Section 21 (Abolished)
The former no-fault eviction route in England, which let landlords end an assured shorthold tenancy with two months' notice and no reason. Abolished on 1 May 2026 by the Renters' Rights Act.
Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 allowed a landlord to recover possession of an assured shorthold tenancy without giving a reason, on two months' notice. It was the workhorse of English possession practice for three decades and the centre of the reform debate for years.
What happened to it
The Renters' Rights Act abolished Section 21 for all tenancies on 1 May 2026, when every assured shorthold tenancy converted to an assured periodic tenancy. Notices served before that date remained valid only for a transition window: court proceedings had to be issued by 31 July 2026.
Why it still matters
Understanding Section 21 helps make sense of the current rules. Everything that made a Section 21 notice invalid, such as an unprotected deposit, a missing gas safety record, or failure to serve required documents, foreshadowed the compliance-heavy regime that now applies to Section 8 claims. The lesson carried over: possession in England is won or lost on paperwork.
Landlords who relied on Section 21 for portfolio flexibility now plan around Section 8 grounds, particularly Ground 1A (sale) and Ground 1 (moving in), both of which carry notice and timing restrictions.