Landlords urged to prepare ahead of 30th April 2026 deadline for Section 21 notices

Landlords will have until 30 April 2026 to serve Section 21 eviction notices in England.

The government has published guidance on the Renters’ Rights Act for landlords and letting agents, including a guide on evicting tenants and key dates.

Property118 has picked out the key parts of the guidance to help landlords.

Section 21 claims will continue if started before the deadline

The government has confirmed the commencement date for the Renters’ Rights Act will begin on 1 May 2026.

From that date, private renters will see the end of Section 21 notices. Landlords wanting to evict should know that ongoing Section 21 claims will continue if started before the deadline.

Any notice served before 1 May next year must progress to court by 31 July to remain valid.

However, the government warns that any assured shorthold tenancies (ASTs) starting on 1 January 2026 will not be able to use a Section 21 notice. The guide explains: “You will not have time to serve a Section 21 notice before the tenancy reforms of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 prevent you from doing so.”

After the law’s introduction, landlords will need a specific reason to evict.

A possession order will also only be given if you have returned the deposit to your tenant

Under the Renters’ Rights Act, there will be different grounds on which a landlord can end a tenancy, but the landlord will need to give the tenant the correct amount of notice for each ground. The government says that if a tenant does not leave during the notice, you will be able to apply to evict them through the courts.

The government guidance points out that landlords will only gain a possession order in certain circumstances.

The guidance says: “If your tenant paid you a deposit, a court will only give a possession order to evict them if you have put the deposit into a government-approved tenancy deposit scheme. A possession order will also only be given if you have returned the deposit to your tenant.”

Property118 has reached out to the Department of Housing, Communities and Local Government for more clarification.

List of mandatory grounds

The government has published a list of mandatory grounds that landlords can use. If you can prove one of these grounds, the court will grant a possession order to start the process of evicting your tenant.

After 1 May 2026, landlords will need to issue a Section 8 notice using one or more of these grounds for possession.

The list of mandatory grounds published by the government includes:

Ground 1 – occupation by landlord or family

If you or a close family member need to move into the property, you will be able to use this ground.

You will not be able to ask your tenant to leave for this reason within the first 12 months of a new tenancy.

Ground 1 notice period  – You will need to give 4 months’ notice before going to court to apply for a possession order to evict your tenant. You or a close family member can only move into your property after evicting your tenant.

Ground 1A – sale of dwelling house

You will be able to use this ground if you intend to sell your property. You will not be able to ask your tenant to leave for this reason within the first 12 months of a new tenancy.

Ground 1A notice period – You will need to give 4 months’ notice before you will be able to apply to the court for a possession order to evict your tenant.

Ground 4 – student accommodation

This ground will only be able to be used by universities and colleges, and it will only apply to student accommodation. The property will need to have been let to students within 12 months before the start of the tenancy.

Ground 4 notice period – The university or college will need to give 2 weeks’ notice before they will be able to apply to the court for a possession order to evict the tenant.

Ground 4A – properties rented to students for occupation by new students

Your property will be a house of multiple occupation (HMO) if:

• at least 3 tenants live there, forming more than 1 household
• your tenants share a toilet, bathroom or kitchen

You will be able to use this ground if your HMO is let to full-time students and is needed for a new group of students in line with the academic year between 1 June and 30 September. However, you will not be able to use this ground to evict your tenants if the tenancy was agreed more than six months before the tenancy started. You will need to have given advance notice that you intend to use the ground.

Ground 4A notice – You will need to give 4 months’ notice before you will be able to apply to the court for a possession order to evict your tenant.

Ground 7 – death of tenant

A tenancy can be passed on by a process called ‘succession’ when a tenant dies. This will mean in most cases, the person lived with the tenant before they died. In this situation, you will not be able to use this ground, unless it is a ‘special tenancy’, for example, a social housing tenancy.

In cases where a person inherits a tenancy and they were not living at the property immediately before the former tenant’s death, you will be able to use this ground to evict them.

You will not usually be able to start the process to evict the person if 12 months has passed after the death of your tenant. The court will be able to decide on a later date based on the date you found out about the death.

Ground 7 notice period – You will need to give 2 months’ notice before you will be able to apply to the court for a possession order to evict the person.

nd 7A – severe antisocial or criminal behaviour

If your tenant or a person living with them or visiting them is convicted of criminal behaviour or breached an order to prevent antisocial behaviour you will be able to evict them using this ground. You will also be able to use this ground if the council or police have applied for a ‘closure order’ which means your tenant has not been able to access the premises for more than 48 hours.

You will not need to give a notice period as you will be able to apply immediately to the court to start the process to evict your tenant. However, the court will not be able to make a possession order for 14 days from the date you gave notice.

A full list of mandatory grounds for possession under the Renters’ Rights Act can be found by clicking here.

Landlords will be able to apply for a possession order straight away after the notice period has ended.

Property118 commercial reality check

Section 21’s end adds yet another operational strain for landlords who already manage financing, compliance, risk and real people’s housing needs. The shift to grounds-based possession rewards calm preparation rather than last-minute stress. Landlords who organise early will protect their time, cashflow and confidence as the 2026 deadline approaches.

What landlords should do next

Build a clear possession timeline. Map every tenancy against the 30 April 2026 cut-off. Add renewal dates, likely grounds and minimum notice periods. A simple timeline turns uncertainty into control and removes deadline pressure.

Reinforce compliance certainty. Many landlords feel worn down by moving rules. Strengthen deposit protection records, prescribed information, licensing evidence and right-to-rent checks. Courts only grant possession when documentation is solid, so this step safeguards the effort you have already invested.

Prepare evidence for each potential ground. Create a file per tenancy with inspections, communication notes, agreements and any supporting information. Having evidence assembled in advance keeps the process businesslike rather than stressful when action is required.