Section 21's final deadline has passed. New figures show a possession surge, and reveal which Section 8 grounds Huntingdonshire landlords are actually using now.

The final deadline for landlords to take an old Section 21 “no-fault” notice to court passed on 31 July 2026, and the first data on what happened next is now in. Tenant eviction specialist Landlord Action recorded its busiest month for new enquiries in almost a year, with new instructions up 28% on July 2025 and nearly a third of that caseload made up of Section 21 claims filed against the wire. The figures also give the clearest picture yet of how landlords are actually using the reformed Section 8 grounds now that no-fault eviction is gone for good.

What actually happened when the deadline arrived?

Under the Renters' Rights Act's transitional rules, a Section 21 notice served before 1 May 2026 could still be taken to court, but only if proceedings started by 31 July 2026 or the notice's own expiry date, whichever came first. Figures reported by trade titles including Landlord Today and The Intermediary, drawn from Landlord Action's own caseload, show new instructions running 28% higher than the same month last year and more than 35% of enquiries converting into instructed cases, among the highest conversion rates the firm has recorded over the past twelve months. Close to a third of July's instructions were landlords racing to file Section 21 claims before the window closed for good.

Our earlier explainer on the 31 July deadline covered the mechanics before it landed. This is the first look at what actually happened once it did: any notice that missed the cut-off is now invalid, and landlords who did not get a claim issued in time have to start again from scratch under Section 8, using one of the revised grounds.

Which Section 8 grounds are landlords actually using?

Away from the pre-deadline Section 21 rush, the same data set shows what landlords are turning to under the reformed system. Rent-arrears grounds accounted for the largest single share of new Section 8 cases at 39%. Ground 8, the main mandatory arrears ground, now requires three months' unpaid rent rather than two for a monthly tenancy, a threshold that must be met both when the notice is served and again at the hearing. Ground 1A, which lets a landlord recover a property in order to sell it, featured in 30% of cases, the closest replacement for the old no-fault route for landlords genuinely leaving the sector. Ground 1, covering a landlord or close family member moving in, made up a further 8%.

Ground 1A carries real conditions of its own: a four-month notice period, a bar on using it within the first twelve months of a tenancy, and a risk of tenant compensation worth up to twelve months' rent if the landlord re-lets the property or fails to actually sell within twelve months of gaining possession. It is not a like-for-like swap for the old Section 21, and landlords reaching for it need the paper trail to back it up, typically a solicitor's letter or estate agent instruction confirming the sale is genuine.

What does this mean for landlords across Huntingdonshire?

The national pattern maps closely onto what we are seeing with landlords letting through Huntingdon, Brampton and Godmanchester. A number of local landlords used the run-up to 31 July to secure notices that had been sitting unused, which is exactly the kind of last-minute activity the national figures capture. For anyone who did not get a Section 21 claim issued in time, the practical position now is straightforward: that notice cannot be revived, and any fresh possession attempt has to start again under Section 8 with a properly served notice and a ground that actually fits the circumstances.

What should Huntingdonshire landlords do now?

Before serving any Section 8 notice, get the paperwork right first. Courts are already seeing more Section 8 claims fail on technical grounds, gas safety certificates, EICR reports, deposit protection or Renters' Rights Act prescribed information that was not in order when the notice was served, than on the substance of the ground itself. Our landlord compliance guide sets out what needs to be current before you serve, and our free Tenancy MOT checks exactly that against your existing tenancies, with no obligation to switch agent.

Landlords letting through Huntingdon or Brampton who are weighing up Ground 1A because they want to sell should also look at our buy-to-let guidance before serving notice, since the twelve-month sale window and compensation risk make it a decision worth planning properly rather than rushing into. GOV.UK's Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet sets out the full list of grounds and notice periods. This is general information, not legal advice; every possession case turns on its own facts, so take advice on your specific circumstances before serving notice.