One in four tenants evicted a month ahead of the Renter’s Right Act
New analysis of 150,000 tenancies by COHO reveals that the Renters’ Rights Act (RRA) drove an estimated 73,900 additional tenancy eviction notices since 2023, with nearly 20,000 issued in the final month before the legislation came into force on 1 May.
The data released this month by the property management software developer, revealed a sharp rise in evictions, peaking to 27% of tenants, or one in four, being served notice in the month ahead of Section 21 “no-fault” evictions being abolished.
While this may appear like a surge in landlord-led evictions, the data points to a more complex picture. Historically, 5.7% of notices were linked to Section 21, rising temporarily to above 8% following the announcement of the legislation three years ago. It then climbed to 11.4% of tenancies as the Renter’s Right Act became certain.
Vann Vogstad, CEO and Co-founder of COHO, said: “Landlords aren’t looking for perfect tenants, they’re looking for tenants who can pay the rent and live without causing issues. In most cases, they’ll give people the benefit of the doubt for quite some time.
“Section 21 gave landlords a safety net. It allowed them to stick with tenants through arrears or challenges, knowing there was a final route if things didn’t improve. Removing that option has understandably changed behaviours.
“What we’re seeing isn’t landlords evicting for the sake of evicting; it’s landlords responding to a shift in risk. Without Section 21, dealing with serious arrears or anti-social issues can take months, so some have had to act ahead of that change.
“It’s important to remember that landlords don’t want empty properties. Rental income is what makes the investment viable. Many are still choosing to work with tenants that owe them rent, hoping situations improve, rather than issuing notice.
“Ultimately, the removal of no-fault evictions will likely make landlords more cautious and selective, which may have wider impacts across the rental market.”
Key findings from COHO data:-
Section 21-related evictions were at 5.7% prior to the RRA
Initial news announcing the RRA pushed this to above 8%, before stabilising
Post-government election momentum saw Section 21 eviction levels rise to 11.4%
Following Royal Assent of RRA, notices climbed again to 11.2%
A peak of 27.1% was recorded as the law came into force May 2026
Estimated 73,900 additional notices, including ~20,000 in the final month
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One in four tenants evicted a month ahead of the Renter’s Right Act
