And Lo! The appointed day has been announced! And it is 1 May 2026.
Well, partly…
On 1 May 2026, the following provisions will come into force:
- The end of assured shorthold tenancies, fixed terms and new section 21 notices.
- New and amended grounds of possession.
- Annual only rent increases via section 13 notices (challengeable in the First Tier Tribunal)
- Advance rent limited to one month
- Ban on rent bidding wars
- Discrimination against potential tenants on basis of receiving benefits or having children.
Later on, from ‘late 2026’, the landlord database and the Private Landlord Ombudsman will be introduced. The database apparently will roll out in two stages across England.
There will be a lot to consider in the interim, and a lot to be put in place, but we finally know when (most of) it is happening. All very exciting.
And finally, after 7 years of various promises, the end of the section 21 flowchart is at least conceivable – legacy cases aside. On which note, note this:
After 1 May 2026, the courts will still be able to process Section 21 possessions that are ongoing, for example:
-
- if a private landlord served their tenant with a Section 21 notice before 1 May 2026, they must begin court possession proceedings on or before 31 July 2026 when using the Section 21 court process.
- after this date (31 July 2026), any Section 21 notice where the landlord has not begun proceedings will be invalid and landlords must use the new grounds for possession.