I got a Section 21 notice — what happens now?

It depends entirely on when the notice was served. If your Section 21 notice was served on or after 1 May 2026, it is not valid — your landlord cannot use Section 21 anymore.

If your notice was served before 1 May 2026, it may still be valid under the old rules. Your landlord has until 31 July 2026 to apply to the court for a possession order — if they miss that deadline, the notice expires and becomes worthless. You do not have to leave until a court issues an order, and even then only when bailiffs are authorised.

Check the date at the top of your notice. If it says 1 May 2026 or later, you can safely ignore it as a Section 21 — your landlord will need to serve a new notice under Section 8 with a stated reason.

Even with a valid pre-May 2026 Section 21, there are things that can make it invalid: your deposit not being protected, your landlord not giving you a gas safety certificate or EPC, or the notice not being on the correct form (Form 6A). Any of these flaws can be used to challenge it.

Contact Shelter England at shelter.org.uk/get-help for free advice on whether your specific notice is valid and what your options are.