Housing Act 1988: Primary legislation governing residential tenancies in England and Wales, particularly Section 21 (no-fault eviction) and Section 8 (fault-based eviction) notices. Sets out the fundamental framework for ending assured and assured shorthold tenancies.
Housing Act 1996: Supplementary legislation that amended the Housing Act 1988 and introduced additional requirements for landlords, including deposit protection schemes.
Deregulation Act 2015: Introduced important changes to Section 21 notices, including new requirements for landlords such as providing EPCs, gas safety certificates, and the How to Rent guide.
Landlord and Tenant Act 1985: Sets out basic landlord and tenant rights and obligations, relevant for any tenancy termination process.
Minimum Notice Period: Legal requirement to provide at least 2 months' notice under Section 21 for ending a tenancy for property sale.
Deposit Protection Requirement: Legal obligation to protect tenant's deposit in an approved scheme before serving a valid notice.
EPC Requirement: Valid Energy Performance Certificate must be provided to tenant before notice can be served.
Gas Safety Requirement: Valid gas safety certificate must be provided to tenant before notice can be served.
How to Rent Guide: Current version of the government's How to Rent guide must be provided to tenant before serving notice.
Form 6A: Prescribed form that must be used for Section 21 notices in England.
Timing Restrictions: Notice cannot be served within first 4 months of original tenancy and cannot expire during a fixed term unless there's a break clause.
Notice Validity Period: Section 21 notice typically remains valid for 6 months from the date of service.
