Eviction notice for tenants in England: which one to use

In England, the eviction notice a private landlord gives an assured tenant is a Section 8 notice on Form 3A, which sets out the legal grounds for possession and the earliest date you can apply to court. Section 21 "no-fault" notices can no longer be served for private tenancies, and a letter or notice to quit from you doesn't end the tenancy. Form 3A is free from GOV.UK, but it must be filled in exactly right.

Which eviction notice applies to your tenant?

Your situation	The notice to use
Private assured tenancy, including a former assured shorthold tenancy	Form 3A (Section 8), version 05.26
Social housing tenancy let by a private registered provider	Form 3, under the old regime (not covered by our service)
Section 21 notice served before 1 May 2026	No longer usable: claims had to start by 31 July 2026
Lodger living in your home	A different process; see evicting a lodger
Property in Wales	Welsh law: the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016
A letter from the court's bailiffs with an eviction date	That's the notice of eviction (form N54), sent at least 14 days before the bailiffs attend

So when people search for an "eviction notice", they usually mean one of two documents: your Form 3A at the start of the process, or the bailiffs' N54 at the end.

What a valid Section 8 eviction notice must contain

Form 3A has fixed sections, and each one matters:

Part of Form 3A	What you put
1.1 Tenants	The full name of every tenant, including joint tenants who have moved out
1.2 Property	The full address and postcode
2.1 Earliest court date	The day after the longest notice period for your grounds ends
3 Latest date	Fixed text: proceedings must begin within 12 months of service
4.1 Reasons	Optional tick boxes for common grounds
4.2 Grounds	The full legal wording of each ground, from GOV.UK's legal wording document
4.3 Explanation	Your reasons and evidence for each ground, in your own words
5.1 to 5.7	Signature (by each joint landlord, or one for all), capacity, date, name, address, phone and email
6 Information for tenants	Fixed text about advice and Breathing Space

Two details catch landlords out. First, writing "Ground 8" alone in question 4.2 isn't enough; GOV.UK says your notice may be invalid without the full wording. Second, giving an email address in question 5.7 means you agree that the tenant and the court can serve documents on you by email. It doesn't let you serve the tenant by email. Our step-by-step guide to Form 3A walks through every box.

Why an eviction letter or template isn't enough

The legal notice to evict a tenant is Form 3A, not a letter. An eviction letter to a tenant, however clear, doesn't start the legal process, and if it claims to end the tenancy it can land you with a penalty:

• A notice to quit from you has no effect on an assured tenancy, and purporting to end the tenancy that way can bring a penalty of up to £7,000.
• A home-made "eviction notice" that claims to be a possession notice but isn't in accordance with section 8 is a "purported notice of possession". Serving one can also bring a penalty of up to £7,000.
• Old templates written for Section 21, old Form 3 or the pre-May 2026 grounds use the wrong form and the wrong notice periods.
• Changed wording is risky. GOV.UK says not to change the wording of the forms unless the form says you can.

You can send a covering letter with the notice to explain it in plain English; see our Section 8 cover letter template. The letter doesn't replace the form.

How much notice the eviction notice must give

Notice	Main private-landlord grounds
None (date can be the day of service)	7A, 14
2 weeks	7B, 12, 13, 15, 17
4 weeks	8, 10, 11
2 months	7, 9
4 months	1, 1A, 6

Grounds 1 and 1A also need the date to fall at least 12 months after the tenancy began. The full table is in Section 8 notice periods.

Serving the notice

1. Follow any service method in your written tenancy agreement.
2. Otherwise, hand it to the tenant, deliver it to the property (letterbox if no one answers) or send it by registered post.
3. Use email only if the written agreement clearly allows it.
4. Give a copy to each tenant and keep the original.
5. Record service on form N215, or write "served by [your name] on [the date]" on your copy.

If you post it, work out the date in question 2.1 from when it will actually reach the tenant, and allow a margin.

After the notice

The tenant doesn't have to leave when the notice ends. From the date in question 2.1 you can apply for a possession order, and if they stay after the order, the bailiffs send the N54. See what to do if the tenant won't leave. Never change the locks yourself: that is illegal eviction, with penalties of up to £40,000.

This guide covers England only. Wales (Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016), Scotland and Northern Ireland have different law.

What to do next

Create your Section 8 notice: our builder fills in Form 3A, inserts the official wording, works out the dates and checks your notice against the rules. For the background on the old route, see Section 21 notices, and for the whole process, how to evict a tenant.