Your tenancy doesn't end because your landlord sells the property. The buyer takes over as your landlord on the same terms, your deposit protection carries across, and since 1 May 2026 nobody can evict you simply because a sale is happening. Section 21 no-fault notices are abolished under the Renters' Rights Act 2025. A landlord who wants the property empty must now use a specific legal ground, Ground 1A, which needs 4 months' notice and can't be used in the first 12 months of your tenancy.
2026 update - Renters' Rights Act 2025: The biggest change to renting in a generation is now law. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 abolishes Section 21 'no-fault' evictions, so a landlord can no longer evict you without giving a valid legal reason. All assured shorthold tenancies are becoming periodic (rolling) tenancies, and a landlord must rely on a specified ground - such as serious rent arrears, anti-social behaviour, or genuinely needing to sell or move in - to seek possession through the court. The Act is being brought in over 2026, so check the current commencement position for any specific provision before relying on it. See our Renters' Rights Act 2025 guide for the full picture.
Can my landlord evict me because they're selling the house?
No, not just by selling. Since 1 May 2026 a landlord who wants to sell with vacant possession must serve a Section 8 notice citing Ground 1A, give you at least 4 months' notice, and wait out a 12-month protected period at the start of your tenancy. If you stay past the notice date, only a court can order you out.
Before the Renters' Rights Act 2025, landlords routinely used a Section 21 notice to clear a property before a sale, with no reason needed. That route closed on 1 May 2026. Now every eviction in England needs one of the specified grounds for eviction, and "I want to sell" has its own ground with real conditions attached:
- 4 months' notice minimum. Twice the old Section 21 period.
- A 12-month protected period. The notice can't take effect during the first 12 months of your tenancy, so a landlord can't let to you and then turn round and sell you out of your home within the year.
- Court scrutiny. Ground 1A is a mandatory ground, but the landlord has to satisfy the court there's a genuine intention to sell. Paperwork such as an estate agent instruction or a memorandum of sale is the sort of evidence courts expect.
- A 12-month re-letting ban. After using the selling ground, the landlord can't market or re-let the property for 12 months. A landlord who evicts "to sell" and quietly re-lets faces enforcement, which takes most of the appeal out of using Ground 1A as a fake exit route.
A landlord can still seek possession on other grounds while a sale is going on, for example serious rent arrears (now 3 months of arrears for the mandatory ground, with 4 weeks' notice) or anti-social behaviour. Selling doesn't speed any of those up or slow them down.
What happens to my tenancy when the property is sold?
Your tenancy survives the sale in full. A tenancy is a legal interest in the property, so when ownership transfers, the buyer steps into your old landlord's shoes on the same terms, the same rent, and the same rights. You don't sign anything new, and you can't be asked to leave just because the name on the title deeds changed.
The mechanics are old law, not new. For tenancies granted from 1 January 1996, Section 3 of the Landlord and Tenant (Covenants) Act 1995 passes the benefit and burden of the tenancy's terms to the buyer automatically. For older tenancies, Section 141 of the Law of Property Act 1925 does the same job. Either way, the practical result for you is identical: the new owner collects the rent, owes you the landlord's obligations, and is bound by your agreement.
The new landlord also picks up duties straight away:
- They must tell you who they are. Under Section 3 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, the new landlord must give you written notice of the assignment with their name and address, no later than your next rent day or within 2 months of the sale completing, whichever is later. Failing to do so without reasonable excuse is a criminal offence carrying a fine of up to level 4 on the standard scale.
- Your old landlord stays on the hook until that notice arrives. The seller remains jointly and severally liable for breaches of the tenancy until the buyer serves the Section 3 notice. If something goes wrong in the handover gap, you may be able to pursue either of them.
- Repairs don't pause for a sale. The repairing obligations in Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 (structure, exterior, heating, hot water, sanitation) bind whoever the landlord is on any given day. Report problems in writing as normal; if you're mid-sale and unsure who's responsible, send the report to both.
- Safety paperwork transfers with the keys. Gas safety checks (annual), electrical safety reports (5-yearly) and the Energy Performance Certificate (10-yearly) all need to be in date. A buyer's solicitor normally audits these, but it's worth asking the new landlord for current copies.
What is Ground 1A and how does it work in 2026?
Ground 1A is the possession ground a landlord must use, from 1 May 2026, when they want to evict in order to sell. It requires a Section 8 notice, at least 4 months' notice, a genuine intention to sell proven to the court, and it can't bite during your first 12 months in the property.
Here's how the two selling scenarios compare in practice:
| Scenario | Your legal position | Realistic timescale | |---|---|---| | Landlord sells with you in place (to an investor or another landlord) | Nothing changes for you. The buyer inherits your tenancy on identical terms, must re-register your deposit protection, and must send you their name and address within 2 months of completion (Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 s.3). No notice, no eviction, no new agreement needed. | The sale can complete at any point. Your day-to-day tenancy carries on throughout. | | Landlord wants vacant possession first (selling to an owner-occupier) | Section 8 notice citing Ground 1A. Minimum 4 months' notice, which can't expire inside your first 12 months. If you don't leave, the landlord needs a court possession order, then bailiffs. You may have defences if the notice is defective or the intention to sell isn't genuine. | 4 months' notice at minimum, and if it goes to court, possession claims typically add several more months. Staying put while a valid process runs isn't unlawful, though a court may order costs. | | Buyer wants to move in after completing | The new landlord must use Ground 1 (landlord or family moving in): 4 months' notice, same 12-month protected period, same 12-month ban on re-letting afterwards. | As above: 4 months minimum plus any court time. | | You were served a Section 21 notice before 1 May 2026 | Transitional rules apply to old notices, and many expire or become unusable over 2026. Check the service date and validity carefully before packing a single box. | Depends on the notice date. Get the notice checked; see our guide to challenging an eviction notice. |
Two more protections are worth knowing. First, because all tenancies are now periodic, you can leave with 2 months' notice at any point, so a sale you'd rather not live through doesn't trap you. Second, if a landlord or agent pressures you out without following the process (changing locks, cutting off services, endless "inspections"), that can amount to illegal eviction or harassment, a criminal offence under Section 1 of the Protection from Eviction Act 1977. Councils can prosecute, and courts can award damages.
