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We analysed 150,000 tenancies. Here’s what the data shows.
What is a Section 21 eviction?
A Section 21 notice (often called a “no-fault eviction”) allows a landlord to end a tenancy without giving a reason. Until May 2026, it was the most commonly used route for landlords who wanted to regain possession of their property.
The Renters Rights Act 2026 abolished Section 21 entirely, meaning landlords must now cite a specific legal ground to end a tenancy.
The short answer
Yes. Landlords did rush to use Section 21 before the ban.
In the final month before the Renters Rights Act became law, 27.1% of all tenants leaving their homes did so because their landlord had issued a notice. That is more than one in four tenants removed from their home in a single month.
COHO estimates the Renters Rights Act led to approximately 73,900 additional notices being served, with nearly 20,000 in the final month alone.
What the data shows: a timeline
COHO analysed 150,000 tenancies managed on its platform to track how no-fault eviction rates changed as legislation evolved. Here is what happened at each stage.
2022–2023: the baseline
Before any legislative pressure, Section 21 accounted for 5.7% of tenants moving out. This was the normal rate – landlords using the no-fault route as intended, primarily for routine possession and portfolio management.
Early 2023: The Renters Reform Bill announcement
The government announced the Renters Reform Bill, signalling that Section 21 would be abolished. The data responded immediately. Eviction rates spiked above 8% as some landlords moved quickly.
But doubt followed. Parliamentary progress stalled, the bill’s future became uncertain, and rates settled back toward baseline.
July 2024: Labour win the election
When Labour won the general election and brought the renamed Renters Rights Bill back with political momentum, landlords paid attention. The first major sustained jump appeared – rates rose to 11.4%, nearly double the original baseline.
Over the following 12 months, no-fault evictions rose 47%, settling at a new elevated baseline of 8.4%.
October 2024: Royal Assent
The Renters Rights Act received Royal Assent in October 2024. For many landlords, particularly accidental landlords who had not been tracking legislative developments, this was the moment they realised the clock was running.
Notices served jumped again to 11.2%, double the 2022–2023 baseline.
May 2026: the law comes into force
The Renters Rights Act became law on 5th May 2026. Landlords with concerns about existing tenancies faced a hard deadline.
The result was a record spike. Tenants given notice hit 27.1% – a figure with no precedent in the dataset.
How the numbers break down
| Trigger Event | No-Fault Eviction Rate |
|---|---|
| 2022–2023 baseline | 5.7% |
| Renters Reform Bill announced | 8%+ (brief spike) |
| Labour election win | 11.4% |
| 12-month settled rate (2024–2025) | 8.4% |
| Royal Assent (October 2024) | 11.2% |
| Law in force (May 2026) | 27.1% |
Who was driving the rush?
Not all landlords moved at the same time, and not all were aware of the changes at the same point.
Professional landlords and HMO agents with larger portfolios were paying attention earliest. Many had already served notices (or decided not to) well before Royal Assent.
The sharpest final-month spike was driven largely by landlords who had been waiting, watching, or simply unaware until coverage of the May 2026 commencement date reached them. Accidental landlords, those who had become landlords without intending to build a property business, featured heavily in this group.
What does this mean for tenants?
For tenants, the data represents real disruption. An estimated 73,900 households received notices they would not otherwise have received, based on COHO’s modelling of the pre-2023 baseline rate.
The tenants affected were not all in disputes with their landlord. Many were in stable tenancies and landlords were acting out of precaution rather than necessity.
What does this mean for landlords?
Section 21 is gone. Landlords who have not yet updated their approach to possession need to do so now.
Under the Renters Rights Act, possession requires a legal ground , such as rent arrears, breach of tenancy conditions, or the landlord’s intention to sell or move back in. The process is court-based and requires proper documentation.
Landlords who attempt to evict without following the correct procedure now face significant legal exposure.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Section 21 abolished?
Section 21 was abolished when the Renters Rights Act came into force in May 2026.
What replaced Section 21?
Landlords must now use Section 8, citing one or more of the specific grounds for possession set out in the Housing Act 1988, as amended by the Renters Rights Act 2026.
Can a landlord still evict a tenant?
Yes. Landlords retain the right to end a tenancy where a legal ground applies — for example, rent arrears, antisocial behaviour, or wanting to sell the property. The process now requires going through the courts.
How many tenants were affected by the Section 21 rush?
COHO estimates approximately 73,900 additional notices were served above the expected baseline rate, with around 20,000 in May 2026 alone.
What is the Renters Rights Act?
The Renters Rights Act 2026 is the legislation that abolished Section 21, introduced a new possession framework under Section 8, and brought in a range of other tenant protections including limits on rent increases and the right to request pets.
About this data
This analysis is based on 150,000 tenancies managed through the COHO platform. COHO is a property management platform used by HMO landlords and letting agents across the UK. Tenancy move-out reason data was collected at the point of tenancy end and categorised by the managing landlord or agent.
The estimated 73,900 figure is modelled against the 2022–2023 pre-announcement baseline of 5.7%.
Navigating the new rules
If you manage HMOs or shared housing and need help staying compliant under the Renters Rights Act, including tenancy agreement templates, notice workflows, and possession ground documentation, COHO has everything in one place.
Read our full Renters Rights Act guide →
Prefer to watch this as a video?
