The Renters Reform Act is now in force, and the Renters Reform Act landlord obligations it creates are substantial. For the first time in over thirty years, the fundamental structure of the private tenancy has been rewritten — Section 21 is gone, fixed terms are gone, and the Section 8 grounds 2026 landlords must rely on have been significantly expanded and reshaped.
This is not a guide to be filed and forgotten. The changes affect every tenancy you manage — what you can do, how you can do it, and what happens if you get it wrong.
What Has Changed Under the Renters Reform Act
The Renters Reform Act makes five structural changes to the private rented sector that every landlord needs to understand:
- Section 21 abolished — no-fault eviction is no longer possible
- Fixed-term tenancies abolished — all tenancies are now periodic from the start
- Section 8 grounds rewritten — the grounds for possession have been expanded and reformed
- Rent increases regulated — all increases must go through the statutory Section 13 process
- New landlord obligations — the PRS Ombudsman, Property Portal, and Decent Homes Standard all extend to private landlords
Each of these changes has a practical effect on how you manage your tenancies today. The sections below break down what each means in practice.
Section 21 Abolished: What Landlords Must Do Instead
Section 21 abolished means the end of no-fault possession. You can no longer serve a Section 21 notice to end a tenancy because you want your property back, because you'd rather have different tenants, or for any other reason that doesn't constitute a specific legal ground.
Why this matters: Many landlords used Section 21 as a de facto management tool — a way to end difficult tenancies without having to prove a ground for possession in court. That option is gone. If you need a tenant to leave, you must have a legitimate reason and follow the correct Section 8 process.
What happens to existing Section 21 notices? Any Section 21 notice served before the transitional cutoff date under the old legislation remains valid for the duration of its validity period. Once it expires without a court application being made, it lapses — and no new Section 21 notice can be served.
What about existing fixed-term tenancies? Tenancies that were in a fixed term before the Act's transitional provisions came into force remain valid until the fixed term expires. When they do expire, they convert to periodic tenancies under the new regime automatically — you don't need to issue new agreements, but you should update your records.
New Section 8 Grounds 2026: The Full Picture
The expansion of Section 8 grounds 2026 is the counterbalance to the abolition of Section 21. Parliament recognised that removing the no-fault route without providing workable alternatives would make the sector unmanageable for legitimate landlords. The result is a significantly expanded set of grounds — including several that are new.
Mandatory grounds (possession is automatic if proven)
Ground 1A — Sale of property You intend to sell the property. Notice: two months. Restriction: you cannot re-let the property for 12 months after possession. Evidence required: genuine intention to sell.
Ground 1B — Occupation by landlord or family You or a close family member wish to move into the property as their principal home. Notice: two months. Restriction: cannot be used in the first 12 months of the tenancy.
Ground 8 — Serious rent arrears The tenant is at least three months in arrears both when the Section 8 notice is served and at the date of the court hearing (previously two months). Notice: two weeks. The arrears must persist through to the hearing — if the tenant pays down the arrears before the hearing, the ground may no longer be established.
Ground 14 — Antisocial behaviour The tenant or someone living in or visiting the property has been guilty of conduct causing nuisance or annoyance, or has been convicted of a relevant offence. Notice: immediate (you can serve and apply on the same day in serious cases).
Key new grounds introduced by the Act
Ground 6A — Repeated serious arrears A new mandatory ground for tenants who have been at least two months in arrears on three or more occasions in the preceding three years — regardless of whether those arrears were subsequently cleared. This addresses the situation where a tenant repeatedly falls behind and then pays off arrears to defeat Ground 8 at the hearing.
Ground 8A — Persistent arrears A new discretionary ground for repeated arrears that don't meet the mandatory threshold. The Tribunal has discretion to grant possession where it considers it reasonable.
Changed notice periods
Notice requirements under the reformed Section 8 vary by ground. Getting the notice period wrong invalidates the notice — you'll need to start again, adding weeks or months to the process.
| Ground | Notice Period | Mandatory/Discretionary | |---|---|---| | 1A (Sale) | 2 months | Mandatory | | 1B (Own occupation) | 2 months | Mandatory | | 8 (Serious arrears 3+ months) | 2 weeks | Mandatory | | 8A (Persistent arrears) | 4 weeks | Discretionary | | 6A (Repeated arrears) | 2 weeks | Mandatory | | 14 (Antisocial behaviour) | Immediate | Discretionary |
Notice Requirements: Getting the Process Right
Under the reformed regime, serving an incorrect notice is not a minor administrative error — it's a nullity. A court will dismiss a possession claim based on a wrongly served notice, and you'll have wasted court fees and months of time.
What a valid Section 8 notice must include
- The correct prescribed form (Form 3, as updated to reflect the new grounds)
- The specific ground(s) relied on
- The full text of each ground cited
- The date on which the notice was served
- The expiry date, calculated correctly from the date of service using the correct notice period for each ground
- The correct address of the property
Serving the notice correctly
Service by first class post is deemed served two working days after posting. Personal service is immediate. Email service is only valid if the tenancy agreement expressly permits it — and many older agreements don't.
Keep proof of service. If a tenant denies receiving the notice and you can't prove service, your claim fails.
What happens after the notice period expires
Once the notice period has expired, you can apply to the court for a possession order if the tenant hasn't left. Under the reformed court process, HMRC and the Ministry of Justice are implementing a new digital possession process — timelines are expected to be shorter than the current system for well-evidenced mandatory ground claims, but the court still needs to satisfy itself that the ground is established.
For discretionary grounds, the court considers reasonableness. You need more than just the technical facts — you need to demonstrate that possession is a proportionate response to the tenant's conduct or circumstances.
Action Checklist for Renters Reform Act Landlords
Work through this for every property in your portfolio:
Tenancy documentation
- [ ] All new tenancy agreements use updated templates compliant with the Act — no fixed terms, no Section 21 provisions, no non-compliant rent review clauses
- [ ] Existing fixed-term tenancies logged with their expiry date and conversion date to periodic
- [ ] Tenancy agreements reviewed for pet consent clauses — blanket pet bans are no longer permitted
Rent increases
- [ ] All rent increases are processed via Section 13 notice — not through contractual review clauses
- [ ] Section 13 notices are served with at least two months' notice before the proposed increase date
- [ ] No more than one Section 13 notice served per 52-week period per tenancy
Arrears management
- [ ] Rent account records maintained digitally with dated payment history (essential for Ground 6A and 8A claims)
- [ ] A process in place for tracking when a third arrears event occurs within a 36-month window
- [ ] Written arrears communications filed and dated
Possession readiness
- [ ] Updated Section 8 notice templates for all grounds you might need
- [ ] Evidence log for any ongoing antisocial behaviour or arrears issues
- [ ] Legal advice sought for any possession claim before serving notice — cost of a wrong notice is high
Registration obligations
- [ ] Enrolled in the Private Rented Sector Ombudsman scheme
- [ ] Property registered on the national Property Portal when live in your area
- [ ] Local authority additional licensing checked and complied with
Property standards
- [ ] All properties meet the Decent Homes Standard — no Category 1 HHSRS hazards
- [ ] Repair obligations are being met — the Act strengthens enforcement against landlords who delay repairs
The Renters Reform Act landlord compliance picture is complex. Freehold Comply tracks your tenancy notices, Section 8 deadlines, arrears history, and registration obligations so nothing falls through the gaps. Start free trial →