadline is on or before 31 May 2026. Miss it and you could face a financial penalty of up to £7,000 per tenancy.

You can download the official information sheet directly from gov.uk: The Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet 2026.

What if there is no written tenancy agreement?

If your tenant does not have a written tenancy agreement, or there is no written record of the tenancy’s terms, you must also provide them with certain written information about the tenancy. The same 31 May 2026 deadline applies.

This is a common gap with older lettings and informal arrangements. If you are unsure whether your paperwork meets the new standard, get advice before the end of the month.

Existing section 21 notices: the 31 July 2026 cliff edge

If you served a valid section 21 notice on your tenant before 1 May 2026, you can still rely on it, but only for a limited window.

The last date you can issue court proceedings using a pre-commencement section 21 notice is 31 July 2026. This statutory cut-off is set by the Act itself and may be shorter than the time period printed on the notice form.

After 31 July 2026, the notice is unenforceable. You would need to start again under the new section 8 framework, relying on one of the statutory grounds for possession.

Key dates at a glance

• 1 May 2026: Renters’ Rights Act 2025 in force. No new section 21 notices can be served.
• 31 May 2026: Deadline to give every tenant the Information Sheet (and, where applicable, written tenancy information). Penalties up to £7,000.
• 31 July 2026: Final deadline to issue court proceedings on any section 21 notice served before 1 May 2026.

What replaces section 21?

Possession now runs through section 8 of the Housing Act 1988, using the expanded statutory grounds introduced by the Renters’ Rights Act. These include grounds for rent arrears, antisocial behaviour, landlord or family occupation, and sale of the property, each with its own notice period and evidential requirements.

The right ground depends on your circumstances and on what you can prove. Picking the wrong ground, or serving a defective notice, will set you back months.

Some grounds are mandatory, meaning the court must grant possession once the ground is established; others are discretionary, meaning the court decides whether possession is reasonable. The main grounds are set out below.

Ground 1: occupation by landlord or family member

Mandatory. Four months’ notice.

A landlord can seek possession if they, or a close family member, intend to move into the property. The court must grant possession if it accepts the stated intention.

Ground 1A: sale of property

Mandatory. Four months’ notice.

A landlord intending to sell the property can seek possession. The court must grant possession if satisfied the sale is genuine. Critics have warned this could become a “backdoor” no-fault route, and enforcement against misuse will be important.

Ground 8 (amended): serious rent arrears

Mandatory. Four weeks’ notice.

At least three months’ rent must be unpaid, or thirteen weeks’ rent where rent is payable weekly or fortnightly, both when the notice is served and at the hearing. Ground 8 has no repeat-arrears limb. Where arrears are recurrent rather than sustained, the discretionary Ground 11 (persistent delay in paying rent) is the route.

Ground 14 (amended): antisocial behaviour

Discretionary. Immediate notice.

Ground 14 is unamended by the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 and continues to cover conduct “likely to cause” a nuisance or annoyance. Landlords can issue proceedings immediately after serving notice.

Other section 8 grounds continue to apply, including grounds covering damage to the property, breach of tenancy terms, and serious rent arrears at the point of hearing.

Other changes that took effect on 1 May 2026

Alongside the changes to possession, several tenant-facing reforms now apply:

• Rent increases limited to once per year, with statutory notice required
• Ban on discrimination against tenants with children or those receiving benefits
• Right to request a pet: landlords must consider the request and give a valid reason if refusing

These reforms are designed to add stability for tenants without preventing landlords from recovering their property when justified.

Concerns and practical challenges for landlords

The reforms aim for a fairer rental market, but landlords and property professionals have raised legitimate concerns.

• Misuse of grounds 1 and 1A. Without robust enforcement, “I want to sell” or “I want to move in” could be used as a workaround. The court’s approach to genuine intent will be critical.
• Court capacity. Possession proceedings are now the only route in virtually every disputed case. Existing court delays could lengthen, even in clear arrears or antisocial behaviour cases.
• Documentation burden. The Information Sheet obligation is one of several new compliance steps. Landlords with older or informal tenancies will need to catch up quickly.

Osbornes Law’s property litigation team continues to monitor case law and government guidance as it emerges.

For advice on which ground applies to your circumstances, see our landlord and tenant solicitors page.

Speak to our property litigation team

If you need advice on issuing proceedings under an existing section 21 notice, or on using one of the new possession grounds under section 8, our property litigation solicitors can help.

Call us on 0207 485 8811 or contact us online to speak to a member of the team.