Eviction Notice for Landlords

Since Section 21 was abolished on 1 May 2026, the only eviction notice available to landlords in England is a Section 8 notice under the Housing Act 1988. A Section 8 notice must specify the grounds relied upon — either mandatory grounds (where the court must grant possession if proved) or discretionary grounds (where the court weighs up the circumstances). The most commonly used ground is Ground 8 (three months' rent arrears).

The notice period for a Section 8 eviction notice depends on the ground used. For mandatory rent arrears grounds (Ground 8), the notice period is 2 weeks. For most other grounds, the notice period is 2 months. After the notice period expires, if the tenant has not vacated, you must issue possession proceedings in the county court. An undefended claim can be resolved in 6–10 weeks from issue. Defended proceedings take longer.

No. You cannot evict a tenant without a court order. Attempting to evict a tenant without a court order — for example, by changing the locks, removing their belongings, or cutting off utilities — is illegal and constitutes unlawful eviction. You must serve a valid eviction notice, wait for the notice period to expire, issue possession proceedings if the tenant does not vacate, obtain a possession order from the court, and then apply for a warrant of possession if the tenant still does not leave.

If a tenant does not vacate after the eviction notice period expires, you must issue possession proceedings in the county court. We prepare the claim form and evidence bundle and attend hearings on your behalf. If the court grants a possession order and the tenant still does not leave by the date specified, we apply for a warrant of possession to instruct county court bailiffs, or transfer the case to the High Court for faster enforcement.

The cost of evicting a tenant depends on whether the tenant defends the claim and how far proceedings go. Court fees for a possession claim are currently £391 (standard possession claim). Our legal fees are charged on a staged fixed-fee basis so you know the cost at each stage. We will give you a clear cost estimate at the outset. In some cases, the court may order the tenant to pay your legal costs.

The eviction process in England is: (1) Identify the correct Section 8 ground(s); (2) Serve a valid Section 8 eviction notice specifying the grounds and notice period; (3) Wait for the notice period to expire; (4) If the tenant does not vacate, issue possession proceedings in the county court; (5) Attend the possession hearing — the court will grant a possession order if the ground is proved; (6) If the tenant does not vacate by the date in the order, apply for a warrant of possession; (7) County court bailiffs attend to remove the tenant.