Section 21 notice: what happens when your landlord asks you to leave
What is a Section 21 notice
Your landlord may give you a Section 21 notice to start the process of ending your tenancy.
The Section 21 notice must be valid for a landlord to evict you. Check if the notice is valid on Citizen's Advice website.
It may take over 18 months from the date you receive the notice, before bailiffs evict you. You have the right to stay in your home until bailiffs evict you.
Do not move out until you have a secure place to live.
From the 1st May 2026, landlords will not be allowed to issue new Section 21 notices. This will make it harder for landlords to evict tenants. Find out more about the Renters' Rights Act on Shelter's website.
Getting help
- Newham Homeless Prevention Team can advise and help you. Make a homeless application as soon as you receive a Section 21 notice.
- The council is currently receiving a very high number of applications. The most urgent cases must be prioritised first.
- If you have recently received a Section 21 notice, you will not be evicted for several months, so it may take weeks or months before the council contacts you.
- Do not contact the council for updates, unless there has been an urgent change in your circumstances.
Your rights as a tenant
You can only be given a Section 21 notice if you have an assured shorthold tenancy (AST). If you are unsure what type of tenancy you have, use Shelter’s Tenancy Checker.
Your Rights
- You do not have to leave your home by the date on the Section 21 notice.
- Your tenancy continues until you leave voluntarily, or you are evicted through the courts.
- Only court-appointed bailiffs can evict you.
- You must be allowed “quiet enjoyment” of your home. It is a criminal offence for a landlord to pressure you to leave or evict you without following the legal process.
Find more information about illegal evictions and harassment.
It is important to:
- Keep paying your rent.
- Do not sign a “Deed of Surrender”, unless you are ready to leave.
- Do not leave your home early, unless you have a secure place to live. Leaving too early can be defined as making yourself intentionally homeless and may affect the support you can get from the council.
Find out what you can do after receiving a Section 21 notice.
Stages of the eviction process
1. The notice period
A Section 21 notice gives a date for you to leave your home. This date must be at least two months after the date the landlord gives you the notice.
2. Your landlord applies to court
If you stay in your home after the date on the Section 21 notice, your landlord can apply to court for a possession order. Before the court date, you will be sent a letter with the hearing details.
If the Section 21 notice is not valid, you may be able to challenge the eviction in court. Find information on how to check if your Section 21 notice is valid on the Citizen's Advice website.
If the Section 21 notice is valid, the court must approve the possession order.
You will be sent a notification of the court's decision and the possession date.
The time it takes for the possession order to be issued can vary depending on how busy the court is.
3. Eviction by bailiffs
If you do not move out by the date on the possession order, the landlord can ask bailiffs to evict you. The bailiffs will write to you with a notice of eviction, this will give you at least 14 days’ notice before you must leave your home.
Find information on what to do if you have received a notice of eviction
Find more information on Shelter's website about how long an eviction takes.
If you want to leave before the end of the notice period
You can agree a mutual earlier end date with your landlord or give proper notice according to your tenancy agreement. Ensure you have somewhere safe and secure to stay first. Find further guidance on Shelter's website about how to deal with your landlord.
Independent advice and support
You can get free early legal advice from the national Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service, find a legal aid advisor on the government website.
Find independent advice from:
