Possession order
A county court order that the tenant must give the home back by a date. Only a possession order, enforced by bailiffs if needed, lawfully ends a tenant's right to stay.
In short: A possession order is made by the county court after a landlord's claim on a ground for possession. It sets the date the tenant must leave. If the tenant stays after that date, the landlord must ask the court for bailiffs; doing it themselves is illegal eviction.
Ending a tenancy and possession
England. Checked against the law on 5 October 2026. Information, not legal advice.
Section 3 of the Protection from Eviction Act 1977 means a landlord of a residential tenancy cannot recover the home without a court order. The steps are:
- A valid section 8 notice on Form 3A and the notice period run out.
- A claim to the county court, with a hearing for most grounds.
- The possession order, outright or suspended on conditions (such as paying arrears).
- If the tenant has not left by the date, a warrant enforced by county court bailiffs.
Until bailiffs carry out the warrant, the tenant is entitled to stay. Changing the locks or removing belongings is a criminal offence.
This site does not prepare court forms or conduct claims; speak to a solicitor, a landlord association or a housing adviser.
Read more: Notices, eviction and your rights since section 21 ended
Related: Section 8 notice, Illegal eviction
Where this comes from
Guides on this
Guide
What changed for landlords on 1 May 2026
The Renters' Rights Act came into force in England on 1 May 2026. Section 21 is gone, every tenancy is now periodic, and rent rises follow one procedure. Here is what a self-managing landlord actually has to do differently.
Guide
What to do when a tenant stops paying rent
Rent arrears in England: check the facts, talk early, agree a plan in writing and keep records. If it cannot be solved, possession is by section 8 notice and a court order only. Never change the locks.
Guide
Getting your property back after section 21
Without section 21, possession in England depends on the grounds in Schedule 2. The main ones a self-managing landlord uses, the notice periods, and why LevelMoves hands this to a human.
Guide
How to protect a tenancy deposit, and what happens if you are late
Put the deposit in one of the three government schemes within 30 days and give the prescribed information. If late, the tenant can claim one to three times the deposit and most possession grounds close.
Related terms
Glossary
Form 3A
The prescribed government form for a section 8 notice seeking possession of a private assured tenancy in England, used since 1 May 2026.
Glossary
Grounds for possession (ground 1, 1A and 8)
The reasons in Schedule 2 of the Housing Act 1988 on which a landlord can seek possession. Some are mandatory, some discretionary; the main ones are moving in, selling and arrears.
Glossary
Harassment of a tenant
Acts by a landlord or anyone for them that are likely to interfere with a tenant's peace or comfort, meant to make them leave or stop using their rights. A criminal offence.
Glossary
Illegal eviction
Making a tenant leave, or keeping them out, without a court order and bailiffs: changing locks, removing belongings or cutting off services. A criminal offence.
Glossary
Section 21 notice (abolished)
The "no fault" notice a landlord could use to end an assured shorthold tenancy without a reason. Abolished in England from 1 May 2026, for old and new tenancies alike.
Glossary
Section 8 notice
The notice a landlord in England serves to start ending an assured tenancy, on Form 3A, naming one or more grounds for possession and the facts behind them.