MAKE YOUR FREE Section 21 notice

The Act has increased the notice period required for section 21 eviction notices.

In England, you must give the tenant a minimum notice of 4 months from 1 June 2021 in line with government guidelines. This means the tenant must physically receive the notice 4 months before they have to move out. It is anticipated that from 1 October it is expected to return to the usual notice period of 2 months. 

In Wales, you must give the tenant at least 6 months’ notice until 30 September 2021.

A section 21 is a legal notice informing tenants that their tenancy is going to end and the landlord is going to take repossession of the property. Section 21 notice is commonly known as a ‘no fault notice’.  

As a landlord, there may be times when you need to give your residential tenants a notice to vacate your property. This may be because their tenancy is coming to the end of its term, because you need your property back from a tenant on a rolling tenancy, or when a tenant has breached the tenancy agreement by causing damage or not paying their rent. The correct use of a section 21 notice will help to ensure that a landlord takes possession of their property safely and legally. Protect yourself with this simple eviction notice.

You should use a section 21 notice to gain possession of a rented property let under an assured shorthold tenancy (AST). You can use a section 21 notice (Form 6A) for periodic or fixed term tenancy. You can serve a section 21 in contemplation of a fixed term tenancy coming to an end up to 2 months prior to the eviction date.

Please note that from 1 June 2021 the eviction notice period in England will typically be four months until 1 October 2021 when it is expected to return to the usual notice period of two months. In Wales, until 30 September 2021, you must typically give the tenants at least six months’ notice under the Coronavirus Act 2020.

If the tenancy is within the fixed term or the initial six months you can use a section 8 notice if you satisfy one of the grounds for it. For more information, read Section 8 notice.

For a section 21 notice, you must give the tenant a minimum notice of 2 months. This means the tenant must physically receive the notice 2 months before they have to move out.

Please note that if you plan to serve notice in England, between 1 June and 30 September 2021, you will need to give the tenants at least four months’ notice under the Coronavirus Act 2020. If you plan to serve notice in Wales before 1 October 2021, you will need to serve at least six months’ notice.