The End of Section 21
What the abolition of Section 21 means for landlords, what has replaced it and how to adapt your approach to possession.
The Renters' Rights Act abolished Section 21 "no-fault" evictions for all tenancies in England. This is the most significant change to landlord and tenant law in a generation. Landlords can no longer serve a notice simply because they want the property back — they must have a valid ground under Section 8.
What Section 21 was
Section 21 allowed landlords to recover possession without giving a reason, provided the correct notice was served and the tenancy was not in a fixed term. It was widely used — not just for genuine possession cases, but as a threat to encourage tenants to leave voluntarily.
What has replaced it
Section 8 is now the only route to possession. The Renters' Rights Act added several new grounds to Section 8 to compensate for the loss of Section 21, including grounds for sale, owner-occupation and redevelopment. However, these grounds have longer notice periods and stricter requirements than Section 21.
- New mandatory ground: landlord intends to sell (4-month notice)
- New mandatory ground: landlord or family member to occupy (4-month notice)
- New mandatory ground: redevelopment (4-month notice)
- Existing grounds retained and updated
- All grounds require a valid Form 3 notice
Adapting your approach
The abolition of Section 21 means landlords must be more proactive about compliance and more careful about tenant selection. A tenant who pays rent on time and looks after the property is now much harder to remove. Prevention — through good referencing and a professional relationship — is more important than ever.
Review your tenancy management process. Are you keeping records of all communications? Are you responding to repair requests promptly? Are you carrying out regular inspections? These practices protect you if a possession claim is ever challenged.