Government corrects landlord possession guidance error

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Government corrects landlord possession guidance error

The government has corrected its official possession guidance after wrongly suggesting that landlords could have used the sale of a property as a Section 8 ground before 1 May 2026.

The error has now been quietly removed.

However, it comes as landlords relying on notices served under the old possession system face a fast-approaching deadline to begin court proceedings.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government updated its guidance for England on 15 June, stating: “Removed ground for selling the property as it does not apply before 1 May 2026.”

Recover possession

Before the Renters’ Rights Act reforms took effect, there was no general Section 8 ground allowing a private landlord to recover possession simply because they wanted to sell.

Landlords intending to dispose of a property would usually have relied on Section 21, provided the notice was valid and all the relevant legal requirements had been met.

The new mandatory selling ground introduced under the reformed possession system applies to notices served from 1 May 2026.

It cannot be used retrospectively to support a notice served before that date.

Government removes incorrect reference

The corrected guidance now lists examples of the grounds that could have been used in a pre-May Section 8 notice.

They include rent arrears, damage to the property, antisocial behaviour and breaches of the tenancy agreement.

It also refers to cases where the landlord needed to move back into the property or where the home was being repossessed by a mortgage lender.

Selling the property is no longer included.

Navigating two systems

The amendment does not change the law, but it removes potentially misleading advice at a time when landlords and tenants are navigating two possession systems.

Notices served before 1 May are governed by the previous rules, while notices served from that date must comply with the new Section 8 regime.

Landlords who served a Section 8 notice before 1 May must generally begin possession proceedings within 12 months of serving it or by 31 July 2026, whichever date comes first.

If that deadline is missed, the notice expires and cannot be used to begin a court claim.

The landlord must start again using the new grounds, forms and notice periods introduced on 1 May.

However, different limits apply to old Section 21 notices.

A landlord can normally begin proceedings only up to the earlier of 31 July 2026 or six months from the date the notice was served, although some periodic tenancies may be subject to a different validity period.

The guidance also warns that where a tenant’s required notice period runs to 31 July or later, the landlord will not be able to begin Section 21 proceedings before the transitional deadline.

Tenants must continue paying rent

The government has also made a separate amendment to the guidance on 11 June to clarify that tenants remain liable for rent throughout the notice period.

It now states that a tenant who leaves before a Section 8 or Section 21 notice expires will still need to pay rent until the notice period ends.

However, landlords and tenants may agree an earlier end to the liability.

The guidance suggests a landlord might agree to write off arrears where a tenant leaves voluntarily, avoiding the time and cost of court proceedings.

Landlords should ensure that any such arrangement is recorded clearly in writing, including the agreed date on which the tenancy and rent liability will end.

Old notices should be checked now

The correction gives landlords another reason to review any possession notices served before 1 May.

An old notice cannot be rescued by referring to one of the new possession grounds.

Its validity will depend on the law, prescribed form, grounds and notice periods that applied when it was served.

Landlords planning to rely on a pre-May notice should also check the final date for issuing proceedings rather than assuming every notice remains usable until 31 July.

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Manchester leads house price growth over decade

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Manchester leads house price growth over decade

Manchester’s house prices have risen by 63% in a decade, putting the city at the top of Rightmove’s long-term growth table.

London, meanwhile, has limped along with the country’s slowest rate of growth with an increase of just 7%.

The average asking price in Manchester now stands at £261,891, compared with £160,422 10 years ago.

Wolverhampton matched Manchester’s 63% increase, although its current average asking price is lower at £229,094.

Growth determined by affordability

The firm’s property expert, Colleen Babcock, said: “Manchester is a big winner of the past decade, with strong price growth underlining its growing popularity among buyers.

“By contrast, London has seen much slower growth over the same period, reflecting how higher prices in the capital have limited how much further buyers can stretch.”

She added: “Looking at the bigger picture, affordability has been a central theme shaping these trends.

“Areas with lower starting price points have had more room for growth, which has contributed to a widening north-south divide in price growth trends over the last 10 years.”

The reasons for the divide include changing working patterns, more hybrid and remote working which also influence where people choose to live.

Manchester’s house prices

In the Rightmove table, Newport ranked third after prices climbed by 57% to £235,275, followed by Nottingham, where a 53% rise took the average to £210,238.

The platform analysed millions of property listings, buyer demand indicators and price data points to track changes during the past decade.

Its figures show that Manchester’s growth has spread beyond the city centre.

The four local areas recording the largest increases were Levenshulme, Atherton, Droylsden and Failsworth, all in Greater Manchester.

Prices in each of those suburbs rose by about 80% over the 10-year period.

London sees the slowest growth

By contrast, London’s average asking price increased from £639,593 to £687,080 to remain the most expensive city in Great Britain.

However, the capital recorded the slowest percentage growth in Rightmove’s analysis.

None of the 10 cities with the fastest price growth is in southern England, though five of the 10 slowest-growing cities are in the south.

Higher starting prices restricted growth in several expensive markets, Rightmove said.

London, Oxford, St Albans and Winchester were among the areas recording smaller increases.

House price driver

Mary-Lou Press, the NAEA Propertymark President, said: “Affordability has become one of the strongest drivers of house price growth over the past decade.

“Cities such as Manchester, Wolverhampton and Nottingham have benefited from lower starting price points, while higher-value markets like London have faced natural affordability constraints.”

She added: “Manchester’s success reflects more than affordability alone.

“Strong economic growth, regeneration, investment, transport improvements and changing working patterns have all helped boost demand, with growth increasingly spreading into surrounding suburbs.”

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