Section 21 Transitional Rules and the 31 July 2026 Court Deadline

Section 21 is abolished for new claims, but landlords who served a valid Section 21 Form 6A notice before 1 May 2026 had a narrow window to act on it. That deadline passed on 31 July 2026. A notice for which proceedings were not started by the applicable deadline has expired under the transitional rules.

The Transitional Rules

The statutory transitional provisions applied to both Section 21 and old-form Section 8 notices served before 1 May 2026:

• A Section 21 notice served before 1 May 2026 remained valid until its normal statutory expiry date or 31 July 2026, whichever came first
• An old-form Section 8 (Form 3) notice served before 1 May 2026 followed the same rule — valid until its normal expiry or 31 July 2026, whichever was earlier
• Court proceedings had to be formally issued on or before 31 July 2026 for the notice to remain effective

"Formally issued" means the County Court has received and processed the claim form. It is not enough to have posted it — the court must have stamped and issued the claim. Given standard court processing times, filing in the last week of July was a gamble.

What Happens If You Miss the Deadline

If court proceedings were not started by 31 July 2026 (or the notice's earlier expiry date), the Section 21 notice has expired. It cannot be used now to start a possession claim. The no-fault eviction route is closed.

To regain possession after this point, you must serve a fresh notice under Section 8, using the new Form 3A, citing one of the reformed Schedule 2 grounds. You are back to proving a specific ground — rent arrears, breach, landlord moving in, sale — and going through a full hearing. There is no fallback to the Section 21 procedure.

The Accelerated Possession Procedure Is Gone

Under the old regime, Section 21 claims could use the accelerated possession procedure — a paper-only process where a judge decided on the documents without a hearing. This was faster and cheaper than a standard possession claim.

The accelerated procedure is no longer available for new claims, but the transitional rules saved the former procedure for eligible claims started by 31 July 2026. If you used the accelerated Form N5B, neither you nor the tenant needs to attend court. Other saved claims may require a hearing.

For new Section 8 claims, every case requires a hearing. Budget for 8 to 12 weeks between filing and the hearing date.

If You Served an Old Section 21 Notice

If you served a Section 21 notice before 1 May 2026, use these checks to confirm whether the saved route is still available:

1. Confirm whether proceedings were started in time. The deadline was the earlier of the notice's normal expiry date and 31 July 2026.

2. If proceedings were started in time, keep the original Form 6A notice, proof of service (Form N215, recorded delivery receipt or email confirmation), the tenancy agreement and the How to Rent Guide confirmation, and follow the court's directions for that claim.

3. If proceedings were not started in time, the saved Section 21 route has expired. Assess whether a current Section 8 ground applies and serve Form 3A if you want to seek possession.

Old Section 8 Notices (Form 3)

The same 31 July deadline applied to Section 8 notices served using the old Form 3 before 1 May 2026. If a claim was not started by the earlier of the notice's normal expiry date and 31 July 2026, the notice expired. To pursue possession now, serve Form 3A under the amended grounds.

The Renters' Rights Act for Landlords guide includes a transitional-notice decision tree that helps you work out whether an existing notice is still valid, what the filing deadline is and what to do if you have missed it.

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