How to End a Tenancy After Section 21 Is Abolished

TL;DR

How do you evict a tenant after Section 21 is abolished? You serve a Section 8 notice under the Housing Act 1988, citing a specific ground from Schedule 2 — there is no more "no reason needed" route. Main grounds for private landlords: sale (Ground 1A), moving in yourself or family (Ground 1), redevelopment (Ground 6), serious rent arrears (Ground 8), repeated arrears (Ground 14ZA), or antisocial behaviour (Ground 14). Notice periods range from two weeks (antisocial behaviour) to four months (sale, moving in, redevelopment). Mandatory grounds mean the court must grant possession if you prove the ground; discretionary grounds mean the court decides if possession is reasonable. Realistically, allow 4–8 months from serving notice to getting your property back, longer if the tenant contests or the court has a backlog. Your right to recover your property hasn't gone — you just need the right ground, the right notice, and the right paperwork.

Section 21 no-fault evictions ended on 1 May 2026 in England. Landlords must now use Section 8 grounds under the reformed Housing Act 1988 to seek possession: sale of the property (Ground 1), landlord or family moving in (Ground 1A), redevelopment (Ground 6), serious rent arrears (Ground 8), or antisocial behaviour (Ground 14). Notice periods range from two weeks for antisocial behaviour to four months for sale, moving in, or redevelopment, and cannot be served during the first 12 months of a tenancy for Grounds 1, 1A, and 6. Mandatory grounds require courts to grant possession if proven; discretionary grounds require courts to consider whether possession is reasonable. The right to recover your property remains — you simply must use the correct ground and follow the prescribed procedure.

Written by the LandlordReady Compliance Team, drawing on direct experience with UK landlord law and the implementation of the Renters' Rights Act 2025. Our team includes compliance specialists with over a decade of experience advising private landlords on possession proceedings and regulatory change.

Which Section 8 Ground Fits Your Situation?

Before serving any notice, work out which ground actually applies. Getting this wrong is the single most common reason possession claims fail.

Life After Section 21

For decades, Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 gave private landlords in England a straightforward route to recover their property — serve two months' notice, no reason required. From 1 May 2026, according to the Renters' Rights Act 2025, that route is gone. The Renters' Rights Act 2025, which came into force on 1 May 2026, repeals Section 21 entirely.

This does not mean landlords are trapped. It means the process changes. Every possession claim will now require a specific, lawful reason — and the reformed Section 8 of the Housing Act 1988 provides those reasons. If you understand the grounds and follow the correct procedure, you can still recover your property when you need to.

Section 21 is being abolished, but the right to recover your property is not. The law still provides clear routes — you simply need to use the right one.

Understanding the Reformed Section 8

Section 8 of the Housing Act 1988 allows a landlord to seek possession by serving a notice specifying one or more grounds from Schedule 2 of that Act. The Renters' Rights Act has reformed and expanded these grounds to ensure they cover the situations that landlords previously relied on Section 21 for.

According to the legislation, there are two types of grounds:

• Mandatory grounds — if the court is satisfied the ground is made out, it must grant possession
• Discretionary grounds — the court considers whether it is reasonable to grant possession, even if the ground is proved

The Key Grounds for Private Landlords

Ground 1 — Landlord or Family Member Moving In

You or a close family member intend to occupy the property as your only or principal home. Under Schedule 2, Ground 1 of the Housing Act 1988 (as reformed by the Renters' Rights Act 2025), this is a mandatory ground, with four months' notice, and it cannot be used during the first 12 months of the tenancy. For a detailed look at how this ground works, including evidence the court expects and how it interacts with periodic tenancies, see our guide to Ground 1 possession for landlords moving in.

Ground 1A — Sale of the Property

You wish to sell the property with vacant possession. Under Schedule 2, Ground 1A of the Housing Act 1988 (as reformed by the Renters' Rights Act 2025), this is a mandatory ground. You must give four months' notice, and it cannot be used during the first 12 months of the tenancy. For a detailed look at how this ground works, including the paperwork the court will ask for, see our guide to Section 8 Ground 1A: selling your rental property.

Ground 6 — Redevelopment

You intend to demolish, reconstruct, or carry out substantial works to the property, and cannot reasonably do so with the tenant in situ. Under Schedule 2, Ground 6 of the Housing Act 1988 (as reformed by the Renters' Rights Act 2025), this is a mandatory ground with four months' notice and requires you to demonstrate genuine intent and the practical inability to carry out works around the tenancy. We cover this in full, alongside every other Schedule 2 ground, in our complete list of Section 8 grounds under the Renters' Rights Act.

Ground 8 — Serious Rent Arrears

The tenant owes at least two months' rent (or eight weeks' rent if paid weekly) at both the date the notice is served and the date of the court hearing. Schedule 2, Ground 8 of the Housing Act 1988 (as amended) states this is mandatory and requires only four weeks' notice.

