Eviction notices from private landlords
Your landlord must give you an eviction notice if they want to end your tenancy.
It takes time for your landlord to evict you. There are 3 stages for most private renters:
notice
court action
eviction by bailiffs
If your landlord or agent does not follow these steps it could be an illegal eviction.
Lodgers who live with a landlord have less rights.
Your landlord must give you a valid notice
You should get a written notice even if you do not have a written tenancy agreement.
Check your tenancy type with our tenancy checker.
Renters' Rights Act changes to eviction notices
On 1 May 2026 eviction law for most private tenants changed.
Most assured shorthold tenancies (ASTs) became assured tenancies.
If your landlord gave you a notice before 1 May 2026
Your tenancy did not change to an assured tenancy on 1 May.
But your landlord had until 31 July 2026 to ask a court for an order to evict you.
If your landlord missed this deadline:
they cannot use the notice to get a court order to evict you
your tenancy changed to an assured tenancy on 1 August 2026
They must give you a new notice if they still want you to leave.
More on:
If your landlord gave you a notice before 1 May 2026 which is not valid, they cannot use the notice to evict you. You will also have an assured tenancy with stronger rights.
Try to get legal help to check:
if the notice is valid
if you could stop eviction
Section 8 notices
Most private renters now have assured tenancies.
Your landlord must use a section 8 eviction notice if you have an assured tenancy.
Your landlord needs a legal reason called a 'ground' to use this type of notice. They have to prove the ground at a court hearing.
The most common reason for a section 8 notice is rent arrears.
You can also get a section 8 notice for other reasons. For example, if your landlord wants to:
sell the property
move in themselves
Your landlord has a year from when they give you a section 8 notice to start court action. If they do not apply to court within this time they cannot use the notice.
More on:
If you got a section 8 notice before 1 May 2026
Your landlord had until 31 July 2026 to ask the court for an order to evict you.
If they missed this deadline, they cannot use the notice to get an order to evict you.
They must give you a new notice.
Notice to quit
A notice to quit is used to end some less common types of tenancy.
Your landlord cannot use this type of notice if you have an assured tenancy.
The most common situations where you might get a notice to quit are:
you're a property guardian
you're a student in halls of residence
you and your landlord live in separate flats in a converted house
you rent from your employer and you have to live there to do the job
Notice to quit from a landlord must:
give at least 4 weeks' notice
end on the first or last day of a tenancy period
contain certain legal information, including where to get advice
It can only be used to end a rolling agreement. For example, a monthly or weekly agreement.
Your landlord still has to apply to court if you do not leave by the end of the notice.
This is called basic protection from eviction.
Notice for regulated or protected tenants
You have strong tenancy rights with this type of private tenancy.
You can only be evicted from your home if both:
your landlord has a legal reason
a court agrees that eviction is reasonable
More on eviction of regulated tenants.
Get free legal advice
Look for help as soon as you get a notice.
Find a legal adviser on GOV.UK.
Tick 'housing loss prevention advice service' on the search tool.
You could get more legal help if you get benefits or have a low income.
Last updated: 3 August 2026
