Notices, eviction and your rights since section 21 ended
Since 1 May 2026 there is no "no-fault" section 21 eviction in England. Your tenancy is periodic, you give two months' notice, and the landlord needs a legal ground, a proper notice and a court order. What a section 8 notice means, the notice periods, and what to do.
England. Checked against the law on 27 September 2026. Information, not legal advice.
Your tenancy since 1 May 2026
- It is an assured periodic tenancy: no end date, no fixed term. It carries on until you or the landlord end it properly.
- You can leave with two months' notice in writing, ending on any day.
- The landlord can end it only on a ground in the Housing Act 1988 (Schedule 2), with a section 8 notice on the prescribed form, and if you do not leave, a court order. Section 21 no longer exists, even for tenancies that started before 2026.
- Before the tenancy started you should have been given a written statement of terms. If not, the landlord faces a penalty and it counts against them.
The grounds you are most likely to see
| Ground | What it covers | Notice |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Landlord or close family moving in | 4 months; not in the first 12 months |
| 1A | Landlord selling | 4 months; not in the first 12 months; no re-letting for 12 months after |
| 8 | Serious rent arrears (3 months owed at notice and at hearing) | 4 weeks |
| 10, 11 | Some arrears, or persistent late payment | 4 weeks |
| 12, 13 | Breach of the tenancy, damage | 2 weeks |
| 14 | Anti-social behaviour | none |
Some grounds are mandatory (if proven, the court must order possession); others are discretionary (the judge decides whether it is reasonable). Grounds can fail if the landlord has not protected the deposit, given the gas record or registered on the landlord database.
A notice is not an eviction
You do not have to leave on the date in a notice. Only a court order, enforced by bailiffs, ends your right to stay. Changing the locks, removing your belongings or cutting off services is illegal eviction, a criminal offence; call the council and, if it is happening now, the police.
What to do when a notice arrives
- Do not ignore it and do not move out in a panic.
- Run your tenant check: unprotected deposit, missing gas record or no database entry can block the ground.
- Get free advice straight away: Shelter, Citizens Advice, a law centre. Take the notice, your agreement and your check result.
- Keep paying the rent.
What MyLandlordPA does
The notice checker explains the grounds and dates on your notice in plain words and lists anything that may block it. It always ends by pointing you to a person. MyLandlordPA never advises on a case and never fills in a court form.
Questions tenants ask
Can my landlord evict me to sell?
Ground 1A allows it, with four months' notice, not in the first twelve months, and only with a court order if you do not leave. After you go, the landlord cannot re-let for twelve months.
How much notice do I give to leave?
Two months, in writing, ending on any day. You do not have to give a reason.
The landlord says I must sign a new fixed-term contract or leave. Is that right?
No. Fixed terms no longer exist for private tenancies in England. Your periodic tenancy continues; you cannot be made to leave for refusing to sign.
More guides
Your deposit: protected within 30 days, capped at five weeks, and the 1 to 3 times rule
A private landlord in England must protect your deposit in a government scheme within 30 days and tell you where it is. If they did not, you can claim up to three times the deposit, and some possession grounds are blocked. How to check for free.
The safety certificates your landlord must give you
Gas safety record every year, an electrical report every five years, an EPC rated E or better, and working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. What you should have been given, when, and what to do if you were not.
Rent increases: once a year, two months' notice, and how to challenge one
In England since 1 May 2026 a private landlord can only raise the rent by a section 13 notice on the prescribed form, once a year, with at least two months' notice. Anything else is not valid. You can ask the tribunal to set a market rent, free.
Repairs, damp and mould: what the landlord must fix, and how fast
Your landlord must keep the structure, heating, water, gas and electrics in repair, and deal with damp, mould and other hazards within set times under Awaab's law. How to report a problem so it counts, and who to go to when nothing happens.
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