What is a Section 21 notice?
'Section 21 Notice to Quit', operates under section 21 of the Housing Act 1988, is the notice a landlord can give to a tenant to regain possession of a property at the end of an Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST). The landlord is able to issue the tenant with a section 21 notice without giving any reason for ending the tenancy agreement.
A landlord has the legal right to retain possession at the end of a tenancy but must follow the correct legal procedure, which includes serving a section 21 notice.
What is an Assured Shorthold Tenancy?
An Assured Shorthold Tenancy is the most frequently used tenancy agreement in the letting of residential properties.
This type of agreement is also referred to as an "AST" or "Shorthold Tenancy". Assured Shorthold Tenancy agreements are normally arranged for a twelve month period. This type of tenancy allows the tenant to remain in the property for the initial fixed period.
What is a Statutory Periodic Tenancy
Following the expiry of a fixed term lease the tenancy agreement continues on the same contractual terms as before but it becomes, what is known as, a periodic tenancy.
The period is determined with reference to the frequency that rent is due. For example if you pay the rent on a monthly basis, one period would be one month. This only applies to Assured Shorthold Tenancies and Assured Tenancies.
