Renters’ Rights Act 2025: Can landlords still evict tenants?.

From 1^st May 2026, landlords will no longer be able to serve no-fault evictions, known as Section 21 notices, on tenants.

One of the headline changes hitting the private rental sector as part of the long-awaited Renters’ Rights Act 2025, the abolition of Section 21 looks to provide renters with more protections and stability by stopping landlords evicting without a good reason.

But what does this mean for landlords looking to regain possession of their rental property? Here’s our handy blog setting out why the change has been made, how Buy to Let landlords can still evict tenants (within reason), and some of the new measures, restrictions and notice periods.

What does the end of Section 21 mean for landlords?

Part of the Housing Act 1988, a Section 21 notice is a method that landlords have used to end an Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) without needing to give a reason. But critics of the policy argue that no-fault evictions create insecurity for renters, even when they’ve met all their obligations, and that the notice was being used maliciously or unscrupulously by some landlords.

By abolishing Section 21, the government aims to give renters more stability while still allowing landlords to regain possession for legitimate reasons under Section 8.

According to homelessness charity Shelter (2025), private sector landlords served more than 30,000 Section 21 notices between July 2024 and June 2025, with 11,400 households removed from homes by bailiffs in the same period

What are some of the legitimate reasons landlords can use to evict?

A lot has been made about the end of Section 21 as part of the new legislation. But did you know that the Renters’ Rights Act actually strengthens and adds to the legitimate reasons for a landlord to evict a tenant using a Section 8 notice?

Here are some of the most common reasons:

• Landlord’s personal use – Landlords can regain possession of their property if they or a family member wants to move into a property as their primary residency. This can be done with a Section 8 (Ground 1) notice but cannot be served within the first 12 months of the tenancy and the property cannot be re-let within a year of using the grounds.


• Selling the property – Section 8 (1A) has been introduced as part of the Renters Rights Act 2025. If a landlord genuinely wishes to sell their rental property, they’ll be able to regain possession. But they will not be able to rent the property out again for 12 months after an eviction if they’re unable to sell.


• Rental arrears – If the tenant owes at least two months’ rent, a landlord can use Section 8 (Ground 8) to start the eviction process. There are other discretionary grounds if the tenant has some rent arrears or a history of late payment.


• Breaching the tenancy agreement – If the tenant breaks part of the tenancy agreement, other than rental arrears, a landlord may be able to use Section 8 (Ground 12). This ground is discretionary and must be supported by evidence, such as the tenant subletting the property without permission.


• Problem tenants – If a tenant is causing a nuisance, persistent annoyance or engaging in illegal activity at the property, landlords can start court proceedings to remove them under Section 8 (Ground 14). If they’ve been convicted of a serious criminal offence at or near the property, Section 8 (Ground 14a) should be used instead.


• Student accommodation – Landlords can use a new measure, Section 8 (Ground 4A), if they need to formally regain possession of a property before a new academic year starts.

You can see a full list of all the mandatory and discretionary grounds that landlords can use to evict tenants on this gov.uk page - Grounds for possession: guidance for landlords and letting agents.

The article also includes any restrictions and how much notice a landlord will need to give tenants depending on which reason is used. However, for many of the grounds, the default notice period has increased to 4 months.

What could landlords do now?

If you’re a landlord, you’ll still have up to 1st May 2026 to use a Section 21 notice, and you’ll need to have started court proceedings by 31st July 2026. You’ll need to make sure that the notice is valid so use the correct form (Form 6A), check all the information is correct, and meet all the legal obligations.

• Check out the government’s guidance on giving notice of possession to tenants before 1st May 2026 for a more detailed walkthrough of the process.

But before rushing to serve a Section 21 notice, think about the bigger picture. If your tenant is paying rent and the property is well-managed, ending the tenancy early might mean losing steady income and facing void periods. In the current market, finding new tenants can take time and cost money.

Always check with a legal representative before making any decisions.

Ready to build your portfolio?

The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 may have caused some uncertainty amongst landlords, But the bottom line is that rental property is still very much in demand and tenants need a thriving private rental sector.

At Together, we believe that the new rules for rental will help to professionalise the industry, providing tenants with the quality homes they deserve, weeding out bad landlords and presenting great landlords with a wealth of opportunities.

Speak to our expert team and find out how our bridging loans, auction finance and Buy to Let mortgages can help you expand your property portfolio.