What is Section 21 and is it still valid?

Section 21 was the law that allowed landlords to evict tenants without giving any reason. It's been abolished. No new Section 21 notices can be served after 30 April 2026.

Under the old Section 21 rules, your landlord could hand you a notice and say "leave in two months" with no explanation required. It was often called a "no-fault eviction." Campaigners and charities spent years trying to get it scrapped — and from 1 May 2026, they succeeded.

If you received a Section 21 notice before 1 May 2026, it may still be in play. Your landlord had until 31 July 2026 to take it to court. After that date, any pre-May Section 21 notice also expires and becomes worthless.

Any Section 21 notice dated 1 May 2026 or later is completely invalid. You are under no legal obligation to leave on the basis of it.

If someone has served you a Section 21 notice and you're not sure whether it was before or after the cutoff, or whether it was filled in correctly, get it checked for free at shelter.org.uk or citizensadvice.org.uk.