Ending your Tenancy under the Renters Rights Act
Please note, some minor details about the changes are still unclear, and may change. This will be indicated where possible and updated regularly. This page constitutes guidance not legal advice.
With the Renters' Rights Act, Section 21 Evictions are not possible after 1st May 2026.
Section 21 Evictions are the procedure by which a Landlord can end any tenancy which is not in a fixed term, by giving two months notice, without there needing to be any fault on the tenant’s part. These do not often affect annual tenancies for students but for people renting a long term home this provides more security. Landlords can still evict for other reasons such as rent arrears, antisocial behaviour, selling the property, or if they previously lived there and need the property as their home.
However, Section 21 Notices are how Landlords end the tenancy at the end of the fixed term.
With the changes to tenancy types, students can no longer just move out at the end of the fixed term on their current contract with no notice given. You may need to actively give notice to end your current tenancy if your landlord does not.
There are different ways that you, or your landlord can give notice.
Landlords will still also be able to serve notice to end some student tenancies at the end of the academic year using a new ground 4A under section 8 of the 1988 Housing act.
Any tenant will be able to give 2 months notice to end the contract at the end of a rental period and this will end the tenancy. On a joint contract this will end the tenancy for everyone .
The rules are also different for purpose built student accommodation. None of this will apply to accommodation rented directly from The University.
If you live in a shared house of 3 or more people who are all students, or a bedsit in an HMO which is all students.
The Renters' Rights Act applies with some special clauses.
If you have a current tenancy
If you have a tenancy agreement which says it ends on the 30th June, this date is no longer valid. Either you, or your landlord will have to give notice, or make a voluntary agreement to end the tenancy.
If you are in a current tenancy your Landlord can give notice by way of a Section 21 notice that ends the tenancy at the end of the fixed term, if they serve this before midnight on 30th April 2026. This could end a tenancy on 30th June as many fixed terms do.
If you wish to leave on the 30th June as planned this is the best way for the tenancy to be ended. Many Landlords will service this kind of notice to end a fixed term currently. It is worth checking with your landlord if you have not received this, that this is what they intend to do.
If they do not do this they can also use a specific ground to end your tenancy if it is a house in multiple occupation (3 or more people) who are all students. This is called a section 8 notice, using ground 4A.
They must give notice of intent to use ground 4A by 31st May. They must give 2 months to end the contract between 1 June and 30 September. Current guidance does not state whether this needs to be at the end of the rental month.
It is possible that this notice could be after the end of your current fixed term. You will be liable for this rent unless you have given valid notice with ends the tenancy earlier.
If notice is not given, tenants must give notice. You can do this on 1st May, giving 2 full months notice to end on a rental period end date, but due to how notices works this might not end your tenancy until 31st July because the notice will not be deemed to take effect until the 6th May. This is because notices are "served" 2 working days after sending, and take effect the day after, and the Bank Holiday will affect this.
Unipol has some examples of notice periods in this situation at https://www.unipol.org.uk/advice/renters-rights-act-2025-advice-for-students/examples-of-serving-notice-in-2026 and some practical guidance at https://www.unipol.org.uk/advice/renters-rights-act-2025-advice-for-students/practical-guidance-for-tenants-what-to-do-if-you-plan-to-move-out-around-may-june-2026/
If your current contract has a clause offering you the right to one month's notice after the fixed term, when the tenancy becomes periodic, you might be able to rely on this after May 1st, as a change to the contract should not remove pre-existing rights. Please speak to LUU Advice if this is something you may wish to rely on.
Next Year's Tenancy
After your tenancy starts, any tenant can give 2 months notice to end on a rental period.
If you decide you no longer want the house, you can give notice on 1 July (if that is when your contract starts). Due to how notices work this will take likely effect on 6th July. So this would allow you to leave on 31st September.
You can give this 2 months notice any time in the tenancy (but, if you have given notice for a specific date of more than 2 month, you cannot withdraw it and give earlier notice).
It is important to know if one person gives notice on a joint contract it will end the tenancy for the whole house. More about the implications of this will be in a future page.
If your landlord wants to end the tenancy at the end of the academic year, they must give you notice they intend to do this within 28 days of the start of the tenancy. Then they can service notice under Section 8 (as described above) with 4 months notice (this differs from the 2 months for existing tenancies) to end the tenancy any date between 1st June and 30th September.
If they do not do this, you must give notice to end it yourself if you want to leave at the end of the year.
Future Tenancies
The above applies, but the landlord can only use ground 4A if they have signed the tenancy less than 6 months before the tenancy starts.
Some landlords may still offer tenancies early. They may encourage you to sign a notice yourself to end the tenancy at the end of the academic year. This will remove your right to give notice sooner, as notice cannot be withdrawn. We would advise not doing this.
If you live in one or two bedroom house, or share with non-students, or in purpose built accommodation not covered by the Unipol Code of Standards.
The Renters' Rights Act applies fully. There is some debate on whether 2 people sharing who are not a couple is treated as above, we will update as we understand more.
If you have a current tenancy
If you have a tenancy agreement which says it ends on the 30th June, this date is no longer valid. Either you, or your landlord will have to give notice, or make a voluntary agreement to end the tenancy.
