Home / Housing
Housing law information for renters (England)
Last verified: 9 October 2026 by LexSpeakAI Editorial.
Had an eviction notice, or worried one is coming? Start with which rules apply. Since 1 May 2026, a private landlord in England can’t use section 21 and needs a legal ground and a section 8 notice. Housing association tenants are still on the old rules, and an older notice only counts if a court claim was requested in time.
What the law says, in brief
- Section 21. Abolished for private tenancies from 1 May 2026. A notice given before then only still works if the landlord asked the court to issue a claim within its applicable period, which ended by 31 July 2026 at the latest (Renters’ Rights Act 2025, Sch. 6).
- Section 8 notices. A private landlord now needs one of the grounds in Schedule 2, a notice on the prescribed form, and the notice period each ground requires: from two weeks up to four months, with no minimum for the anti-social behaviour grounds (Housing Act 1988, s.8).
- Rent arrears. Ground 8 is mandatory and needs, for monthly rent, at least three months unpaid both when the notice is served and at the hearing. Grounds 10 and 11 are discretionary (Housing Act 1988, Sch. 2).
- Landlord selling or moving in. Grounds 1A and 1 need four months’ notice and a tenancy that began at least a year before the date given in the notice for possession.
- Deposits. Under the current rules, where a deposit was paid the court can only make a possession order if it was protected properly and the prescribed information was given, except on the anti-social behaviour grounds (Housing Act 2004, s.215).
- Court. A notice isn’t an order to leave. Under the current rules there is no accelerated procedure, and every claim goes to a hearing.
- Housing associations. The old rules still apply to social housing let by a housing association or other private registered provider, including section 21 for assured shorthold tenancies. The government intends to change that from October 2027.
- Wales. Homes in Wales run on the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016, which this section doesn’t cover.
What people in this situation usually do next
Most people start by working out which rules apply to their notice, because everything else follows from that. With a notice and no court claim, many put their position to the landlord in writing. Once court papers arrive, the dates on them matter, and there is free help at court on the day from a duty adviser.
Every situation turns on its own facts. Lex can talk through yours and explain where you stand, in plain English.
Legal information for England, not legal advice. LexSpeakAI® is not a law firm.