Is Section 21 abolished? Yes – since 1 May 2026
Yes. Section 21 "no-fault" evictions were abolished in England on 1 May 2026, when the main provisions of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 came into force. The abolition applies to existing tenancies as well as new ones – there is no grandfathering for older agreements.
Looking for the notice itself? See Section 21 eviction notices explained.
What exactly changed
- No new Section 21 notices can be served from 1 May 2026, on any assured tenancy.
- Form 6A is dead. The prescribed Section 21 form has no legal effect for notices after that date.
- Possession now requires a ground. Landlords must use a Section 8 notice citing a statutory ground – rent arrears, antisocial behaviour, selling the property, moving in, and others.
- Court proceedings already issued before the changeover generally continue under the old rules – if you are mid-claim, take advice rather than abandoning it.
Why landlords searched for this in the first place
Section 21 was the backstop: whatever happened, a landlord could recover the property with two months' notice and no reason. Its abolition is the single biggest shift in the landlord-tenant balance since 1989 – and it changes what your paperwork has to do. Under Section 8, several grounds (breach of terms most obviously) depend on what the tenancy agreement actually says. A vague or outdated agreement is no longer an inconvenience; it is a weaker possession case.
The practical checklist post-abolition
- Stop relying on any template that mentions Section 21 – it pre-dates the law.
- Issue a compliant assured periodic tenancy agreement at the next natural point.
- Keep rent records, inspection notes and correspondence – the evidence that proves a Section 8 ground.
- Diarise the new duties: written tenancy information before signing, pet responses within 28 days, Section 13 for any rent increase.
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Start my agreement →Frequently asked questions
When was Section 21 abolished?
1 May 2026, the commencement date of the Renters' Rights Act 2025's main tenancy reforms in England.
Is Section 21 abolished in Wales or Scotland?
The Renters' Rights Act applies to England. Wales removed the equivalent no-fault route through its own Renting Homes legislation; Scotland ended no-fault evictions with the private residential tenancy in 2017.
Can I still evict a tenant at all?
Yes – on the statutory grounds, through Section 8 and the courts. Selling up, moving in, serious arrears and antisocial behaviour all have grounds; what has gone is possession with no reason at all.