If you are in a current tenancy your Landlord can give notice by way of a Section 21 notice that ends the tenancy at the end of the fixed term, if they serve this before midnight on 30th April 2026. This could end a tenancy on 30th June as many fixed terms do.
If you wish to leave on the 30th June as planned this is the best way for the tenancy to be ended. Many Landlords will service this kind of notice to end a fixed term currently. It is worth checking with your landlord if you have not received this, that this is what they intend to do.
If they do not do this you do not have to leave at the end of the fixed term.
If notice is not given, tenants must give notice. You can do this on 1st May, giving 2 full months notice to end on a rental period end date, but due to how notices works this might not end your tenancy until 31 July because the notice will not be deemed to take effect until the 6th May. This is because notices are "served" 2 working days after sending, and take effect the day after, and the Bank Holiday will affect this.
It is important to know if one person gives notice on a joint contract it will end the tenancy for the whole house.
Unipol has some examples of notice periods in this situation at https://www.unipol.org.uk/advice/renters-rights-act-2025-advice-for-students/examples-of-serving-notice-in-2026
If your current contract has a clause offering you the right to one month's notice after the fixed term, when the tenancy becomes periodic, you might be able to rely on this after May 1st, as a change to the contract should not remove pre-existing rights. Please speak to LUU Advice if this is something you may wish to rely on.
Next Year's and Future Tenancies
After your tenancy starts, any tenant can give 2 months notice to end on a rental period.
If you decide you no longer want the house, you can give notice on 1 July (if that is when your contract starts). Due to how notices work this will take likely effect on 6th July. So this would allow you to leave on 31st September.
You can give this 2 months notice any time in the tenancy (but, if you have given notice for a specific date of more than 2 month, you cannot withdraw it and give earlier notice).
It is important to know if one person gives notice on a joint contract it will end the tenancy for the whole house.
If you live in purpose built student accommodation covered by the Unipol Code of Standards
The Renters's rights Act does not apply, but there are some transitional arrangements. This reflects our current understanding and some of these may change.
If you have a current tenancy
If you have a tenancy agreement which says it ends on the 30th June, this date is no longer valid. Either you, or your landlord will have to give notice, or make a voluntary agreement to end the tenancy.
If you are in a current tenancy your Landlord can give notice by way of a Section 21 notice that ends the tenancy at the end of the fixed term, if they serve this before midnight on 30th April 2026. This could end a tenancy on 30th June as many fixed terms do.
If you wish to leave on the 30th June as planned this is the best way for the tenancy to be ended. Many Landlords will service this kind of notice to end a fixed term currently. It is worth checking with your landlord if you have not received this, that this is what they intend to do.
If they do not do this they can also use a specific ground to end your tenancy if it is a house in multiple occupation (3 or more people) who are all students. This is called a section 8 notice, using ground 4A.
They must give notice of intent to use ground 4A by 31st May. They must give 2 months to end the contract between 1 June and 30 September. Current guidance does not state whether this needs to be at the end of the rental month.
It is possible that this notice could be after the end of your current fixed term. You will be liable for this rent unless you have given valid notice with ends the tenancy earlier.
If notice is not given, tenants must give notice. You can do this on 1st May, giving 2 full months notice to end on a rental period end date, but due to how notices works this might not end your tenancy until 31st July because the notice will not be deemed to take effect until the 6th May. This is because notices are "served" 2 working days after sending, and take effect the day after, and the Bank Holiday will affect this.
Unipol has some examples of notice periods in this situation at https://www.unipol.org.uk/advice/renters-rights-act-2025-advice-for-students/examples-of-serving-notice-in-2026 and some practical guidance at https://www.unipol.org.uk/advice/renters-rights-act-2025-advice-for-students/practical-guidance-for-tenants-what-to-do-if-you-plan-to-move-out-around-may-june-2026/
Next Year's Tenancy, signed before 31st May
After your tenancy starts, you can give 2 months notice to end on a rental period.
If you decide you no longer want the property , you can give notice on 1 July (if that is when your contract starts). Due to how notices work this will take likely effect on 6th July. So this would allow you to leave on 31st September.
You can give this 2 months notice any time in the tenancy (but, if you have given notice for a specific date of more than 2 month, you cannot withdraw it and give earlier notice).
If your landlord wants to end the tenancy at the end of the academic year, they must give you notice they intend to do this within 28 days of the start of the tenancy. Then they can service notice under Section 8 (as described above) with 4 months notice (this differs from the 2 months for existing tenancies) to end the tenancy any date between 1st June and 30th September.
If they do not do this, you must give notice to end it yourself if you want to leave at the end of the year. Your Landlord can end your tenancy at between any date between 1st June and 30th September.
If they do not do this, you must give notice to end it yourself if you want to leave at the end of the year.
Next Years Tenancy signed after 1st May and Future Tenancies
Any fixed term applies. You cannot give notice to end your tenancy, and the Landlord can give you notice (as yet we are unsure the exact form this must take) to end the tenancy on a specified date in the contract.
If you have a license
If you have a license none of this will apply. Your notice periods remain as they are stated in the contract.
If you have a license because you live in a room in someones own home, this is the correct form of agreement.
You may live in purpose built student accommodation and have a license. Unless the landlord provides services such as room cleaning this may be an incorrect agreement. Please contact advice@luu.leeds.ac.uk or come into help and support if you need help because of this.