Section 8 Notice

GOV.UK guidance explains that a section 8 notice is used to evict a tenant with an assured periodic tenancy by proving a ground for possession, served using 'form 3A of the assured tenancy forms.' Grounds include that 'your tenant has not paid or owes you rent (rent arrears),' that 'you or your close family need to move into the property,' or that 'you intend to sell the property,' among others.

Grounds fall into two categories: 'Grounds are either ‘discretionary’ or ‘mandatory’.' A discretionary ground means 'you need to prove it and the court then decides if it is reasonable to evict your tenant,' whereas 'A ‘mandatory ground’ means if your evidence proves the ground is met, the court must give you a possession order.' The notice period depends on the ground used — 'The notice period will usually be 4 months if your tenant has not done anything wrong. It may be 2 months in some specialist cases' — and, since the reforms, a landlord who served a section 8 notice on or after 1 May 2026 will usually have up to 12 months to apply to the court to evict the tenant.