Nearly one in four tenants were served eviction notices in the month before Section 21 evictions were abolished, according to new analysis of 150,000 tenancies.
Research from property management software provider COHO estimates that the Renters’ Rights Act contributed to around 73,900 additional tenancy notices being issued since plans for the legislation were first announced in 2023. Almost 20,000 of those notices were served in the final month before the reforms came into force on 1 May 2026.
The data shows eviction activity rose sharply as landlords prepared for the end of Section 21. The proportion of tenancies affected by notices reached 27.1% immediately before the legislation took effect, compared with a historic level of 5.7%.
However, COHO said the figures should not be interpreted simply as a wave of landlord-led evictions. While Section 21-related notices increased following the announcement of the reforms, the data suggests many landlords acted in response to the changing regulatory landscape rather than a sudden shift in behaviour.
According to the analysis, notice levels rose to more than 8% after the Renters’ Rights Act was first proposed before stabilising. Following the general election and growing certainty that the legislation would proceed, the figure increased to 11.4% of tenancies. A further rise was recorded after the Act received Royal Assent, before peaking in the final weeks before implementation.
Vann Vogstad, CEO and co-founder of COHO, said: “Landlords aren’t looking for perfect tenants, they’re looking for tenants who can pay the rent and live without causing issues. In most cases, they’ll give people the benefit of the doubt for quite some time.
“Section 21 gave landlords a safety net. It allowed them to stick with tenants through arrears or challenges, knowing there was a final route if things didn’t improve. Removing that option has understandably changed behaviours.
“What we’re seeing isn’t landlords evicting for the sake of evicting; it’s landlords responding to a shift in risk. Without Section 21, dealing with serious arrears or anti-social issues can take months, so some have had to act ahead of that change.
“It’s important to remember that landlords don’t want empty properties. Rental income is what makes the investment viable. Many are still choosing to work with tenants that owe them rent, hoping situations improve, rather than issuing notice.
“Ultimately, the removal of no-fault evictions will likely make landlords more cautious and selective, which may have wider impacts across the rental market.”
