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.
In short: A section 8 notice tells the tenant the landlord intends to seek possession and on which grounds. It is served on the prescribed Form 3A with the notice period the ground requires. Since section 21 ended on 1 May 2026 it is the only way a private landlord in England can start possession.
Ending a tenancy and possession
英格蘭。 已於 5 October 2026 對照法律查核. 僅供參考，並非法律建議。
Section 8 of the Housing Act 1988 sets the rules; the grounds are in Schedule 2, rewritten by the Renters' Rights Act 2025.
- The notice must be on Form 3A and state each ground relied on, with enough detail.
- The notice period depends on the ground: for example four months for selling or moving in, four weeks for serious arrears.
- A notice is not an eviction. If the tenant does not leave, the landlord applies to the county court, and only a court order, enforced by bailiffs, ends the right to stay.
- Some grounds cannot be used if the landlord has not met other duties, such as protecting the deposit.
Possession is a serious step: landlords and tenants alike should take advice from a solicitor, a landlord association or a housing adviser.
Read more: Getting your property back after section 21
Related: Form 3A, Grounds for possession, Possession order
資料來源
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
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.
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.