Is Section 21 being abolished?

Yes. Section 21 no-fault evictions are being abolished from 1 May 2026 under the Renters Rights Act. After that date, landlords must use Section 8, which requires proving specific legal grounds such as rent arrears, selling the property, or moving in themselves. As of March 2026, Section 21 is still legal but will end in approximately six weeks. If you receive a Section 21 notice today, the abolition date may arrive before your case reaches court. See foodandsolidarity.org/renters-rights-act-newcastle.

Form 6A is the prescribed form a landlord must use to serve a valid Section 21 notice in England. The landlord must give at least 2 months notice on this form, have protected your deposit in a government-approved scheme, have provided the EPC, gas safety certificate, electrical installation report, and the government How to Rent guide. If any of these requirements were not met, the notice may be invalid. Call Food & Solidarity on 07393 101018 to check.

Can I challenge a Section 21 notice in Newcastle?

Yes. A Section 21 notice is invalid if: your deposit was not protected or prescribed information not provided, you were not given the How to Rent guide, EPC, gas safety certificate or EICR, the notice was served in the first 4 months of your tenancy, the notice was served after you complained about repairs (revenge eviction), the property is in a Newcastle selective licensing area and the landlord does not hold a licence, the property is an unlicensed HMO, or on a periodic tenancy the notice does not expire on the last day of a period of the tenancy. Food & Solidarity provides collective support for tenants facing eviction in Newcastle. Call 07393 101018 or see foodandsolidarity.org/eviction-help-newcastle.

How long does a Section 21 eviction take?

A Section 21 eviction typically takes 4 to 6 months from notice to enforcement: at least 2 months notice period, then the landlord applies to court for a possession order (2 to 8 weeks), then a court hearing (2 to 4 weeks wait), then 14 days to 6 weeks given to leave after the court order. Bailiffs cannot enforce without a Warrant of Possession. You cannot be legally removed without this. Call Food & Solidarity as early as possible on 07393 101018.

What is the difference between Section 21 and Section 8?

Section 21 allows no-fault eviction without giving a reason. Section 8 requires the landlord to prove a specific legal ground such as rent arrears, antisocial behaviour, selling the property, or moving in themselves. From 1 May 2026, Section 21 is abolished and all evictions must use Section 8. See foodandsolidarity.org/section-8-eviction-newcastle.

What happens if I received a Section 21 notice because I complained about repairs?

A Section 21 notice served in retaliation for reporting disrepair is called a revenge eviction and is potentially invalid under the Deregulation Act 2015. If you reported disrepair to your landlord or the council within the last 6 months and then received a Section 21 notice, the notice may not be enforceable. Call Food & Solidarity on 07393 101018 immediately. See also foodandsolidarity.org/housing-disrepair-newcastle.

Section 21 Eviction Newcastle — Food & Solidarity Newcastle | Community Support, Housing Rights & Food Parcels

Received a Section 21 Notice? Do This First

Do not leave your home. The notice is the start of a legal process, not the end of your right to be there. You cannot be legally removed without a court order and a Warrant of Possession. That process typically takes 4 to 6 months from the date of the notice.

Use that time. Call 07393 101018 immediately. The sooner we hear from you, the more we can do. Also read our full eviction help guide for Newcastle tenants.

First: check if your notice is valid

Many Section 21 notices are invalid. If yours is invalid, your landlord cannot use it and must start again. Check every item on the list below.

Is Your Section 21 Notice Valid? Full Checklist

A Section 21 Form 6A is invalid if any of the following apply. Work through this list carefully.

Deposit not protected: Your deposit must be in a government-approved scheme (DPS, MyDeposits, or TDS) and you must have been given the prescribed information within 30 days of payment. If not, the notice is invalid.
How to Rent guide not provided: You must have been given the current version of the government's How to Rent guide at the start of your tenancy (or when it was last updated). If not, the notice is invalid.
Gas safety certificate not provided: You must have been given a valid gas safety certificate at the start of your tenancy and within 28 days of each annual check. If not, the notice is invalid.
EPC not provided: You must have been given an Energy Performance Certificate. If not, the notice is invalid.
Electrical installation report (EICR) not provided: Properties must have a valid EICR and you must have been given a copy. If not, the notice may be invalid.
Served in the first 4 months of the tenancy: A Section 21 notice cannot be served in the first 4 months of the tenancy. If it was, it is invalid.
Revenge eviction after disrepair complaint: If you complained in writing to your landlord about repairs, and the council subsequently inspected or served an improvement notice, and you then received a Section 21 within 6 months, the notice may be a revenge eviction and invalid under the Deregulation Act 2015. Even where the full statutory protection does not apply, a pattern of disrepair followed by S21 is worth challenging. See our housing disrepair guide and call us on 07393 101018.
Property requires an HMO licence and does not have one: If your property has 5 or more occupiers from 2 or more households and is not licensed as an HMO, the notice is invalid.
Property in a selective licensing area without a licence: Newcastle City Council operates selective licensing schemes across parts of the city. In these areas, every private rented property, not just HMOs, requires a licence. If your landlord does not have one, the Section 21 notice is invalid. This applies in parts of Benwell and Scotswood, Blakelaw, Elswick, Kenton, Lemington, West Fenham, Wingrove, and other designated areas. Check if your address is in a licensing area on the Newcastle City Council website. Call us if you are unsure: 07393 101018.
On a periodic (rolling) tenancy: notice does not expire on the last day of a period: If you are on a periodic tenancy (month to month, week to week, or any rolling arrangement), the Section 21 notice must expire on the last day of a period of the tenancy. For example, if your tenancy runs from the 1st of each month, the notice must expire on the last day of a month. If it expires on any other date, it is invalid. This is one of the most commonly overlooked invalidity grounds. Check the expiry date carefully.
Wrong form used: The notice must use the official Form 6A. Any other form is invalid.
Less than 2 months notice given: The notice must give at least 2 full months. If it gives less, it is invalid.