Ground 10 — Some Rent Arrears

Rent was in arrears when the notice was served and at the date of the hearing, but below the Ground 8 threshold. According to Schedule 2, Ground 10 of the Housing Act 1988, this is discretionary — the court will consider the tenant's circumstances and whether it is reasonable to grant possession.

Ground 12 — Breach of Tenancy Terms

The tenant has broken one or more obligations of the tenancy agreement. Schedule 2, Ground 12 of the Housing Act 1988 provides that this is discretionary, and the breach must be more than trivial.

Ground 14 — Antisocial Behaviour

The tenant, a member of their household, or a visitor has been guilty of conduct causing or likely to cause nuisance or annoyance. Under Schedule 2, Ground 14 of the Housing Act 1988, this is discretionary in most cases, but there is a mandatory version (Ground 14A) for serious criminal offences.

The legislation specifies that the notice period for antisocial behaviour is just two weeks, reflecting the urgency of these situations. For a deeper look at this process, read our guide on antisocial behaviour and tenant eviction.

Ground 14ZA — Repeated Rent Arrears

A new ground introduced by the Renters' Rights Act. According to Schedule 2, Ground 14ZA of the Housing Act 1988 (as inserted by the Renters' Rights Act 2025), if the tenant has been in at least two months' arrears on three or more occasions within the preceding three years, you can seek possession on this mandatory ground — even if the arrears have been cleared by the time of the hearing.

The Correct Procedure

Getting the process right is critical. An error in the notice can invalidate your claim and force you to start again, costing months.

1. Identify the correct ground(s). You can cite more than one ground in a single notice, and it is often sensible to do so where multiple grounds apply.
2. Serve a Section 8 notice using the prescribed form. The notice must specify the ground(s) relied upon and give the correct notice period for each.
3. Wait for the notice period to expire. You cannot issue court proceedings until the notice period has passed. The notice is valid for a defined window — if you wait too long, it expires and you must re-serve.
4. Apply to the court for a possession order. This is done through the county court. You will need to provide evidence supporting your ground(s).
5. Attend the hearing. For mandatory grounds, the hearing may be relatively straightforward if your evidence is in order. For discretionary grounds, be prepared for the court to weigh the tenant's circumstances.
6. Enforce the order. If the tenant does not vacate by the date specified in the possession order, you must apply for a warrant of possession. You cannot change the locks or remove the tenant yourself.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Serving notice before your compliance is in order. If your gas safety certificate, EICR, EPC, or deposit protection is not compliant, the court may refuse to grant possession or the tenant may counterclaim
• Using the wrong notice period. Each ground has its own required notice period. Getting this wrong invalidates the notice
• Not keeping evidence. Rent arrears claims need clear financial records. Antisocial behaviour claims need dated incident logs, witness statements, or police reports
• Self-help eviction. Changing locks, removing belongings, or cutting off utilities is a criminal offence under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977, regardless of the circumstances

Court Delays and Practical Realities

It is worth being realistic about timescales. Even with a valid notice and strong evidence, the court process takes time. From serving notice to obtaining a possession order can take several months, and enforcement adds further time if the tenant does not leave voluntarily.

This makes prevention better than cure. Good tenant referencing, clear tenancy agreements, responsive property management, and early intervention when problems arise will reduce the likelihood of ever needing to pursue possession.

Preparing for the Transition

If you currently have tenancies in place and have been relying on Section 21 as your backstop, now is the time to familiarise yourself with the Section 8 grounds. Understand which grounds apply to your situation, ensure your compliance documentation is impeccable, and keep thorough records from day one.

The end of Section 21 is a significant change for private landlords in England, but it is a navigable one. Landlords who follow the rules and maintain their properties will continue to be able to manage their tenancies effectively — the process is simply more structured than before. Understanding how periodic tenancies work under the new regime is equally important, since every tenancy you serve notice on will now be periodic rather than fixed-term.

Realistic Timelines: How Long Does It Actually Take?

How to evict a tenant after Section 21 is abolished is only half the question — how long it takes is the other half, and it's usually longer than landlords expect.

• Notice period: 2 weeks (antisocial behaviour) to 4 months (sale, moving in, redevelopment)
• Waiting for the notice to expire: you cannot issue court proceedings before this
• Issuing and listing the claim: several weeks to months, depending on the county court's backlog
• Hearing to possession order: typically weeks after the hearing itself, longer for discretionary grounds where the court weighs evidence
• Enforcement (warrant of possession), if the tenant doesn't leave: several further weeks

End to end, most straightforward mandatory-ground claims take 4–6 months from serving notice to getting the keys back. Contested or discretionary claims, or claims in courts with heavy backlogs, can run to 9–12 months. Build this into any decision about selling, moving in, or redeveloping — the four-month notice period for Grounds 1, 1A, and 6 is the floor, not the ceiling.

Frequently Asked Questions

Further Reading

• Renters' Rights Act 2025: What Landlords Need to Know
• Section 8 Ground 1: Landlord Moving In
• Periodic Tenancies Explained for Landlords