Published: Monday, 27th July 2026
Changes in the law under the Renters’ Rights Act have outlawed ‘no-fault’ evictions – since 1 May your landlord must now have a valid reason for asking you to leave.
From the end of July, this also affects notices that were issued before the law came into effect.
Cllr Jo Rust, the Borough Council’s portfolio holder for People and Communities, said:
“While the majority of landlords behave responsibly and look after their properties and their tenants, unfortunately there are some who do not. This law was brought in to protect tenants from those landlords who do not act responsibly and our housing standards team is here to help make sure they abide by the new rules.
“Anyone with concerns that their landlord has acted wrongly can contact us for advice and help. If we find evidence that landlords have broken the rules we can take action on the tenant’s behalf.”
The Renters’ Rights Act put a stop to Section 21, which was often known as ‘no-fault’ eviction. Although it could be used for legitimate reasons, it was sometimes used by rogue landlords to evict tenants who had legitimate complaints – such as the landlord’s failure to maintain the property.
Because Section 21 isn’t allowed under the new rules, any Section 21 notice issued since 1 May isn’t valid (and seeking possession by trying to use this method may result in a financial penalty for the landlord). However, from 1 August, any (previous section 21) notice issued before 1 May will not be valid either.
Landlords will still be able to ask tenants to leave but now they must have a valid reason. Valid reasons could include wanting to live in or sell the property, or failure of the tenant to pay rent.
More information about the Renters’ Rights Act is available at www.west-norfolk.gov.uk/rra.