17/07/2026
Section 21 Notice Deadline Approaching:
Landlords Must File Court Claims by 31 July 2026
Landlords who served a valid Section 21 notice before 1 May 2026 must act quickly if their tenant has not vacated the property. Following the implementation of the Renters' Rights Act 2025, Section 21 "no-fault" evictions were abolished from 1 May 2026.
If you served a valid Section 21 notice before 1 May 2026, you must issue possession proceedings in court by 31 July 2026 or within six months of the date the notice was served, whichever date is earlier. Once this deadline passes, the notice can no longer be relied upon to obtain possession.
To preserve the validity of the Section 21 notice, landlords must formally submit a possession claim to the court before the deadline. Simply having served the notice is not enough.
Before commencing court proceedings, landlords should ensure that their Section 21 notice was validly served and complied with all legal requirements. Invalid notices cannot be enforced and after 1 May 2026 there is no opportunity to serve a replacement Section 21 notice as the new Section 8 Notice will need to be used.
With the final transitional deadline fast approaching, landlords who served a valid Section 21 notice before 1 May 2026 should review their position immediately and, where necessary, begin possession proceedings without delay.
If you need any assistance in relation to the above, please get in touch!