The short version
There is no section 21 notice template any more, because section 21 was abolished on 1 May 2026. Any template you find is for an instrument that no longer has legal effect — serving one achieves nothing. What you need instead is Form 3A, the prescribed section 8 notice. It’s free from GOV.UK, and it works differently: you need a ground, not just a date.
People still search for a section 21 template every day, which is understandable — it was the form landlords used for nearly forty years, and a lot of published advice hasn’t caught up. But downloading one now is like printing a cheque book. Here is what replaced it.
Why there’s no template to give you
The Renters’ Rights Act repealed the entire chapter of the Housing Act 1988 that created assured shorthold tenancies. Section 21 sat inside that chapter and went with it. Form 6A — the prescribed section 21 notice — has no statutory basis left.
| What you had | What exists now |
|---|---|
| Form 6A, section 21 notice | Nothing. Repealed |
| Two months, no reason required | A ground, with its own notice period |
| Accelerated paper route, often no hearing | Every claim gets a hearing |
| Fixed term then notice at the end | No fixed terms at all |
If you’re holding a section 21 notice served before 1 May 2026, it only survived if you asked the court to issue the claim form by 31 July 2026. Otherwise it expired, whatever date is printed on it. The same longstop applied to pre-May section 8 notices — a point most coverage missed entirely.
What to use instead
Form 3A, the section 8 notice for private assured tenancies. Two things make it a different proposition from the form you’re used to:
You need a ground. Section 21 needed no reason. Section 8 needs one of the grounds in Schedule 2, quoted in full on the form, with particulars explaining why it applies to this tenancy. The ground you pick sets your notice period — two weeks to four months.
Download it fresh each time. Unusually, Form 3A isn’t fixed in the regulations. They prescribe “the version published by the Secretary of State that has effect at the time”, so the government can replace it without new legislation. A saved copy goes stale. The current version is marked (05.26).
| Your reason for wanting the property | Ground | Notice |
|---|---|---|
| You intend to sell | 1A | 4 months, then a 12-month re-letting ban |
| You or close family moving in | 1 | 4 months, same ban |
| Three months’ or 13 weeks’ arrears | 8 | 4 weeks |
| Some arrears, or persistent lateness | 10 / 11 | 4 weeks, discretionary |
| Breach of the tenancy | 12 | 2 weeks, discretionary |
| Antisocial behaviour | 14 | None — file immediately |
If you were going to use section 21 to sell, ground 1A is your route — but understand the tail before you serve. Four months’ notice, then twelve months during which you cannot let or even market the property to let. On my Hastings three-bed that ban costs about £20,800, and you carry it even if the sale falls through. The full arithmetic is here.
Getting Form 3A right
Two fields decide whether your notice survives. Field 4.2 needs the full legal wording of each ground from Schedule 2 — the form’s own note says not to rely on the ground’s name alone, and the government publishes the wording as a separate document to copy from. Field 2.1 is the earliest date you can apply to court, which must clear the longest notice period of any ground you’ve cited.
And on ground 8 specifically: the court’s usual power to dispense with a defective notice is expressly unavailable, so there’s no second chance. The complete field-by-field walkthrough, the defects that void a notice, and how to prove service are on the Form 3A page.
One thing to check before serving anything: an unprotected deposit now bars a possession order on section 8 grounds, not just the abolished section 21. It’s curable, but cure it first.
Questions
Is there definitely no section 21 template?
None. The provision was repealed on 1 May 2026 — there is no form and nothing to serve.
Can I still use a section 21 notice I served in April?
Only if the court was asked to issue the claim form by 31 July 2026. Otherwise it’s dead regardless of the expiry date on it.
Is there any no-fault route left?
No. Every possession claim needs a ground under section 8.
What’s the closest equivalent for getting my property back?
Ground 1A if you’re selling, ground 1 if you’re moving in. Both are four months’ notice with a twelve-month re-letting ban afterwards.
Do I have to pay for Form 3A?
No. It’s free on GOV.UK. Never pay a template site for a prescribed form.
Does this apply in Wales or Scotland?
No — England only. Both have separate regimes.
The form changed. So did the deadlines.
Notice periods per ground, twelve-month expiry dates, re-letting bans and deposit status — tracked per property so the rules don’t catch you out. £10 a month, cancel anytime.
See what’s includedEngland only. Position as at 31 August 2026. General information from a landlord, not legal advice.
Sources: Renters’ Rights Act 2025 s.2 and Schedule 6; SI 2026/354 reg 3; Housing Act 1988 s.8 and Schedule 2 as amended.
Related: section 21 abolished · completing Form 3A · all 32 grounds · the Renters’ Rights Act