DAY ONE: The End of No-Fault evictions
The day the no-fault era ends.
After six years and four prime ministers, the Renters’ Rights Bill receives Royal Assent. At exactly 10:04 a.m., Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988—once the landlord’s trump card—is abolished in England. No more “no-fault” notices. No more unexplained 2-month countdowns to upheaval. And with that, a new chapter begins.
“This is not a drill,” tweets Shelter. Lord John Bird, architect of the last-minute Lords amendment that brought the ban into force immediately, hails the moment: “We’ve waited 2,222 days. Enough is enough.”
Landlord forums light up with panic and resignation. “I’m selling. I can’t risk being stuck with a non-paying tenant for a year,” posts one landlord on Property118.
In letting agencies across England, phones light up. Some landlords are confused. Some are furious. All are asking the same thing: what now?
Meanwhile, tenants celebrate. One viral TikTok shows a renter popping champagne in a mould-stained flat with the caption: “No more revenge evictions, baby!”
WEEK 1: The recalibration begins
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government issues new guidance: no more accelerated possession routes. Landlords must now use Section 8 and cite specific grounds—such as rent arrears, breach of tenancy, or a wish to sell or move in.
“We welcome the increased security for renters,” says Shelter CEO Sarah Elliott. “Tens of thousands have faced homelessness due to Section 21. Today, that tide begins to turn.”
But the NRLA warns of trouble ahead. “The court system isn’t ready,” says CEO Ben Beadle. “Without reform, landlords will leave in droves.”
MONTH 1: Courts creak, agents adapt
Possession filings spike. Landlords and tenants are on edge. Section 8 becomes the new battleground. Average time to possession stretches well past 25 weeks. In Birmingham, a landlord who filed in March waits until August for a court date. In Tower Hamlets, a tenant’s Universal Credit payment is delayed, exacerbating her rent arrears and triggering an immediate Section 8 notice from a nervous landlord.
Letting agents pivot. Stricter referencing criteria is introduced. Rent guarantee insurance becomes standard. Viewing queues double.
Tenants like 27-year-old Florence in Walthamstow breathe easier. “My last landlord evicted me because I asked for the boiler to be fixed. At least now I’m not disposable.”
MONTH 2–3: Pressure builds
In the South East, landlords begin to sell. In Bristol, yields fall below 4%. A landlord of 12 years decides to exit: “Tenants have all the power now. I’m out.”
By month three, the PRS contracts by an estimated 2%. Not catastrophic—but in markets like London, it bites. Weekly rents in Zone 3 climb by 9%. In Cornwall, where short-term lets dominate, locals report being outbid by Airbnb operators.
“We told them not to proceed without court reform,” says Shadow Housing Minister Kevin Hollinrake. “They’ve opened the floodgates and thrown away the lifeboat.”
Meanwhile, Generation Rent celebrates a 14% drop in homelessness cases due to end-of-tenancy notices.
MONTH 4: Tribunals and test cases
In Manchester, a landlord tries to evict under the new ‘intent to sell’ ground. The tenant challenges it in tribunal, armed with screenshots of a hidden SpareRoom ad. The tribunal rules in favour of the tenant. Social media explodes.
Angela Rayner issues a statement: “The system is bedding in. Tenants must have security, and landlords must act fairly.”
A parliamentary white paper proposes a new Housing Tribunal to alleviate court pressure. Lord Bird calls it “six years too late.”
MONTH 6: A new normal?
In York, a build-to-rent scheme opens its doors. Institutional landlords, less spooked by regulation, are investing in these developments.
But by the end of Month 6, clearer signs emerge: the private rented sector has contracted by 5% year-on-year.
That’s around 250,000 fewer rental homes across England. In high-demand areas like London, Bristol, Manchester, and Birmingham, the effect is acute. Viewings become frenzied. Lettings agents fend off attempts from renters to offer above asking price.
“I’ve been to 12 viewings this week. Every one had 20 people queueing outside,” says Jamilah, a teacher in Manchester. “It’s brutal.”
