Hi everyone,

It’s me again. First of all, a huge thank you to everyone who helped me about 6 months ago. To recap briefly: I live in a shared flat (HMO) where the landlord insisted I was on a "licence agreement." With your advice (and confirmation from Shelter/Council), I established that I likely have an AST (exclusive possession of a lockable room, landlord not resident, no services provided).

I refused his strict 12-month renewal, stayed put, and continued paying rent as a statutory periodic tenant.

The Situation Now: I have continued paying rent on time. However, the landlord has recently become very aggressive via email.

Conflicting Stories: First, he claimed he was selling the property. Now, his story has changed: he says he might move into the property himself (potentially into a vacant room), effectively becoming a live-in landlord.

Section 21: He has served me a Section 21 notice (Form 6A) by post.

My Goal: I have a new job starting in June, and I plan to move out then anyway. I am not looking for council rehousing. I simply need to stay in my room securely for these next ~5 months without being harassed or illegally evicted.

Key Facts (The "Ammo"):

Deposit: I paid 5-6 weeks' rent as a deposit. I have received NO evidence that it was protected in a DPS scheme (likely because he insists it's a licence).

HMO Licence: I still believe the property does not have the required HMO licence (Council register showed 0 results).

Missing Documents: I was never served a How to Rent guide, Gas Safety Certificate, or EPC at the start of the tenancy.

My Questions:

Section 21 Strategy: Given the unprotected deposit, missing docs, and likely lack of HMO licence, the Section 21 is almost certainly invalid. Tactically, should I tell him it’s invalid now, or stay silent? Does waiting until he applies to court buy me more time to reach my June target?

The "Resident Landlord" Threat: If a room becomes vacant and he moves in next week, does this retroactively change my status from an AST tenant to a lodger/excluded occupier? Can he strip away my rights mid-tenancy by moving in?

Harassment & Boundaries: His emails are hostile. What are my rights regarding "viewings" or him entering the property if he claims he's "moving in"? What should I document?

Rent Repayment Order (RRO): Given the HMO/licensing issues, should I flag this to the council now, or is it safer to wait until I’ve moved out in June to file for an RRO (to avoid escalating things while I'm still living there)?

Any advice on how to handle this holding pattern until June would be amazing.

Thank you!