UK
Section 21
Section 21 was the English notice a landlord used to end an assured shorthold tenancy without proving a ground. The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 abolished it for the new regime on 1 May 2026.
Also called No-fault eviction.
What to say now
Do not tell a landlord they can still serve a section 21 on a new English tenancy. Notices served before 1 May 2026 were given a transition, and court deadlines applied. Whether a particular old notice is still usable is a question for the landlord’s adviser and the official guidance, not for a marketing email. Possession under the new rules is by section 8 grounds.
Why it is still in this glossary
Staff and clients still use the words. An assistant that drafts “we will serve section 21” into a landlord update is using a procedure that has been withdrawn. The draft should refuse that sentence and point the landlord to their own adviser.
Questions
What does Section 21 mean?
Section 21 was the English notice a landlord used to end an assured shorthold tenancy without proving a ground. The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 abolished it for the new regime on 1 May 2026.
General information for agency staff, not legal advice. Rules and local practice change. Check the official source before you rely on a definition in a client letter.