How to end a tenancy under the Renters' Rights Act
21 August 2026 · AgentCheck Editorial · 7 min read
Part of our UK Landlord Legal Guide
In short: Section 21 no-fault eviction is gone. To end a tenancy in England now, you serve a Section 8 notice using one of the legal grounds, give the correct notice period for that ground, and apply to court if the tenant does not leave. The two grounds most landlords will use, selling and moving in, need four months' notice and cannot be used in the first year.
The way tenancies end changed on 1 May 2026. Assured shorthold tenancies and fixed terms have gone, every tenancy is now periodic, and the old Section 21 "no reason needed" route no longer exists. That does not mean you are stuck with a tenant forever. It means you need a valid reason, recognised in law, and you have to follow the process for it.
Here is how ending a tenancy works in practice under the new rules.
The tenant can still leave whenever they want
Worth saying first, because it surprises some landlords. A tenant can end a periodic tenancy by giving you two months' notice at any point. You cannot lock them into a minimum term any more. So a good chunk of tenancies will still end simply because the tenant hands in notice and moves on.
When you want to bring a tenancy to an end, though, you are into the possession grounds.
Section 8 grounds replace Section 21
All possession now runs through Section 8. You choose the ground or grounds that fit your situation, serve the correct notice, and if the tenant stays put you ask the court for a possession order. Grounds fall into two camps. Mandatory grounds mean the court must grant possession if you prove the ground. Discretionary grounds mean the court decides whether it is reasonable to.
Selling the property (Ground 1A)
Ground 1A is a new mandatory ground for landlords who genuinely intend to sell. You must give four months' notice. You cannot serve it in the early part of the tenancy: the notice cannot expire until the tenancy has run for at least 12 months, though you can serve it once you are eight months in so that it lands at the right time. If you use this ground and then do not sell, you are barred from re-letting or re-marketing the property for 12 months.
Moving yourself or family in (Ground 1)
Ground 1 covers you or a close family member wanting to live in the property. It carries the same four months' notice, the same 12-month protected period at the start, and the same re-letting restriction if your plans change. Both of these grounds exist to stop landlords using "I'm selling" or "my son is moving in" as a back-door no-fault eviction, so expect to have to mean it.
Rent arrears (Grounds 8, 10 and 11)
Ground 8 is the mandatory arrears ground. The tenant has to owe at least three months' rent both when you serve notice and at the hearing, and the notice period is four weeks. Grounds 10 and 11 are discretionary and cover smaller arrears or a pattern of persistent late payment. We cover this in detail in our guide to rent arrears and what landlords can do.
Anti-social behaviour and breach
Grounds also exist for anti-social behaviour, damage to the property, and breaches of the tenancy agreement. Notice periods here are generally shorter, and in the most serious anti-social cases you can begin proceedings immediately. These are usually discretionary, so the court weighs up the evidence and the circumstances.
Serving the notice correctly
A Section 8 notice has to state the exact grounds you are relying on and give the correct notice period for those grounds. If you cite the wrong ground, get the dates wrong, or under-state the notice period, the notice can be thrown out and you start again. Small errors cost months, so this is a place to be careful or to get help.
You will also need your compliance in order. Deposit protected and the information served, gas safety certificate, energy performance certificate and the right documents given to the tenant. If those are not in place, some grounds can be blocked.
Going to court
If the notice period runs out and the tenant has not left, you apply to the county court for a possession order. You cannot change the locks or pressure someone out yourself. That would be an illegal eviction, which is a criminal offence. The court process takes time, and courts are busy, so the realistic timeline from decision to vacant possession can be several months even on a strong mandatory ground.
A quick reality check on timing
Put the pieces together and you can see why planning matters. If you want to sell with vacant possession, you are looking at four months' notice, a first-year restriction, and then potentially a court wait on top. Starting the conversation with your tenant early, and being honest about your plans, often gets you a smoother and quicker exit than a contested court case ever will.
Where an agent helps
Notices, grounds and court paperwork are exactly the kind of thing a good letting agent does day in, day out. Getting a notice right first time is worth a lot when the alternative is losing months to a technical error. If you would rather hand this over, you can compare letting agents on AgentCheck and find one that handles possession properly. For the full picture of what else changed on 1 May 2026, read our Renters' Rights Act landlord guide.
Compare letting agents who know the new grounds
Ending a tenancy correctly is harder than it used to be, and the cost of getting it wrong is real. Use AgentCheck to compare local letting agents and choose one who can serve notices and manage possession without the missteps.
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