Landlord eviction during fixed term

Whether your landlord can do this depends heavily on the type of tenancy you have, when it started, and the specific ground the landlord wants to rely on. The law in this area has changed significantly under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, so the position now is different from the old rules that many tenancy agreements were written under.

The key change: no more “no fault” evictions and no more fixed terms

Under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, section 21 “no fault” evictions are being abolished, and this takes effect from 1 May 2026, even if your tenancy agreement still says otherwise. Assured shorthold tenancies are converting into a single system of periodic (rolling) tenancies. Crucially, fixed terms are being abolished, so the concept of being tied to, or protected until, a fixed “end of the academic year” date is changing.

This cuts both ways. It means the landlord can no longer simply serve notice to end your tenancy for no reason at the end of a fixed term. But it also means that the fixed term itself no longer guarantees you the property until a set date, because either party’s position is now governed by the periodic tenancy rules and the statutory grounds for possession rather than by the fixed end date in the agreement.

Wanting to sell or move in is a specific ground with restrictions

“I want to sell” and “I want to move in” are now distinct statutory grounds for possession (broadly Grounds 1 and 1A), and there are important limits on them:

They cannot be used in the first 12 months of the tenancy. So if your tenancy began less than a year ago, the landlord cannot lawfully evict you on either of these grounds yet.

The landlord must give you four months’ notice for these grounds, not two.

The landlord must genuinely intend to sell or to move themselves (or a close family member) in, and must be prepared to evidence that intention. It is not a device to remove a tenant for another reason.

If a possession claim were brought on these grounds, the landlord would still need a court order to actually evict you. You cannot lawfully be removed simply because the landlord asks you to leave or serves a notice.

How this interacts with the academic year

There is no automatic rule that a landlord cannot recover possession “before the end of the academic year.” The protection you have comes from the notice requirements and the 12 month restriction, not from the academic calendar as such.

There is a separate student ground (Ground 4A) that allows landlords of student houses in multiple occupation to recover possession to re-let to new students in line with the academic cycle. That ground works in the landlord’s favour around the yearly turnover point, but it is not the same as selling or moving in, and it has its own conditions. The wanting-to-sell and wanting-to-move-in grounds are the general grounds and are subject to the 12 month and four month rules described above.

Purpose-built student accommodation is different

If you live in purpose-built student accommodation provided by a university or a large private provider, rather than an ordinary rented house or flat from a private landlord, you may not have an assured tenancy at all. Such accommodation is often outside the assured tenancy regime, and your rights would then be governed largely by the terms of your accommodation contract and general contract law rather than by the eviction grounds above. In that case the contract itself, including any early termination provisions, becomes central.

The facts that determine your answer

To give you a definite answer, the following matter:

1. When your tenancy started, and in particular whether it is less than 12 months old, because the sell and move in grounds are unavailable in the first year.

2. Whether you rent from a private landlord under an ordinary tenancy, or live in purpose-built or university-managed student accommodation, because the latter may not be an assured tenancy.

3. Whether the property is a student HMO, because a different ground linked to the academic cycle may apply.

4. Exactly what the landlord has said or served on you, and in writing. A verbal request to leave, a letter, and a formal possession notice are very different things with very different legal effect.

Practical position and next steps

You do not have to leave simply because the landlord says they want to sell or move in. Regardless of the reason, a private landlord cannot lawfully force you out without following the correct notice procedure and, if you do not leave, obtaining a possession order from the court and then a warrant enforced by bailiffs. Anything short of that risks being an unlawful eviction, which is a criminal offence.

1. Do not move out or agree to leave just because you have been asked. Ask the landlord to put any request in writing and to specify the legal ground and notice period they are relying on.

2. Check the date your current tenancy began. If it is within the last 12 months, the sell and move in grounds are simply not available to the landlord.

3. Read your agreement to see whether it is an assured tenancy or a licence for student accommodation, as this determines which rules apply.

4. If you receive any formal notice, check that it uses the correct form, states a valid ground, and gives the correct notice period. Defects can make a notice invalid.

5. If you feel pressured, threatened with the locks being changed, or told to leave immediately, contact your local council’s housing or tenancy relations team and consider getting advice from Shelter or Citizens Advice, who deal with exactly this kind of situation.

If you tell me when your tenancy started, whether you rent from a private landlord or live in student halls, and precisely what the landlord has said or served, I can give you a much more specific answer about whether they can require you to leave before the year is out and what notice, if any, would be valid.