Section 21 Eviction Deadline Passes: Last Legacy Cases Must Leave by End of July
The grace period for 'no-fault' Section 21 evictions has ended. Landlords who served notice before 1 May 2026 had until 31 July 2026 to apply to court—a deadline that just passed. From now on, all evictions require proof of cause.
On 31 July 2026, the final window for legacy Section 21 eviction cases closed. Landlords who served a 'no-fault' eviction notice before the Renters' Rights Act came into force on 1 May could only apply to court by this date. Any notice served after 30 April 2026 cannot be used at all.
What changed on 1 May 2026
Section 21 'no-fault' evictions have been abolished entirely. This was the primary eviction route used by landlords for decades—they could end a tenancy simply by serving two months' notice, with no reason required. That power is gone.
Now, all evictions must follow Section 8, meaning landlords must prove grounds such as rent arrears (three months behind), breach of tenancy, or intent to live in the property themselves (with a one-year-plus tenancy requirement). Tenants also have stronger defenses: a failure to protect a tenancy deposit now blocks a landlord from obtaining a court possession order on any ground except serious criminal or anti-social behaviour.
Practical implications for expat tenants
If you received a Section 21 notice before 1 May 2026 and your landlord did not apply to court by 31 July, you cannot be evicted under that notice. If you're in a tenancy that started after 1 May, your landlord must now provide a valid reason to evict—no arbitrary endings. Deposit protection is now critical: if your landlord failed to protect your deposit properly or provide the prescribed information within 30 days, this is a complete shield against eviction (with narrow exceptions for serious crime). The power has fundamentally shifted toward tenants.
Sources
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