Section 21 Prerequisites
The bundle of pre-conditions a private landlord in England must satisfy before a Section 21 notice (Form 6A) is valid: deposit protected within 30 days plus Prescribed Information served, current Gas Safety Certificate served, current EICR served, and current GOV.UK How to Rent guide served on the tenant. Miss any one and the court will dismiss an accelerated possession claim outright.
At a glance
- Number of items
- 5 (Gas, EICR, Deposit, PI, How to Rent)
- Statute
- Deregulation Act 2015 ss.38–41
- Court remedy
- Notice invalid; possession claim dismissed
- Survives RRA?
- Section 21 itself abolished from 1 May 2026
Full guide
Read the complete landlord guide on Section 21 Prerequisites
Deadlines, fines and step-by-step compliance in our in-depth resource.
Open full guideWhy Section 21 Prerequisites matters for landlords
Until 1 May 2026 Section 21 remains the fast accelerated-possession route in England. Every landlord who relies on it should treat the prerequisite list as a single audit — we package the move-in pack sender around exactly this list so the proof of service exists from day one of the tenancy. After 1 May 2026 the same documents protect Section 8 grounds 1 / 1A.
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Official sources
LetCompliance editorial reviews this entry every quarter against the sources above. Always confirm specific duties with a qualified solicitor or your local council.
Related terms
Move-in Pack (Statutory)
The bundle of documents an English landlord must serve on a new tenant before — or at the very start of — a tenancy. Standard contents: latest Gas Safety Certificate (CP12), latest EICR, current EPC (band E or above), Deposit Prescribed Information, the latest GOV.UK How to Rent guide, and (from 1 May 2026) the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 Information Sheet. Failure to serve any required item invalidates a future Section 21 notice and weakens Section 8 ground 1 / 1A defences.
Section 21 Notice
The no-fault eviction notice under Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988. Abolished for new notices from 1 May 2026 under the Renters Rights Act 2025. Landlords must now use Section 8 with a specified ground.
Section 8 Notice
A possession notice served under Section 8 of the Housing Act 1988 citing a specific ground. From 1 May 2026 this is the only route to possession in England. Common grounds: Ground 1 (landlord moving in), Ground 1A (sale), Ground 8 (3 months' arrears).
Accelerated Possession
A fast-track court procedure used under a Section 21 notice in England and Wales. Abolished for new claims from 1 May 2026 because Section 21 no longer exists. Possession is now pursued under Section 8 using a specified ground.
BTL (Buy-to-Let)
A mortgage product and business model where a property is purchased specifically to rent out. Buy-to-let landlords are subject to Section 24 of the Finance Act 2015, which replaced mortgage interest relief with a 20% tax credit. Stamp duty is higher on a second property.
Disrepair
A property condition falling below legal standards under Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 or the Decent Homes Standard. Tenants can sue for damages and specific performance, and a valid disrepair claim is a complete defence to a possession claim.