GetRentersRights

No. This is legal information, not legal advice. It explains what English housing law says about facts like the ones you enter. If the matter is urgent, complex, or already in court, call Shelter on 0808 800 4444 or find a housing solicitor through the Law Society.

The checker uses structured rules mapped to specific parts of housing law. It shows possible issues, points that look clear from the answers entered, and facts that still need checking.

Your progress is temporarily stored in your browser tab so you can refresh during the wizard or come back to your result without losing what you entered. Your answers are not shared with us, never sent to a database during the core check, and are cleared automatically when you close the tab. No account is required. When a check completes we count one anonymous statistic - which checker ran and the outcome category - so we can publish research on notice defects; that counter never includes your answers.

A Section 21 notice was the 'no-fault' route for private assured shorthold tenancies in England. New notices have been abolished since 1 May 2026. A valid earlier notice can still matter in a court claim requested by the applicable deadline, no later than 31 July 2026.

You will see the main issues identified, supporting legal references, evidence to gather, and suggested next steps. You can use that to understand your position and decide whether to seek formal advice or take further action.

There are seven free checkers: Section 8 eviction notice, Section 21 notice, Repairs refusal, Rent increase, Tenancy deposit, Illegal eviction and harassment, and Damp and mould. All are free at the core result level and require no account.

Renters in England whose facts fall within the scope stated at the start of a checker. Possession, rent, and deposit analysis primarily covers private assured tenancies plus identified legacy AST rules; social housing, licences, lodgers, non-assured occupation, and excluded occupiers may need a different route. Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland are out of scope.

No new Section 21 notices can be served on or after 1 May 2026. Notices served before that date are still live during the transitional window, but they can be challenged on multiple grounds. From 1 May 2026 landlords must use the grounds-based Section 8 procedure under the Renters' Rights Act 2025.

Not for new tenancies. From 1 May 2026 your landlord must use a Section 8 ground under the Housing Act 1988 (as amended by the Renters' Rights Act 2025) and serve a valid notice. For most grounds they must also go to court to get a possession order before you can be made to leave.

Your landlord has 30 days from receiving the deposit to protect it in a government-approved scheme (DPS, MyDeposits, or TDS) and to give you prescribed information. If they didn't, you may be entitled to compensation of 1–3 times the deposit, and a Section 21 notice based on that tenancy is invalid until the deposit is returned.