Section 21 Is Dead: What Landlords Need to Know About Section 8 Eviction

Section 21 is gone. From 1 May 2026, English and Welsh landlords can no longer serve a “no-fault” eviction notice. If you need your property back, you’ll use Section 8 — and you’ll need grounds.

This is huge. It changes the game for landlords. No more “I want my property back, no reason needed.” Now it’s “I want my property back because...” — and you need to prove it.

What Was Section 21?

Section 21 was a “no-fault” eviction notice. You could give two months’ notice and ask the tenant to leave — no reason required. It was the landlord’s nuclear button. The government decided that was wrong. Renters’ Rights Act — Section 21 is abolished. Full stop.

Section 8 Is Now the Only Route

Section 8 is a grounds-based eviction. There are 17 grounds in total, split into discretionary grounds (judge might order eviction) and mandatory grounds (judge must order eviction if you prove them).

The Main Grounds Landlords Actually Use

1. Rent Arrears (Mandatory)

Tenant is 2+ months in arrears. You need rent payment records, proof of when arrears occurred, evidence arrears still exist at notice date.

2. Breach of Tenancy Terms (Discretionary)

Subletting, running a business, keeping banned pets, damage, antisocial behaviour. You need the tenancy agreement, evidence of breach, written notice asking them to fix it within 14 days.

3. Antisocial Behaviour or Criminality (Mandatory)

Illegal purposes or causing nuisance. You need police reports, neighbour complaints in writing, your own dated evidence.

4. Property Condition (Discretionary)

Serious damage or failure to keep clean. You need move-in condition report, later inspection photos, repair quotes.

5. Landlord Wants to Live There (Mandatory)

Genuine intention to live there as principal home. If you let it to someone else within a year, the tenant can sue.

6. Landlord Wants to Sell (Mandatory)

Selling to a buyer who wants to move in. Same warning — if you relet within a year, the tenant can sue.

What You Must NOT Do

Don’t serve notice without grounds. Don’t threaten eviction to pressure a tenant. Don’t evict in retaliation for a tenant exercising rights. Don’t serve on forged or undated paperwork.

The Evidence Chain That Wins Court

The golden rule: Everything must be written, dated, and timestamped. A verbal conversation isn’t enough. An email is evidence. A text is evidence. A comms log entry is perfect evidence.

The Immutable Comms Log: Your Evidence Shield

An immutable, server-timestamped comms log solves the evidence problem. Every message goes into a permanent log with an unalterable timestamp. The court sees what was said, when, and whether the tenant responded.

Section 8 Notice: The Practical Process

1. Decide on your ground(s)
2. Gather your evidence
3. Serve the notice properly — hand-delivered, registered post, or email if agreed
4. Go to court — present evidence, judge decides
5. Bailiff removes tenant if they don’t leave voluntarily

The whole process typically takes 4–6 months from serving notice to bailiff removal.

Key Dates

Section 21 expires: 30 April 2026. Section 8 becomes the only route: 1 May 2026. Any Section 21 notice served after 30 April won’t be valid.

Section 21 is gone. Section 8 is your only option. Start documenting now. Join SelfLet’s waitlist — launching 1 May 2026. We’re building Section 8 notice generation and all the evidence-logging tools you’ll need to win.