Serving notice query under new regs

Landlord Discussion
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I have a tenancy that started in Sept 2024 with three individuals. Two have remained since the start. When one moved out a new tenancy was issued in Feb 2025 and now another has moved out a new tenancy is being created in March 2026.

I understand that to get vacant possession using Ground 1A in new regs you can only serve the notice so it expires after 12 months from the start of the tenancy.

If I want to serve notice later in the year where does the 12 months stopwatch start – from when we first signed a tenancy in Sept 24 or the latest agreement in March 26? And if the latter date, could I serve notice after 8 months, so it would expire on 12?

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@Nick62 Nick62

Erm depends when you mean by ‘later in the year”

you can serve under current regs before 1 may so eg you still serve a valid s21 or s8 before then

See ‘Renters’ Rights: Transition rules for existing tenancies on 1 May 2026 ‘ the independent Landlord

Good luck

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The ‘clock’ will start when you signed the last tenancy agreement in March 2026.

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How was the ‘old’ agreement ended ? Was notice given by the outgoing tenant ?

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Yes, exactly. Notice given by outgoing tenant.

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So signing a new agreement in March 2026 will mean no notice can be issued until march 2027 , then the 4 months notice will expire July 2027(I think? ). If the tenant does not leave you will have to start court proceedings after the notice has expired.It will depend on how the backlog of possession cases are at that time ,as to how long you may have to wait in order to regain possession in a worse case scenario.

Edit…. See following posts..

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@David79 @Nick62

“The tenancy must be running for at least one year by the time the notice expires, which means the earliest expiry date for a Ground 1A notice is one year after the tenancy begins.

A landlord does not need to wait 12 months before serving notice, they can serve notice after 8 months, but the notice must not expire in the first 12 months of the tenancy.”

According to Guildofletting dot com

(“Clarification on Mandatory Grounds 1 and 1A of the Renters’ Rights Act”)

I agree with others it may well mean 12 months from the latest tenancy date ie March 26. But you would need to get legal advice to confirm. It could instead mean 12 months from 1 May when the existing ASTs become ‘new’ APTs depending on whether transition arrangements in the Act also apply to the application of the new versions of ground 1a etc)

Best

David

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Thanks for that @David240 , I’d got that wrong and so the dates I’d posted are wrong. Happy to stand corrected.

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Three unrelated people also makes it an HMO, so if the local authority has or does introduce additional licensing at any point, the property will need to be licensed before you can serve a valid ground 1A notice.

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