Evicting tenants in England

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Section 21 and Section 8 notices

You can evict tenants who have an assured shorthold tenancy using a Section 21 or Section 8 notice, or both.

Use a Section 8 notice if your tenants have broken the terms of the tenancy.

Before serving notice, try to resolve any disputes with your tenant instead. For example, work with your tenant to or if they have rent arrears.

When you serve a notice, you may want to let your tenant know they can get free legal advice from the Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service.

Section 21 notice of seeking possession

You can use a Section 21 notice to evict your tenants either:

  • after a fixed term tenancy ends - if there바카라 사이트檚 a written contract
  • during a tenancy with no fixed end date - known as a 바카라 사이트榩eriodic바카라 사이트� tenancy

You can get legal advice if you do not know which notice to give.

When you cannot use a Section 21 notice

You cannot use a Section 21 notice if any of the following apply:

  • it바카라 사이트檚 less than 4 months since the tenancy started, or the fixed term has not ended, unless there바카라 사이트檚 a clause in the contract which allows you to do this
  • the property is categorised as a house in multiple occupation (HMO) and does not have a HMO licence from the council
  • the tenancy started after April 2007 and you have not put the tenants바카라 사이트� deposit in a deposit protection scheme
  • the council has served an improvement notice on the property in the last 6 months
  • the council has served a notice in the last 6 months that says it will do emergency works on the property
  • you have not repaid any unlawful fees or deposits that you charged the tenant - read the guidance for landlords on the Tenant Fees Act 2019

You also cannot use a Section 21 notice if you have not given the tenants copies of:

You must have given your tenants the gas safety certificate and the 바카라 사이트楬ow to rent바카라 사이트� guide before they moved in.

You must have given your tenants a copy of the property바카라 사이트檚 Energy Performance Certificate before they rented the property.

Giving tenants a Section 21 notice

You must use form 6a, or you can write your own Section 21 notice that includes the same information.

How much notice you need to give

A Section 21 notice must give your tenants at least 2 months바카라 사이트� notice to leave your property.

You may need to give a longer notice period if you have a 바카라 사이트榗ontractual바카라 사이트� periodic tenancy. This is a fixed term tenancy that has ended, but included a clause to continue as a periodic tenancy. The amount of notice must be the same as the rental period, if this is more than 2 months. For example, if your tenant pays rent every 3 months, you must give 3 months바카라 사이트� notice.

Section 8 notice of seeking possession

To give your tenants notice using a Section 8, you must fill in a 바카라 사이트楴otice seeking possession of a property let on an assured tenancy or an assured agricultural occupancy바카라 사이트�. Specify on the notice which terms of the tenancy they바카라 사이트檝e broken.

You can give between 2 weeks바카라 사이트� and 2 months바카라 사이트� notice depending on which terms they바카라 사이트檝e broken.

You can get legal advice on how to fill in a Section 8 with the correct notice periods and how to give it to your tenants.

After you give notice

Keep proof that you gave notice to your tenants - either:

If your tenants do not leave by the specified date, you can use your completed N215 or notice to:

View a printable version of the whole guide

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