Section 21 Abolition: What Landlords Need to Do Now

The Renters' Rights Act 2026 has brought the biggest shake-up to the private rented sector since 1988. Phase one came into force on 1 May 2026, and Section 21 'no-fault' evictions have now been abolished.

If you're a landlord in Gloucester, Cheltenham, Stroud or Worcester, here's what's changed and what you need to do now.

Since 1 May 2026, landlords can no longer serve new Section 21 notices. Every assured shorthold tenancy has automatically converted into an open-ended periodic tenancy, which means fixed terms have effectively ended.

Tenants can now give two months' notice to leave at any point, while landlords must rely on Section 8 grounds — with a valid, evidenced reason — to regain possession.

If you served a valid Section 21 notice before 1 May 2026 and the tenant hasn't left, there is a hard deadline to be aware of: court proceedings on that notice must be issued by 31 July 2026.

After this date, any pre-commencement Section 21 notice becomes unenforceable, and you'd need to start again under the Section 8 framework instead. If this applies to you, this is genuinely urgent — speak to a solicitor or your letting agent today.

Possession claims now run entirely through Section 8, using an expanded set of statutory grounds and the new prescribed Form 3. These grounds cover situations such as the landlord or a family member needing to move in, selling the property, or tenant rent arrears and breaches of tenancy — but each requires proper evidence, and some carry required notice periods.

Every landlord should already have given tenants a copy of the Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet 2026 — the deadline for this was 31 May 2026, with penalties of up to £7,000 per tenancy for non-compliance.

If you haven't yet provided this to your tenants, it should be treated as a priority.

This is only phase one. A Private Rented Sector Database and a new Ombudsman Scheme are expected to begin a regional rollout later in 2026, with a further phase addressing property condition standards, including the Decent Homes Standard, to follow after that. Landlords should expect further registration and compliance requirements over the coming year.

There are a lot of changes to keep up to date with, and that can be daunting for any landlord — but our lettings team is trained on all the latest legislation. See our Packages & Fees to find out how we could help take the stress out of being a landlord.