Crynodeb
The Deregulation Act 2015 was a wide-ranging measure cutting regulatory burden across many sectors. For housing law its key impact came through sections 33-41, which introduced statutory protection for assured shorthold tenants against 'retaliatory eviction' and imposed prescribed-requirement preconditions on the service of a valid Section 21 notice. From 1 October 2015 onwards, a landlord serving s.21 must have given the tenant a valid gas safety certificate before occupation (Trecarrell House Ltd v Rouncefield), the current 'How to Rent' guide, and a valid Energy Performance Certificate. The retaliatory-eviction provisions (s.33) prevent a s.21 notice taking effect within 6 months of the local authority serving an improvement notice or emergency-remedial-action notice on the landlord. The Act also reduced regulation across taxis, apprenticeships, betting, employment tribunals, and many other areas.
Pwyntiau allweddol
- Retaliatory eviction protection (s.33) — s.21 notice void if served within 6 months of a council improvement notice
- Prescribed-requirement preconditions (s.38) — landlord must have given gas safety cert, EPC, How to Rent guide before s.21 is valid
- 4-month rule (s.36) — no s.21 in the first 4 months of the original tenancy
- 6-month time limit on use of s.21 — proceedings must be commenced within 6 months of giving notice
- Form 6A made mandatory for s.21 notices in England (Assured Shorthold Tenancy Notices and Prescribed Requirements (England) Regulations 2015)
Rhannau ac adrannau
Hanes diwygiadau
2017 — Homelessness Reduction Act 2017
Cross-references the retaliatory-eviction provisions in the new homelessness prevention duties.
2019 — Tenant Fees Act 2019
Tenant Fees Act made tenant-fee bans operative; this Act introduced consequential s.21 invalidity where prohibited fees taken.
2025 — Renters' Rights Act 2025
Abolition of s.21 — the Deregulation Act provisions cease to operate for new tenancies on commencement of the s.21 abolition provisions.