Use the tabs below to read more about the proposals for England and Wales.

Renters’ Reform Bill to abolish Section 21 in England

At the state opening of Parliament on 19 December 2019, the Queen’s Speech announced a Renters’ Reform Bill that will abolish the use of ‘no fault’ evictions by removing Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 and reforming the grounds for possession.

Houses of Parliament bus.jpg
Renters’ Reform Bill — Section 21 to be abolished

At the state opening of Parliament on 19 December 2019, the Queen’s Speech set out Boris Johnson’s Government’s “people’s priorities” announcing a Renters’ Reform Bill that will abolish the use of ‘no fault’ evictions by removing Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 and reforming the grounds for possession.

What the UK Government is proposing:

  1. Abolishing the use of ‘no-fault’ evictions by removing Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 and reforming the grounds for possession.
  2. Give landlords more rights to gain possession of their property through the courts where there is a legitimate need for them to do so by reforming current legislation.
  3. Work to improve the court process for landlords to make it quicker and easier for them to get their property back.

We believe that in the absence of any meaningful plan to boost the level of social housing in this country, the abolition of Section 21 will impact good landlords in the private rented sector who house the nation.

If Section 21 is scrapped, Section 8 must be reformed, and a new specialist housing tribunal created. Without this, supply will almost certainly fall which will have the consequential effect of raising rents and will further discourage new landlords from investing in the sector.

A new deal for renting: resetting the balance of rights and responsibilities between landlords and tenants

The UK Government launched a consultation in July 2019 seeking views on implementing the removal Section 21 in England, as well as improving Section 8 eviction grounds. We submitted a comprehensive response to the UK Government’s consultation on planned changes to the eviction process in England.

A New Deal for Renting Consultation Response
13 Sep 2019
A new deal for renting consultation

We submitted a comprehensive 39-page document in response to the Government’s consultation on planned changes to the eviction process in England.

Changes to the current system should only take place following the development of specialist housing courts and mandatory grounds allowing landlords to regain possession of their property—they must be fair to both tenants and landlords.

To mitigate any negative impacts of the proposals, the Government must: 

  1. Consider introducing a Housing Court to ensure that the proposals are workable or adequately resource and amend the existing Courts system.
  2. Use a technological solution, possession claims must be digitised and taken online.
  3. Look to make all grounds for possession, both existing and new, mandatory in order to effectively compensate for the removal of Section 21.
  4. Ensure automatic High Court Enforcement so landlords are granted an automatic right to have their Possession Order executed by a High Court Enforcement Officer.
  5. Implement a pilot scheme before a national rollout of the proposals to evaluate the effectiveness of the new system.
Gov.uk Form 6A, Section 21
29 Dec 2022
Section 21, Section 8 and Section 13

These common tenancy notices are Government prescribed forms available to download from their website. This resource offers a little more information into each one and where you need to go to download them.

Related news and resources

Male agent holding Propertymark P
28 Mar 2024
Propertymark campaign results evident in Renters (Reform) Bill amendments

We have had direct correspondence from senior officials at the Department of Levelling Up, Housing & Communities (DLUHC) regarding amends to be tabled on the Renters (Reform) Bill, including communication between Housing Minister Jacob Young, MP, and Conservative MPs outlining further improvements that address some of the key concerns of letting agents and strike a fairer balance of security for both landlords and tenants.

To let board sign with ARLA Propertymark board sticker attached.jpg
15 Mar 2024
Propertymark outlines the importance of protecting fixed-term tenancies

During a meeting with Housing Minister, Jacob Young MP, who has responsibility for the Renters (Reform) Bill, our CEO and Head of Policy and Campaigns outlined why the retaining of fixed-term tenancies will provide security for tenants and increase flexibility in the private rented sector.

Children's letter blocks spelling out the word rent with hand holding a house block
28 Feb 2024
MPs pushing for greater landlord protections in Renters (Reform) Bill

A series of draft amendments from Conservative backbench MPs reflect fears that the Bill will cause landlords to sell up, reducing the number of rental properties available. The proposals include making it a legal requirement that an impact assessment on the courts must be published by the Justice Secretary before a ban on no-fault evictions could be implemented.

