The Renters’ Rights Act is no longer something on the horizon — it has been in force since 1 May 2026, and periodic assured tenancies are now the default across England. For many landlords, the practical question has shifted from “what is changing?” to “how do I actually end a tenancy now?”
With Section 21 abolished, ending a tenancy is no longer a simple administrative step. It is a process that depends on the right grounds, the right notice, and the right paperwork — and getting any one of these wrong can cost you time, money, and control over your property.
The end of the no-fault route
Under the old system, a Section 21 notice gave landlords a straightforward way to regain possession without needing to give a reason. That route is gone.
Landlords can still bring a tenancy to an end, but only where they can point to a genuine, recognised reason — known as a ground for possession — using a Section 8 notice. These grounds cover situations such as selling the property, moving in yourself or a family member, or the tenant falling into arrears, among others.
This means the way you plan an exit from a tenancy now matters just as much as the way you started it.
Tenants can also give notice — and it works differently
It isn’t only landlords who need to follow the new rules. Tenants on an assured periodic tenancy must give a minimum of two months’ notice if they want to leave, unless a shorter period has been agreed between both parties in writing — which, in practice, is rare on new periodic agreements.
This is a meaningful shift for landlords used to fixed terms, where a tenant’s departure date was set from day one. Under the new system, that certainty is gone, and re-letting timelines need to be planned with more flexibility in mind.
Not every tenancy works the same way
The rules above apply specifically to assured tenancies — including any assured shorthold tenancy that automatically converted to an assured tenancy on 1 May 2026. Broadly, you’re likely to have an assured tenancy if:
- the property is the tenant’s main home
- the landlord does not live in the same building
- the tenancy isn’t a company let, holiday let, or similar exempt arrangement
If your arrangement doesn’t fit this description, you may be dealing with a non-assured tenancy instead, which is usually ended by serving a notice to quit rather than a Section 8 notice. It’s worth checking which category your tenancy falls into before assuming which process applies — the wrong notice can mean starting again from scratch.
What about notices served before 1 May?
If you served a valid Section 21 or Section 8 notice before the Act came into force, that notice hasn’t been wiped out. You can still use it to apply to the court, but only up until 31 July 2026. Similarly, if a possession claim was already issued with the court before 1 May 2026, that case will continue to progress under the old rules.
If you’re in this position, the message is simple: don’t sit on it. These transitional windows are closing, and missing the deadline could mean losing that route entirely.
Why process now matters more than intention
Across the sector, the same lesson keeps surfacing: it’s rarely the principle of the law that catches landlords out, it’s the detail. The correct ground, served correctly, with the correct notice period, evidenced properly — that’s what stands up if a tenancy ends up in front of a court.
Landlords who treat this as a box-ticking exercise, or who rely on the informal understandings that used to smooth things over, are the ones most likely to find themselves in difficulty under the new regime.
How Fleming Lettings supports landlords
Fleming Lettings doesn’t provide legal advice, and where a situation calls for it, we’ll always point our landlords towards a suitably qualified solicitor. What we do offer is close, practical support in applying these rules to your property:
- helping you work out which type of tenancy you have, and which process applies to it
- making sure notices are served correctly, on time, and properly documented
- keeping the paperwork trail in order, so your position is protected if things move to court
If you’re a landlord in the West Midlands or Staffordshire and you’re not sure where you stand on ending a tenancy under the new rules, get in touch. We’d rather help you get it right from the outset than see you try to unpick it later.
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