The Renters’ Rights Act is now in force, bringing an end to Section 21 “no fault” evictions. To learn more about the changes the Renters’ Rights Act introduced, please read our earlier article ,and for more details about specific phases please see our previous blog – Renters Rights Act 2025 – The Countdown Begins | Nockolds. However, there remains a critical deadline that those have already served a Section 21 notice need to be aware of – one that hasn’t received widespread attention.
Let the countdown begin, the deadline for issuing court proceedings
If you served a valid Section 21 Notice prior to 1 May 2026 when the ability to do so came to an end, you only have until 31 July 2026 to issue proceedings at court. This is the time limit for landlords to begin possession proceedings under the new rules.
The new legislation stipulates that a notice issued before 1 May 2026 will remain valid until the earlier date of either 6 months from the date it was served, or the 31 July 2026 longstop date. Therefore, notices issued before 1 February 2026 are no longer valid.
If you miss the deadline for issuing court proceedings, the previous route to possession will no longer be available to you. The tenancy has automatically converted to an assured periodic tenancy under the new rules, and you will need to rely on the Section 8 evidenced based grounds, which requires cause for possession.
To act on a Section 21 Notice, the court must receive the claim before the 31 July 2026 deadline.
It is worth noting that issuing a claim requires a significant amount of supporting documentation, so we strongly recommend preparing your papers well in advance of the relevant deadline. At Nockolds, we already have a sharp increase of claims being readied for issue, and it is likely that other firms will be in a similar position. The courts will deal with applications in the order they receive them and as demand is expected to rise it is sensible to act promptly to avoid unnecessary delay.
What do I need to do now?
Nockolds are here to assist with issuing proceedings. Contact a member of our Property Litigation team today on 0345 646 0406 or fill in our online enquiry form and we will be in touch.