ASB Action Plan.jpg
22 Nov 2023
Behaviour Hotspots and Immediate Justice added to ASB Action Plan

Extra policing will be deployed in ten initial target areas before the plan is rolled out across England and Wales in 2024. The public will also have a simpler way to report ASB (anti-social behaviour), and perpetrators could face penalties within 48 hours.

Gavel housing court law.jpg
13 Nov 2023
UK Government berated on court reforms for Section 21

The Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee (LUHCC) has objected to suggestions that delays to the ban on ‘no fault’ evictions are the result of recommendations made in the Committee’s Reforming the Private Rented Sector report. Committee Chair, Clive Betts, MP, stated it was difficult to understand the lack of urgency and transparency around court reforms.

Houses of Parliament pink.jpeg
23 Oct 2023
Second reading debate hangs in the balance 

Rt Hon Michael Gove MP reiterated the tone of the UK Government’s response to the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee, published Friday 20 October, with repeated references to balancing the needs of tenants and landlords in the progress of the Renters (Reform) Bill through the UK parliament.

Renting Homes (Amendment) (Wales) Bill extends minimum notice periods from two to six months

On 23 February 2021, the Welsh Parliament passed the Renting Homes (Amendment) (Wales) Bill that will extend the amount of notice landlords have to give from two to six months. Under the rules, rental contracts will be simplified and standardised with model contracts available. It will also mean the minimum contract a tenant can be given will be for 12 months.

We raised a number of concerns as the legislation made its way through the Welsh Parliament.

Extension of the minimum notice period
This will give all tenants, including those who flout the law, a minimum of 12 months. The proposal ignores issues with problem tenants and the impact on surrounding properties and the landlord or letting agent.

Changes to fixed term standard contracts
Landlords using fixed term contracts will be left with little option to regain possession of their property at the end of the term unless the court decides that the tenant has breached the terms of their contract.

Placing a six-month restriction on issuing a notice following the expiry of a previous notice
This proposal ignores emergency situations where the landlord may be required to regain possession of their property at short notice. It places further restriction on the already limited Section 173 procedure.

The use of break clauses in fixed term contracts
Ensuring a break clause cannot be used in contracts with a duration of less than 24 months, and cannot be activated until month 18, as well as landlords being required to serve a six month notice in relation to a break clause will create less flexibility for tenants and provide less protection for landlords.

Without reform to the existing courts system for housing cases, including making the eviction process simpler, quicker and more cost-effective, we do not believe that the legislation will achieve a better eviction process.

The Welsh Parliament’s approval of the Renting Homes (Amendment) (Wales) Bill will introduce significant changes to the way the private rented sector operates in Wales. Collectively, having one standardised legal framework is going to enable everyone to operate in exactly the same way, giving clarity on rights and responsibilities through standard written contracts.

While in some cases these changes will provide more financial security for landlords, it also means it will take landlords 12 months to reclaim their property in the case of 'no fault evictions', which is a hammer blow to the sector. We call on the Welsh Government to now stick to its commitment for at least a six-month lead time, or longer, in light of COVID to allow agents and their landlords in Wales to prepare for the upcoming changes.

Angela Davey.jpg
Angela Davey Past President | ARLA Propertymark

Related news and resources

Committee mic.jpeg
19 Oct 2020
ARLA Propertymark’s concerns raised in Welsh Parliament

During a plenary debate on the general principles of the Renting Homes (Amendment) (Wales) Bill on 13 October 2020, ARLA Propertymark was referenced by Mark Isherwood, Housing Spokesperson for the Conservatives, stating our arguments that the Bill will not secure the security of tenure and will make letting a less viable business for landlords, which in turn could push prices up if there is less housing stock available.

Woman on the sofa.jpg
05 Mar 2020
Renting Homes (Amendment) (Wales) Bill

ARLA Propertymark has responded to the Welsh Assembly’s Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee’s consultation on the Renting Homes (Amendment) (Wales) Bill.

Gavel housing court law.jpg
14 Dec 2023
County Courts are failing on possessions cases

Propertymark has responded to the House of Commons Justice Committee Inquiry seeking evidence on the work of County Courts, focusing on how the process works for disputes involving private rented sector (PRS) housing. We have called out unacceptable delays in access to justice, reiterated our call for dedicated housing courts and pushed for detail on plans for digitisation.