As the deadline for acting on Section 21 Notices draws closer, Merritts Solicitors LLP are issuing this important reminder for landlords.
What is Section 21?
Prior to the recent changes to rental legislation that came into effect on 1st May 2026, a Section 21 Notice was commonly used as the first stage of the process for recovering possession of a property let under an assured shorthold tenancy. However, Section 21 Notices ceased to be available from 1st May 2026 and have been replaced by the revised Section 8 possession process.
Section 21: Deadlines and Facts
If you served a valid Section 21 Notice before 1st May 2026 and your tenant has not vacated the property, it is important to be aware of the following deadline:
- Possession proceedings must be issued by 31 July 2026.
- If proceedings are not issued by that date, you will no longer be able to rely on the Section 21 Notice.
- In those circumstances, you will need to serve a Section 8 Notice and rely on one or more statutory grounds for possession.
Landlords should therefore review any outstanding possession matters now to avoid losing the ability to proceed under an existing Section 21 Notice.
Merritts Solicitors LLP: Here to Help
If you require a possession order, or you have further questions about Section 21 and Section 8 Notices, get in touch with our Head of Litigation. Victoria Skelton has been a valued member of the Merritts Solicitors LLP team for two decades, and has extensive litigation expertise in landlord and tenant matters.
You can contact Merritts Solicitors LLP here for more information about our full range of services, including all landlord and tenant needs.