MAKE YOUR FREE Section 21 notice for Wales

For use in Wales only.

In order to evict tenants in privately rented property in Wales, landlords and letting agents must follow the correct rules and procedures. This legal notice informs tenants that their tenancy is going to end and the landlord is going to enforce their automatic right to possession. Landlords should use this section 21 notice to gain possession of properties rented under an assured shorthold tenancy (AST). The correct use of a section 21 notice will help to ensure that a landlord takes possession of their property safely and legally.

Recently reviewed by Adnan Mahmood, Solicitor and Head of Legal, UK. 

This section 21 notice was last reviewed on 31 March 2022.

A section 21 notice, also known as an eviction notice, a notice to quit or a notice seeking possession is a formal notification that the landlord wishes to regain possession of the property at the end of the tenancy. It's a common route for evicting tenants on a 'no-fault basis'.

Use this section 21 notice:

• for property let on an assured shorthold tenancy
• when you want to regain possession of the rented property where the tenant is not at fault
• where any tenant's deposit has been held correctly in a government-approved scheme
• where the tenant has been given all the required prescribed information
• where the property is an HMO and has been properly licensed
• for properties located in Wales only

• where the tenant is on a: 

  • fixed-term tenancy, or 

  • a contractual periodic tenancy where rent is not payable quarterly or 6-monthly

This section 21 notice covers:

• ending a tenancy let on an assured shorthold basis
• regaining possession of the rented property
• the last day of the tenancy
• how much notice is given to the tenant
• the date on which the tenant should vacate the property

Under the law, you must serve a section 21 notice if you want to evict your tenants and regain possession of the property. Serving a section 21 notice is the first important step in the eviction process which must be followed.

The section 21 notice period depends on the type of tenancy.

For fixed-term tenancies

If the tenancy is a fixed-term tenancy, you can only serve the notice during the fixed-term if there is a clause in the tenancy agreement allowing you to end the tenancy early (known as a 'break clause') or if the notice does not expire until after the fixed-term has ended.

If using a break clause, the notice must be sent 2 months prior to the break clause date (eg if there is a 6-month break clause, the notice can only be served at month 4).

For periodic tenancies

If the tenancy is a periodic tenancy, you can serve notice any time as long as the notice is for the correct length of time and contains any other information which may be required by law.

Where a landlord is seeking to evict a tenant who has always been on a periodic (or 'rolling') tenancy (ie a tenant who was never on a fixed-term tenancy), more notice may need to be given. This is because the notice needs to expire at the end of a rental period (ie the notice must expire on the last day of the rental period). 

For example, take a periodic tenancy that rolls from month to month (ie rent being paid monthly on the first of the month). A landlord serves a section 21 notice partway through the month, on the 15 March. The eviction notice would have to provide 2 months' notice (ie 15 May) but would not be able to end until the last day of the rental period (ie the end of the rental month, here 31 May).

From 23 November 2016, all landlords must be registered and either have a licence or use a letting agent that is licensed with Rent Smart Wales. If you do not have a licence or are not registered with Rent Smart Wales, you will not be able to serve a section 21 notice.

Landlords must have also protected the tenant's deposit within a government-backed tenancy deposit scheme. If you haven't protected the deposit within 30 days of receiving it and provided the tenant with the prescribed information, then you will not be able to evict the tenant using this section 21 notice.

You must also ensure you have provided the tenant with an up-to-date gas safety certificate and Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) as this is a legal requirement.

You must also serve the notice at least two months in advance of when you want the tenant to vacate the property.

From 1 September 2019 (under the Tenant Fees Act 2019), landlords must also return any ‘prohibited payments’ they have taken, to the tenant before they can validly serve a section 21 notice. Prohibited payments are any unlawfully charged fees and unlawfully retained holding deposits that the tenant paid for tenancies that started after 1 September 2019.

The notice will be valid indefinitely. The only exception would be if the landlord does something to suggest that a new tenancy has been started (eg if the landlord agrees to a new tenancy agreement or an increase in rent).

You will not be able to use this section 21 notice until all the prescribed documents have been given to the tenant. Once they have been given to the tenant, then you can proceed with issuing a section 21 notice.

You must include all of the tenants' names and addresses in the section 21 notice.

Yes, if you took a deposit from the tenant prior to the start of the tenancy, you must have placed it in one of the three government-approved schemes. If the deposit wasn't protected and the correct information wasn't given to the tenant, the section 21 notice will be invalid. For further information, read Deposit protection schemes.

Ask a lawyer if:

• the property is not residential

• the property is located outside of Wales (eg in England where you should use Form 6A)

• the tenancy is a periodic tenancy and the rent is payable quarterly or 6-monthly

• the tenant's deposit wasn't protected