Think you mean 'before 1 may ’ not ‘by 1st march’
Indeed I did! Sorry for any confusion 
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Many thanks to all replies!
After an agent acting on my behalf posted a Section 21 Notice on 10/03/2026, with moving out date on 14/05/2026, I gave T a reminder about the Notice via email, didn’t attach the Notice to avoid confusion. T replied as “knowledge of your message regarding the Section 21 Notice”, “working to resolve housing situation”, “can’t move out earlier”, “keep communication openly”.
Given history about late rent payment, T is very good in negotiating. i can’t understand what game T is playing. What should I do? Shall I talk to T face to face, or offer Cash for Keys? Waiting is a nightmare!
Please advise what I can do now. Any idea will be highly appreciated!
Dont panic.. You’ve only just served them notice just over a week ago. It will take them time to find somewhere new.
The good thing is that they seem to have acknowledged that they’ve received the s21 and say willing to keep communicating. Keep the replies
Maybe arrange an inspection visit in the next week and while there discuss with the tenant how to communicate on their plans to move out and on what they are going to do about the rent arrears - maybe calls every couple of weeks?
Take the agent or a friend with, don’t accept any proposals for lower rent or a later move out date and explain that whilst you don’t want to have to call in the bailiffs if they don’t move out by 14th may, you can’t afford to not to as you need the full rental amount to pay the mortgage. Make a note of the conversation and email it soon after so tenant can say if they agree it’s an accurate record.
Meanwhile get all the evidence ready for 15/5 when you have to apply to court for possession, the agent or an eviction specialist may be able to help
Good luck
Hello, looking for help please.
I served my tenants Section 21 two months ago, today is their last day on tenancy. They messaged yesterday to say they have been advise the notice is not valid as they should have been given a copy of the gas certificate before notice was issued.
I have never given them copies before.
I have both the Gas Cert and EPIR in place.
Are they correct? Is it not valid?
For context I have had late rent for a year due to health issues. I have now only received 60% rent since September. In January I received a Debt Relief Order in one of the tenants name and since then still only 60% rent.
Any help would be really appreciated. Thank you
@Parkway they may well be correct
To quote Shelter’s page ‘Section 21 eviction’
“Did you get a recent gas safety certificate?
Your landlord cannot usually give you a valid section 21 until they give you the latest gas safety certificate. They can give you both documents at the same time.
Gas safety certificates are valid for a year.
This only applies to tenancies that started or were renewed on or after 1 October 2015.”
Get legal help on how to serve a valid s21 and get it done properly next time - you can still do before 1 may (and if they don’t move out there is then a 31 July deadline to apply to court for possession)
Key dates below
- However if you used rent now you will I think have had to upload the gas safety certificate etc at the start of the tenancy and I ‘think’ Openrent then serves them the certificate either by email or by giving them access to those documents. Check the emails from the start of the tenancy and whether they have access to the documents in your ‘manage documents’ area for the tenancy and ask Openrent customer service.
'“does openrent automaticaLLY lyb serve gas certificate to tenant
+5
Yes, if you order your gas safety certificate (CP12) directly through OpenRent’s “Rent Now” service, they will automatically serve it to the tenant at the start of the tenancy.
OpenRent Landlord Hub
OpenRent Landlord Hub
However, if you arrange your own gas safety certificate independently and do not explicitly upload and link it within the OpenRent Rent Now process, OpenRent will not automatically serve it.
OpenRent Landlord & Tenant Forum
OpenRent Landlord & Tenant Forum
+1
Key points regarding OpenRent and gas certificates:
Automatic Service: If booked via OpenRent, the certificate is stored in your dashboard, sent to you via email, and served automatically to the tenant.
If You Use Your Own Engineer: You must upload the certificate to your OpenRent dashboard, and ensure it is included in the documents sent to the tenant during the tenancy creation process.
Legal Responsibility: While OpenRent aids in serving the document, the legal responsibility for providing the certificate to the tenant at the start of the tenancy remains with the landlord.
Renewal: OpenRent offers a gas safety auto-renewal service, which can be opted into to ensure annual compliance.
OpenRent Help Centre
OpenRent Help Centre
+4
It is highly recommended to check your OpenRent dashboard to confirm that the certificate is listed as “served” to the tenant to comply with safety regulations and to ensure you can serve a Section 21 notice if necessary.”
Good luck
Now – 30 April 2026: Landlords can still serve Section 21 notices (Form 6A) for assured shorthold tenancies (ASTs), provided they are valid (e.g., proper deposit protection, gas safety certificate).
30 April 2026 (4:30 PM): The last day to serve a valid Section 21 notice. Notices served after this date are automatically void.
1 May 2026: The Renters’ Rights Act comes into force. Section 21 is abolished, and all ASTs automatically convert to periodic assured tenancies.
31 July 2026: The backstop date. For valid notices served before 1 May, landlords must apply to court by this date. If a claim is not filed by 31 July 2026, the notice lapses
You would need to give them copies of all gas certs for the duration of their tenancy. If you didnt have a gas cert in place at the time they moved in, you would never be able to serve a valid s21 notice.
Are you aware of the other prescribed requirements of s21 notices?
Posting by recorded delivery is the right move, that will generally satisfy service rules for a Section 21; email can be sent as a backup but it wont replace the recorded delivery unless the tenant has previously agreed in writing to accept notices by email. In my experience you should attach the same notice to the email, ask for a read receipt and a quick text asking them to confirm receipt, and keep screenshots, the tracked postage info and a photo of the notice in the letterbox – your paperwork is what’ll save you if this ends up at court. It’s a faff when you self-manage but keep everything tidy and dated.
I wouldn’t recommend recorded delivery, as if it isn’t delivered nor the tenant collect it from the post office, it’s not deemed served. Best just to use standard first class post with proof of posting.
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