Section 21 was abolished on 1 May 2026. Pick the Schedule 2 grounds you rely on and we’ll work out the statutory notice period, the earliest date you can issue a claim, whether Ground 8 is met, and the pre-conditions the court will check.
Housing Act 1988 Schedule 2, as amended. The longest notice period governs when you combine grounds.
4 months
2 months
4 weeks
2 weeks
None — proceedings may begin immediately after service
Deemed served on the second business day after posting. Keep proof of postage.
Grounds 8, 10, 11
Ground 8 threshold
£3,000.00 counted vs £3,000.00 (3 months' rent) — met at service. It must also be met on the day of the hearing.
Pre-conditions the court checks
No Breathing Space (Debt Respite) moratorium in force
Arrears grounds can be pursued.
Ground 8 arrears threshold (3 months / 13 weeks of rent)
Counted arrears £3000.00 meet the 3 months' rent threshold of £3000.00. It must ALSO be met on the day of the hearing.
Deposit protected in an authorised scheme + prescribed information given
The court can make a possession order.
Private Rented Sector Database registration (s.90 RRA 2025)
Once the national PRS Database goes live in your area (regional rollout from late 2026; national 2027) an active landlord and property registration will be required before the court can make a possession order on most grounds. Set the go-live date in settings when it is announced for your region.
Use the prescribed Form 3A with the full statutory wording of each ground
One notice per tenant; state each ground’s full Schedule 2 wording (Q4.2) and your particulars (Q4.3). A notice on the wrong form or with abbreviated wording is invalid.
No. Section 21 was abolished for private tenancies in England on 1 May 2026 (Renters’ Rights Act 2025). Notices served before that date could only found a claim issued by 31 July 2026. All possession now proceeds under Section 8 using the Schedule 2 grounds on Form 3A.
At least 3 months’ rent unpaid if rent is monthly, or 13 weeks’ rent if weekly or fortnightly, both when the notice is served AND at the hearing. Arrears that exist only because a Universal Credit housing payment is awaited are ignored. There is no Ground 8A.
Twelve months from service. Court proceedings must be issued within that window or a fresh notice is needed.
The deposit must be protected with the prescribed information given (except on grounds 7A / 14), the tenant must not be in a Breathing Space for arrears grounds, and — once the Private Rented Sector Database is live in your area — you and the property must be registered. Gas, EPC and EICR failures no longer block a claim but remain offences.
The County Court issue fee is £415.00 and a warrant of possession £152.00 (from 13 July 2026). Every claim has a hearing, typically 4–8 weeks after issue. An outright order usually gives 14 days to leave (up to 6 weeks for exceptional hardship); if the tenant stays you need county court bailiffs or a High Court writ.