Shropshire landlords are being urged to act quickly if they wish to rely on Section 21 eviction notices served before major reforms to the private rented sector came into force.

The Renters’ Rights Act, introduced on 1 May, represents the most significant overhaul of private renting in more than 30 years. The legislation abolishes Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions, removes fixed-term tenancies and places new restrictions on rent increases.

Civil litigation specialists from local law firm, mfg Solicitors, said landlords who served valid Section 21 notices before 1 May can still begin court proceedings under the previous rules, but warned they only have until 31 July to do so.

Claire Liddy, an Associate in mfg’s Civil Litigation department, said: “31 July is the critical deadline for private landlords in England to apply for a court possession order for any valid Section 21 ‘no-fault’ eviction notices that were served before the Renters' Rights Act came in.

“If the landlord misses the 31 July deadline or the notice is ruled invalid the eviction notice expires and lapses. The tenancy will automatically become an assured periodic tenancy, and the landlord will be forced to use the new Section 8 process for any future evictions.”

Under the new Section 8 process, landlords must cite a specific legal ground to evict a tenant, such as rent arrears, anti-social behaviour or desire to sell the property. They will also need to provide supporting evidence to a judge.

Claire added: “The Act is intended to strengthen tenant protections and improve standards across the sector, but for smaller landlords the practical impact is likely to be felt most acutely in the day-to-day administration of lettings.

“In practice, the abolition of so-called ‘no-fault’ evictions under section 21 will place greater importance on record-keeping and process.

“Where landlords need to regain possession, the ability to evidence arrears, breaches

of tenancy terms or other statutory grounds will be critical, and errors in notices or

documentation will likely cause delays and additional cost.

"Much of the attention surrounding the legislation has focused on the wider policy changes, but for many landlords the most immediate impact will be operational. Whether managing properties directly or through a letting agent, processes and paperwork will need to withstand greater scrutiny than ever before."

She added: “We are already seeing more landlords asking for expert guidance because they want confidence that their processes are compliant, which is likely to become increasingly important as the new regime beds in.

“31 July is an important date for landlords who served eviction notices under the old Section 21 legislation before May 1, as this is the absolute final deadline to submit claim forms to the court.”

Readers looking for further advice on Section 21, can contact Claire at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

mfg Solicitors has offices in Birmingham, Kidderminster, Bromsgrove, the Black Country, Worcester, Ludlow and Telford. Further information can be found on www.mfgsolicitors.com.