We analysed 150,000 tenancies. Here’s what the data shows.
What is a Section 21 eviction?
A Section 21 notice (often called a “no-fault eviction”) allows a landlord to end a tenancy without giving a reason. Until May 2026, it was the most commonly used route for landlords who wanted to regain possession of their property.
The Renters Rights Act 2026 abolished Section 21 entirely, meaning landlords must now cite a specific legal ground to end a tenancy.
The short answer
Yes. Landlords did rush to use Section 21 before the ban.
In the final month before the Renters Rights Act became law, 27.1% of all tenants leaving their homes did so because their landlord had issued a notice. That is more than one in four tenants removed from their home in a single month.
COHO estimates the Renters Rights Act led to approximately 73,900 additional notices being served, with nearly 20,000 in the final month alone.
What the data shows: a timeline
COHO analysed 150,000 tenancies managed on its platform to track how no-fault eviction rates changed as legislation evolved. Here is what happened at each stage.
2022–2023: the baseline
Before any legislative pressure, Section 21 accounted for 5.7% of tenants moving out. This was the normal rate – landlords using the no-fault route as intended, primarily for routine possession and portfolio management.
Early 2023: The Renters Reform Bill announcement
The government announced the Renters Reform Bill, signalling that Section 21 would be abolished. The data responded immediately. Eviction rates spiked above 8% as some landlords moved quickly.
But doubt followed. Parliamentary progress stalled, the bill’s future became uncertain, and rates settled back toward baseline.
July 2024: Labour win the election
When Labour won the general election and brought the renamed Renters Rights Bill back with political momentum, landlords paid attention. The first major sustained jump appeared – rates rose to 11.4%, nearly double the original baseline.
Over the following 12 months, no-fault evictions rose 47%, settling at a new elevated baseline of 8.4%.
October 2024: Royal Assent
The Renters Rights Act received Royal Assent in October 2024. For many landlords, particularly accidental landlords who had not been tracking legislative developments, this was the moment they realised the clock was running.
Notices served jumped again to 11.2%, double the 2022–2023 baseline.
May 2026: the law comes into force
The Renters Rights Act became law on 5th May 2026. Landlords with concerns about existing tenancies faced a hard deadline.
The result was a record spike. Tenants given notice hit 27.1% – a figure with no precedent in the dataset.
How the numbers break down
| Trigger Event | No-Fault Eviction Rate |
|---|---|
| 2022–2023 baseline | 5.7% |
| Renters Reform Bill announced | 8%+ (brief spike) |
| Labour election win | 11.4% |
| 12-month settled rate (2024–2025) | 8.4% |
| Royal Assent (October 2024) | 11.2% |
| Law in force (May 2026) | 27.1% |
Who was driving the rush?
Not all landlords moved at the same time, and not all were aware of the changes at the same point.
Professional landlords and HMO agents with larger portfolios were paying attention earliest. Many had already served notices (or decided not to) well before Royal Assent.
The sharpest final-month spike was driven largely by landlords who had been waiting, watching, or simply unaware until coverage of the May 2026 commencement date reached them. Accidental landlords, those who had become landlords without intending to build a property business, featured heavily in this group.
What does this mean for tenants?
For tenants, the data represents real disruption. An estimated 73,900 households received notices they would not otherwise have received, based on COHO’s modelling of the pre-2023 baseline rate.
The tenants affected were not all in disputes with their landlord. Many were in stable tenancies and landlords were acting out of precaution rather than necessity.
What does this mean for landlords?
Section 21 is gone. Landlords who have not yet updated their approach to possession need to do so now.
Under the Renters Rights Act, possession requires a legal ground , such as rent arrears, breach of tenancy conditions, or the landlord’s intention to sell or move back in. The process is court-based and requires proper documentation.
Landlords who attempt to evict without following the correct procedure now face significant legal exposure.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Section 21 abolished?
Section 21 was abolished when the Renters Rights Act came into force in May 2026.
What replaced Section 21?
Landlords must now use Section 8, citing one or more of the specific grounds for possession set out in the Housing Act 1988, as amended by the Renters Rights Act 2026.
Can a landlord still evict a tenant?
Yes. Landlords retain the right to end a tenancy where a legal ground applies — for example, rent arrears, antisocial behaviour, or wanting to sell the property. The process now requires going through the courts.
How many tenants were affected by the Section 21 rush?
COHO estimates approximately 73,900 additional notices were served above the expected baseline rate, with around 20,000 in May 2026 alone.
What is the Renters Rights Act?
The Renters Rights Act 2026 is the legislation that abolished Section 21, introduced a new possession framework under Section 8, and brought in a range of other tenant protections including limits on rent increases and the right to request pets.
About this data
This analysis is based on 150,000 tenancies managed through the COHO platform. COHO is a property management platform used by HMO landlords and letting agents across the UK. Tenancy move-out reason data was collected at the point of tenancy end and categorised by the managing landlord or agent.
The estimated 73,900 figure is modelled against the 2022–2023 pre-announcement baseline of 5.7%.
Navigating the new rules
If you manage HMOs or shared housing and need help staying compliant under the Renters Rights Act, including tenancy agreement templates, notice workflows, and possession ground documentation, COHO has everything in one place.
Read our full Renters Rights Act guide →