If any item on this list applies, call us on 07393 101018 or read our full eviction guide. Do not leave your home on the basis of an invalid notice.

Newcastle selective licensing: check your address

Newcastle has three types of property licensing: selective licensing (specific areas, all private rented properties), mandatory HMO licensing (5+ occupiers, citywide), and additional HMO licensing (3+ occupiers, citywide). The current selective licensing scheme runs to October 2026 in some areas. A new scheme covering parts of Arthur's Hill, Benwell and Scotswood, Blakelaw, Elswick, Kenton, Lemington, West Fenham, and Wingrove started in April 2025 and runs to April 2030. New schemes for Byker, Allendale Road, and Greater High Cross are under consultation for late 2026.

If your landlord is operating in a licensing area without a required licence, they cannot serve a valid Section 21 notice. They may also face a financial penalty of up to £30,000 and a rent repayment order of up to 12 months rent.

Check if your address is in a licensing area | Newcastle City Council licensing team: 0191 278 7878 | Food & Solidarity: 07393 101018

What Is a Section 21 Eviction?

Section 21 is a no-fault eviction process. It allows landlords to seek possession of a property without giving any reason. Even if you have paid every penny of rent on time, kept the property in good condition, and caused no problems, your landlord can still serve a Section 21 notice.

This is being abolished from 1 May 2026. Until then, it remains the most common route to eviction in England and has been the number one cause of homelessness in the UK.

Food & Solidarity has supported members facing Section 21 across Newcastle. See Grace's story and Sarah's revenge eviction case against Jan Forster Estates for examples of what collective action can achieve.

What Is Form 6A?

Form 6A is the prescribed official form a landlord must use to serve a valid Section 21 notice in England. Using any other form invalidates the notice.

For the notice to be valid, at the time of serving Form 6A, the landlord must have already:

Protected your deposit and provided prescribed information
Given you the current How to Rent guide
Given you a valid gas safety certificate
Given you an EPC and EICR
Not served the notice in the first 4 months of the tenancy
Not served it as retaliation for a repair complaint

If the landlord cannot demonstrate all of these, you have grounds to defend against the notice in court.

What Happens After a Section 21 Notice?

The eviction process after a Section 21 notice has several stages, each of which takes time. You have more time than you think.

Notice period: Minimum 2 months from service of Form 6A.
Landlord applies to court: After the notice expires, the landlord applies for a possession order. This takes 2 to 8 weeks to be listed.
Court hearing: The court issues a possession order. You can attend and raise defences (including notice invalidity). This is typically 14 to 28 days after application.
Time to leave: After a possession order, you are usually given 14 days to leave, sometimes up to 6 weeks if leaving would cause exceptional hardship.
Bailiff warrant: If you do not leave, the landlord applies for a Warrant of Possession. Bailiffs cannot remove you without this warrant. See our bailiff rights guide.

Total time from notice to enforcement: typically 4 to 6 months. Use this time. Call 07393 101018 as early as possible.

Section 21 vs Section 8: What Changes in May 2026

Section 21	Section 8
Being abolished 1 May 2026	The only route after 1 May 2026
No reason required	Landlord must prove a legal ground
Form 6A	Form 3A (new, post-May 2026)
Cannot be challenged on the merits	Can be challenged if grounds are not proven
2 months minimum notice	Varies by ground (2 weeks to 4 months)

After 1 May 2026, all evictions must use Section 8. Common grounds include rent arrears, the landlord selling the property, the landlord moving in themselves, and antisocial behaviour. Rent remains uncontrolled. Read more at our Section 8 guide and our Renters' Rights Act guide.

What Food & Solidarity Can Do

We do not offer legal advice. What we offer is more powerful: collective action from organised neighbours.

Court accompaniment: members attend hearings with you so you are not alone
Monitoring and documentation: members help document landlord harassment or pressure
Community pressure: organised public presence on landlords and letting agents who act illegally or unfairly
Fundraising: for court costs and moving expenses when needed
Connection to legal resources: we can point you to solicitors and advisors

See our member stories and wins and our 2023 eviction crisis campaign for what this looks like in practice.

Call 07393 101018 Join Food & Solidarity

Free Legal Advice in Newcastle

Food & Solidarity does not offer legal advice. For legal advice on Section 21, contact:

Shelter England, Section 21 advice: england.shelter.org.uk | 0808 800 4444
Citizens Advice Newcastle: citizensadvice.org.uk | 0808 278 7868
Newcastle City Council Homelessness Prevention (report your eviction notice; you have legal rights as someone threatened with homelessness): 0191 278 7878
Civil Legal Advice: 0345 345 4 345, free legal advice if you qualify for legal aid

Report to the council as soon as you receive a Section 21 notice. You do not have to wait until the notice expires. Reporting early gives you stronger access to homelessness prevention services.