Landlords sound alarm over tenant evictions as new rules make repossession harder

 New data reveals that regaining possession of properties from tenants has become a major concern for landlords.

One in four landlords (25%) report challenges regaining possession of properties from problem tenants, according to a snap poll of nearly 250 UK landlords, conducted by rental market experts Goodlord earlier this month.

The findings come after Section 21 “no-fault” evictions were abolished as part of the Renters’ Rights Act, which came into force on 1st May.

Section 8 notices are now the only legal means for landlords to regain possession of their properties, and they require clearly defined grounds. Landlords who have had reason to evict tenants since 1st May must also follow a longer administrative process: for example, waiting four weeks after serving a Section 8 notice for rent arrears before proceedings can begin (this is double the previous notice period). Court delays are extending this timeline further, with Section 8 claims yet to be heard.

In response, two in five landlords (39%) surveyed by Goodlord said they had adopted more cautious tenant vetting procedures to avoid repossession issues; and nearly 1 in 10 (9%) are investing more in tenant retention to avoid turnover.

Separate research reinforces the scale of the challenges landlords face at the point of tenant selection. A recent Goodlord report into tenancy fraud found that fraudulent tenancy applications are costing the private rental sector an estimated £4.1bn in financial losses every year, with 41 tenancy applications per 1,000 flagged for suspected fraud between July 2025 and June 2026.

Nishma Parekh, Director of Referencing at Goodlord, said: “These findings point to a market where getting tenant selection right the first time is more critical than ever, given how much harder it has become to reverse a bad match once a tenancy begins.

“Our fraud report made it clear that landlords were already facing a costly problem before the Renters’ Rights Act came in. Now that possession is harder to secure when things go awry, the cost of signing the wrong tenants has only gone up. It’s little wonder thorough vetting has become the priority for landlords.

Against this backdrop, landlords and agents need better referencing tools and clearer guidance to manage risk at the point of application, not just at the point of dispute. If landlords lose confidence in the system, it will have knock-on effects for agents and the tenants they serve.

Goodlord’s poll also highlighted wider impacts landlords are seeing as a result of the Renters’ Rights Act. According to the findings, half (50%) of landlords have noticed an increased compliance burden as a result of the legislation, with a further 29% affected by higher compliance and insurance costs. One in four landlords (23%) report higher letting agent fees since 1st May, and one in 10 (10%) have experienced longer void periods between tenancies.

Goodlord also surveyed 2,001 UK tenants to understand how the Renters’ Rights Act is impacting their renting experience. Only 5% of tenants reported being served or threatened with “Section 21-style” evictions since the ban, indicating that the vast majority of landlords are complying with the legislation, and that so far these remain rare under the new rules.