Tenants deemed higher risk—those on benefits, with pets, or low incomes—are increasingly sidelined. Many give up and stay in substandard homes rather than risk re-entering the gladiator pit of the open market.
MONTHS 7–9: Rents rise and tensions mount
The 5% stock drop hits rent levels hard. Average advertised rents jump another 10% nationally. Some city centres see 15%+ increases. The dual effect of reduced supply and increased landlord risk premiums sends affordability plummeting.
Zoopla reports that over 40% of renters are now spending more than 35% of their income on rent.
“The landlord didn’t serve notice—just hiked my rent from £800 to £950,” says Zoe, a nurse in Exeter. She tries to challenge it at tribunal. The process takes two months. The rent is upheld.
Shelter warns of “evictions by stealth,” where unaffordable rent hikes force tenants out. The Government points to tribunal access and market conditions.
In Leeds, a tenant is accused of antisocial behaviour after multiple late-night parties, repeated noise complaints, and a police warning. She contests the eviction, but the court rules in the landlord’s favour. The eviction goes ahead.
Unable to find anywhere affordable in the city—where asking rents have surged 10% and competition is fierce—she ends up sofa-surfing with friends. When that dries up, she presents as homeless to the council. With temporary accommodation stretched thin, she’s offered a B&B room 40 miles away. It’s damp, crowded, and costs the council £92 per night.
The Guardian runs the headline: “The No-Fault Fallout: How Section 8 Became the Next Frontline”
MONTH 10: Policy panic
A backbench MP introduces a Bill to cap in-tenancy rent increases at 5% per year. It doesn’t pass, but the noise grows.
Delays are now acute: in Manchester, one landlord waits nine months for a possession order in a drug-related antisocial behaviour case.
The Daily Mail dubs it “Eviction Gridlock.”
Tenants report a different kind of stress. With fewer properties available and higher rents, mobility has stalled. Many remain in cramped or poorly maintained homes because they can’t afford to move.
Meanwhile, the government pilots a Housing Court Tribunal in Bristol, Nottingham, and Newcastle. Results are promising. Specialist panels resolve cases in under two months. Legal aid eligibility expands. The pilot is slated for national rollout.
Landlord groups lobby for tax relief. A Treasury official hints it’s being considered “in light of market contraction.”
Month 11: Homelessness vs. hidden crisis
Official homelessness acceptances from end-of-tenancy evictions fall 22% year-on-year—a win, says Shelter. But informal hardship grows.
In-work poverty rises as tenants struggle with inflation and rent. Overcrowding spikes. More people double up with family or flatshare well into their 40s.
Some tenants turn to informal agreements, rent-to-rent setups, or unlicensed HMO landlords. Councils report a rise in rogue landlord cases. Legal tenancy routes are closed to many with non-standard employment or patchy credit.
“It’s the same fear, different shape,” says Kiran, a housing support worker in Leicester. “Tenants aren’t scared of no-fault eviction anymore. They’re scared they’ll never find another place.”
MONTH 12: The reckoning
A year on, the dust hasn’t settled—but the outlines of a new system are visible.
The PRS is smaller, and more regulated. Renters are more empowered. Some landlords have left; others have adapted. Build-to-rent grows. So do rent tribunals.
Section 8 filings are up 38%, but evictions overall are down.
The PRS has shrunk by 5%. Rents have plateaued in some regions, surged in others. Tribunal use is up 300%. Informal lets and rogue practices are harder to track but rising.
Matthew Pennycook declares: “We’ve rebalanced the system. But let’s be honest—this is version 1.0. We’re not done yet.”
The data paints a mixed picture:
Tenant satisfaction is up.
Homelessness from evictions is down.
Financial strain and mobility barriers are up.
As for Zoe in Exeter? She didn’t win her rent tribunal, but she stayed. Her landlord knows it’ll take six months and a tribunal to force her out. “I finally unpacked my books,” she says, “because I know I can stay a while.”
Author bio: Toby Martin is an industry consultant, former estate agent, Propertymark regional representative, trainer, and speaker.