Ground for Possession
A statutory reason that a landlord must rely on and prove in order to obtain a court order evicting a tenant. A landlord must set out which ground or grounds they are using in the notice served on the tenant, together with supporting evidence.
Independent editorial summary — not the official statute text. Read the official version on legislation.gov.uk.
Government guidance for landlords makes clear that a notice seeking possession cannot simply assert that the landlord wants the property back — it has to identify a specific statutory reason: 'You'll also need to explain what reasons (known as ‘grounds’) you're using to evict them. You can include evidence, for example bank statements which show that your tenant has not paid rent.'
The guidance lists examples of the grounds available, spanning tenant-fault and landlord-circumstance categories alike: 'your tenant has not paid or owes you rent (rent arrears)', 'your tenant has committed antisocial behaviour', 'you or your close family need to move into the property', and 'you intend to sell the property'. Each ground carries its own notice period and evidential requirements, and a court will not grant possession simply because a ground is named in the notice — the landlord still has to prove that the ground applies on the facts.
Related terms
Official sources
This explanation is drawn from the official sources below; every substantive statement is verified against them. For advice on a specific matter, see our find help page.