Do I have to allow viewings for buyers or estate agents?
Usually not, unless your tenancy agreement contains a clear clause requiring access for viewings, and even then the landlord needs to arrange reasonable times with you. You have the right to live in the property undisturbed, and a landlord should give at least 24 hours' notice before entering for any inspection.
The right to "quiet enjoyment" of your home is implied into every tenancy. Estate agents, photographers and prospective buyers have no automatic right of entry, and you can decline viewing requests without breaching your tenancy in most cases. The 24-hour notice rule attached to a landlord's inspection visits (Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 s.11(6) for repair inspections) doesn't create a right to run open-house Saturdays.
In practice, many tenants agree a schedule that suits them, sometimes in return for something concrete: a rent reduction during the marketing period, a professional clean, or flexibility over your own leaving date. That's a negotiation, not an obligation. If you'd rather refuse all viewings until you've moved out, say so in writing and keep a copy. A landlord who responds by entering anyway with their own key may be committing harassment under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977.
What happens to my deposit when the landlord sells?
Your deposit protection must continue under the new owner. The buyer either takes over the existing scheme registration or re-protects the deposit in an authorised scheme, and the prescribed information should be reissued in the new landlord's name. Deposits must be protected within 30 days of receipt under the Housing Act 2004.
This is the step that most often goes wrong in a sale. Conveyancers handle the title, the mortgage and the rent apportionment, and the deposit transfer sometimes falls through the cracks. Sections 213 to 215 of the Housing Act 2004 require deposits on assured shorthold tenancies to be held in one of the three authorised schemes, and where a landlord fails to protect a deposit or serve the prescribed information, a court may order the landlord to pay you between 1 and 3 times the deposit amount (Housing Act 2004 s.214).
After any sale, do three checks:
- Search the three schemes (TDP custodial and insured schemes all offer free online checks) to confirm your deposit is still registered, and against which landlord.
- Check you've received prescribed information naming the new landlord.
- Keep the Section 3 notice telling you the new landlord's name and address alongside your tenancy agreement.
Can the new landlord raise my rent or change my tenancy agreement?
Not at will. The new landlord is bound by your existing terms and can only raise the rent once every 12 months using a formal Section 13 notice with at least 2 months' warning. If the proposed figure looks above market rate, you can challenge it at the First-tier Tribunal before it takes effect.
A change of ownership resets nothing. The buyer can't insist you sign a fresh agreement, can't add new charges (the Tenant Fees Act 2019 still bans most fees), and can't shorten your notice rights. Under the Renters' Rights Act 2025 the once-a-year Section 13 route is the only lawful way to increase rent on a periodic tenancy, and rental bidding between tenants is banned. If a new landlord asks for more rent informally, you're entitled to say no and require the formal notice, which then carries your right to a tribunal challenge.
If the new landlord instead starts hinting that you should leave, go back to first principles: they need a legal ground, a valid Section 8 notice and, if you stay, a court order. Our eviction advice hub covers each route in detail.
What should I do if I get an eviction notice because the landlord is selling?
Don't move out on the strength of a letter. Check the notice type, the date it was served, the ground cited and the notice period. Since 1 May 2026 a selling landlord needs a Section 8 notice citing Ground 1A with 4 months' notice; anything less may be invalid, and only a court can make you leave.
Work through this checklist:
- Identify the notice. A Section 21 notice served on or after 1 May 2026 is invalid. An older Section 21 notice may have lapsed under the transitional rules; check the dates.
- Check the ground and the arithmetic. Ground 1A needs 4 months, and the expiry date can't fall inside your first 12 months as a tenant. Count the days yourself.
- Look for genuineness. If the "sale" never materialises, or the property reappears on Rightmove as a rental within 12 months, tell the council; the re-letting ban exists precisely for this.
- Get the notice checked. Our guide on how to challenge an eviction notice walks through the common defects. Shelter, Citizens Advice and your council's housing options team can also review it free.
- Talk to the council early if you may be homeless. Councils owe prevention duties from the moment a valid notice is served, not just at the bailiff stage. Leaving before a court order can sometimes affect a homelessness application, so take advice before handing back keys.
- Keep paying rent. Arrears hand the landlord a second, faster ground. Pay in full and keep records, even mid-dispute.
Most sales with tenants in place complete without any eviction at all: roughly speaking, a tenanted property with a reliable rent record is an asset to a landlord buyer, not an obstacle. The law now backs that reality. You can't be removed for someone else's transaction without months of notice, a genuine reason, and a judge's signature.
If your deposit wasn't protected when the property changed hands, you may be able to claim - check free at /check-my-deposit.
