Section 21 Evictions Surge Before England’s Renters’ Right Act

In the weeks before 1 May 2026, landlords across England issued a surge of Section 21 no-fault eviction notices. The notices require only two months’ notice and were served despite the imminent ban. Solicitors reported a sharp rise in tenant enquiries about these notices.

The Guardian

Section 21, created under the Housing Act 1988, let landlords end assured shorthold tenancies without cause. The Renters’ Right Act, effective 1 May 2026, abolishes Section 21, ends fixed-term contracts, bans discriminatory clauses such as “no children” or “no DSS,” caps advance rent at one month, and allows tenants to challenge excessive rents.

The Guardian

A tenant travelling through an airport received a Section 21 notice by email and described feeling “useless and despondent.” The notice arrived days before the Act’s start, forcing the tenant to seek new accommodation, rely on family support, and join a tenants’ union in Greater Manchester.

The Guardian

Solicitors reported “thousands” of tenants seeking advice after Section 21 notices. Shelter noted rent hikes of over 10 % and up to 20 %. The Office for National Statistics recorded an average Manchester rent of £1,347. England lost 21,436 social homes in 2024-25 and now has 1.4 million fewer social-housing households than in 1980.

The Guardian

From 1 May 2026, landlords may not serve Section 21 notices. The Act also removes fixed-term tenancy clauses, prohibits discriminatory tenancy policies, limits advance rent to one month, and creates a statutory route for tenants to appeal rents deemed above market.

The Guardian

Campaign groups argue the Act “doesn’t even begin to deal with the problem of ballooning rents.” They also point to the ongoing loss of social housing and call for more affordable units to counter high private-rental costs. Critics note the government provided no transitional protections for renters.

The Guardian

• “You never welcome an email from your landlord, or in my case, my landlord’s agent.” — Tenant, Greater Manchester

The Guardian

• “Miles from home, staring at my phone, I felt useless and despondent at being served a no-fault eviction notice days before the new Renters’ Right Act made them illegal at the start of May.” — Tenant, Greater Manchester

The Guardian

• “The new act is by far the best piece of legislation for renters’ rights in more than 30 years.” — Tenant, Greater Manchester

The Guardian

• “As campaigners have rightly pointed out, the act doesn’t even begin to deal with the problem of ballooning rents.” — Tenant, Greater Manchester

The Guardian

Regulators will monitor compliance with the eviction ban, while housing charities and tenant unions press for further rent-control measures and increased social-housing construction.

The Guardian