Landlords who served a valid Section 21 notice before 1 May 2026 have until 31 July 2026 to issue possession proceedings in court. Any Section 21 notice not backed by a court application by that date automatically expires and cannot be relied upon. After 31 July 2026 no Section 21 route exists under any circumstances.
The transitional window is closing. Transitional provisions mean that if a private landlord served their tenant with a valid Section 21 eviction notice before 1 May 2026, they must begin court possession proceedings on or before 31 July 2026. This window was designed to allow landlords already mid-process to complete possession under the old rules without being immediately cut off by the abolition of Section 21. With today's date being 15 June 2026, only 46 days remain before this route closes permanently.
Automatic expiry of notices. Any notice will automatically expire on 31 July 2026 if a court application has not been made by that date ? regardless of how much time would otherwise remain on the notice. If the notice expires before a possession order has been applied for, the tenancy will convert to an assured periodic tenancy on the date of expiry, after which the landlord must follow RRA rules, including serving the Information Sheet or written statement on all tenants within one month.
Tenancies that can remain as ASTs past 1 May 2026. A tenancy will remain an AST after 1 May 2026 if the landlord has already started a possession claim before 1 May 2026 and it is still ongoing, or applied to court between 1 May and 31 July 2026 on the basis of a valid Section 21 or Section 8 notice served before 1 May 2026. In these cases the tenancy remains an AST until possession proceedings conclude, which is likely to mean the point at which a bailiff enforces a possession order.
Enforcement options. To avoid lengthy delays, landlords are advised to apply for permission to transfer any possession order to the High Court for enforcement by a High Court Enforcement Officer under Section 42 of the County Courts Act 1984, as this is far quicker than the County Court Bailiff route ? an HCEO will typically be able to undertake the eviction within one to two months. Landlords should seek legal advice promptly given the immovable statutory deadline.
Action required
If you hold an unactioned pre-1 May 2026 Section 21 notice, issue your possession claim at court immediately ? the 31 July 2026 deadline is 46 days away. Do not wait. After that date you must use Section 8 grounds only.
Effective
2026-07-31
This content is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or professional advice. Always verify information against the original source and seek independent professional guidance before acting on any regulatory matter.