End of no-fault evictions: when will the last Section 21 be served?
The Renters’ Rights Bill, which has now passed through the committee stage in the House of Lords, is set to abolish section 21 notices (non-fault eviction) currently served by landlords on residential tenants and will become law this summer, although the Government is yet to announce the implementation date but is likely to come into effect between October 2025 and January 2026.
The Lords completed the committee stage on 15th May 2025 and the Bill will now enter the report stage, where further amendments and scrutiny will take place followed by the Third Reading.
Published: June 17th, 2025
5 min read
When the Bill is finally passed and becomes an Act of Parliament, this will not immediately abolish section 21 notices. A commencement order will need to be made by a government minister.
Commencement Order
This is known as an “appointed day order” and brings the legislation into effect at a date later than a Bill is passed through Parliament, which is known as, Royal Assent (become law) and the Bill is expected to receive this in July 2025.
The order allows for further preparation and adjustments before they can be fully implemented and sets out the date when the Act or specific parties of the Act will come into effect.
The Government’s intention is that, after this date there will be no more section 21 notices served. It is likely that some landlords will get confused and still serve notices long after they have been legally abolished.
From the commencement date , the aim is that landlords will no longer be able to evict tenants without a valid reason under Section 8 of the Housing Act 1988.
Landlords will need to demonstrate valid reasons for seeking to evict tenants, such as rent arrears or antisocial behaviours.
What else?
The Bill when passed will also include provisions on:
Rent Increase Controls
New Tenant Security
Awaab's Law
Ban on Rental Bidding
New Private Rented Sector Ombudsman.
Landlords are encouraged to stay informed on the Renters’ Rights Bill to understand how these changes might affect their responsibilities, their rights and the future of the rental market. Please get in touch with our Property Litigation Team at Forbes who can help you further.
For further information please contact Amanda Leach
