How to End a Tenancy Under the Renters' Rights Act 2025

Ending a tenancy used to feel relatively straightforward for landlords: serve the right notice, count the days, and plan around a fixed term. Since the Renters' Rights Act 2025 came into force on 1 May 2026, the picture has changed in important ways, and many landlords are understandably unsure where they now stand. This guide walks through how a tenancy ends under the new rules, what a landlord can and cannot do, and how to approach the process calmly and correctly.

The end of fixed terms and Section 21

The single biggest change is the abolition of the old 'no-fault' route. Section 21, which once allowed a landlord to recover a property without giving a reason, no longer exists. Alongside this, fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies have been replaced by periodic tenancies that roll on a month-to-month basis. In practice this means a tenancy no longer has a built-in end date that you can simply count down to.

For landlords this is a shift in mindset rather than a loss of all control. You can still bring a tenancy to an end, but you now do so through specific legal grounds rather than automatically at the close of a term. Understanding those grounds, and gathering the evidence to support them, is the foundation of getting this right.

Ending a tenancy through Section 8 grounds

With Section 21 gone, possession is now obtained only through the Section 8 grounds. These are defined reasons that allow a landlord to seek the property back, and they include circumstances such as the landlord wishing to sell, the landlord or a close family member needing to move in, serious rent arrears, and anti-social behaviour. Each ground carries its own conditions and notice requirements, so the right approach depends on your particular situation.

Because the process is now reason-led, documentation matters more than ever. If you are relying on rent arrears, your records need to show the arrears clearly. If you intend to sell or move family in, you should be ready to demonstrate that this is genuine. Our overview of the notice you can give a tenant to leave sets out how these grounds translate into the formal steps you take, and it is worth reading before you serve anything.

When the tenant wants to leave

Not every ending is landlord-led. Under periodic tenancies, a tenant can bring the arrangement to a close by giving the required notice, and many tenancies end simply because someone's circumstances change. If a tenant approaches you wanting to go before you expected, it is usually better to engage constructively than to resist. We look at this scenario in more detail in our guide on what to do when a tenant wants to leave early, including how to handle the handover smoothly.

Where both parties agree to end the tenancy by mutual consent, a formal record protects everyone. A deed of surrender is the document used to confirm that the tenancy has ended on agreed terms, which avoids confusion later about dates, deposits and responsibilities. Putting an agreed ending in writing is rarely wasted effort.

Rent increases are not a route to ending a tenancy

It is worth being clear that raising the rent is not, and should not be treated as, a way to push a tenancy to a close. Under the new rules a rent increase can happen only once a year, must be made using a Section 13 notice, and requires at least two months' written notice. A tenant who disagrees can challenge the proposed increase at the First-tier Tribunal, which cannot set the rent any higher than the figure the landlord proposed.

Treating a rent rise as a tool to encourage a tenant to leave is both poor practice and likely to backfire. The far better path is to keep rents fair and reviewed in line with the proper process, and to use the genuine Section 8 grounds if you actually need the property back.

The deposit and the check-out

However a tenancy ends, the deposit needs to be handled correctly. It will already have been protected in a government-approved scheme within 30 days of the start, with the prescribed information given to the tenant. At the end, any deductions must reflect genuine damage beyond fair wear and tear, not betterment, and they should be supported by comparing the check-out report against the check-in inventory.

If you and the tenant cannot agree on the return of the deposit, the scheme's free adjudication service can resolve the dispute. Approaching the check-out methodically, with good inventory records and a fair eye, is the single best way to keep this stage straightforward and avoid a drawn-out disagreement.

Staying on the right side of the rules

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 also reinforces obligations that run throughout the tenancy, from joining an approved redress scheme and registering on the Private Rented Sector Database, through to the prohibition on discrimination against families with children or tenants on benefits. Getting the ending right is much easier when the tenancy was set up and run correctly from the start, which is why many landlords now review their whole approach rather than just the final notice. Our summary of what the Renters' Rights Act 2025 means for London landlords is a useful companion to this guide.

This is general information rather than legal or tax advice, and tenancy law can turn on the precise facts, so it is sensible to take professional advice on your specific circumstances. If you would like a calm, experienced view on ending a tenancy correctly under the new rules, our team is always happy to talk it through with you.