Student HMO landlords who want to regain possession next summer need to serve Ground 4A at the start of this academic year, according to rental services provider Housing Hand.
The Renters’ Rights Act moved most private sector tenancies from fixed terms to periodic on 1 May 2026, and the ground now sits at the centre of how landlords run a student house in multiple occupation (HMO).
Ground 4A allows HMO landlords to regain possession between 1 June and 30 September, which gives them time to prepare their homes for another student cohort the following academic year.
However, landlords have to serve it at the start of the tenancy. Those letting from this autumn, with students moving out in summer 2027 in line with the academic year, therefore need to serve it now.
Ground 4A timing and the summer void
“Correct notice procedures and timelines are critical, making Ground 4A something landlords need to plan for and serve now, rather than try to deal with retrospectively,” said Graham Hayward, managing director of Housing Hand.
“HMO landlords can no longer rely on fixed-term tenancies, so have to manage their summer void period differently. Ground 4A is part of that, as is our A-Void™ service, which is specifically designed for student landlords who have served Ground 4A.”
The A-Void service is an opt-in void period cover for student landlords, provided at no extra cost to tenants or landlords and covering all Housing Hand student customers. Student renters can now give two months’ notice at any point in their tenancy, and the cover is designed to help landlords bridge the summer void gap and manage the risk of students leaving early.
“We don’t expect the ‘new normal’ of life under the Renters’ Rights Act to kick in for HMO landlords until the 2027/28 academic year,” Hayward added.
“Until then, landlords need to think proactively about notice periods, re-letting windows, occupancy planning and the financial consequences of gaps between tenancies in a way they haven’t previously had to.
"As the new legislation beds in, it’s likely to be a bumpy couple of years for HMOs. Ultimately, Ground 4A provides student landlords with an important route to regaining possession of their properties at the end of the academic cycle – but only if they get the process right from the start and have a strategy for the potential summer void that follows.”
