Section 21 eviction

The law is changing

The Renters' Rights Act will change eviction rights for private tenants.

For now, you can still be evicted with a section 21 notice.

A section 21 notice is an eviction notice.

It is sometimes called a 'no fault' notice.

This is because your landlord does not need a reason to give this type of notice.

It is the first stage of eviction for assured shorthold tenants.

A section 21 must give at least 2 months' notice.

You do not have to leave when the notice period ends.

Your tenancy continues until you either:

It takes a few months to be evicted.

You may want to leave before the end of the notice if you find somewhere else to live.

Agree a tenancy end date with your landlord before you leave.

Your landlord should agree to an earlier move out date if they want you to leave.

Keep letters, emails or texts as proof of what is agreed.

Check your tenancy agreement to see if it has an end date or runs for a fixed term. For example, 12 months.

Your AST might have started with a fixed term. Or you might have signed a new agreement for another fixed term.

Your landlord can only give you a section 21 notice in a fixed term if either:

A break clause is a term in your agreement that lets both you or the landlord end the tenancy early.

Your landlord cannot use a section 21 notice in the first 4 months of your first fixed term, even if your agreement has a break clause.

You can get:

Your landlord must give you the right notice and get a court order to evict you.

Last updated: 3 February 2026