Rent arrears calculator (Ground 8 check)

This rent arrears calculator tells you whether your tenant's arrears meet the Ground 8 threshold, the mandatory rent arrears ground for Section 8 notices in England. Ground 8 needs at least 3 months' rent unpaid if rent is monthly, or 13 weeks' rent if it is weekly or fortnightly, both when you serve the notice and at the hearing. Enter the rent, how often it's due and what is owed today.

How to use the rent arrears calculator

1. Rent amount. The rent for one period, for example £1,200 a month.
2. How often rent is due. Monthly, weekly, fortnightly, every four weeks, or other.
3. Total rent unpaid today. Only rent lawfully due under this tenancy. Leave out deposits, fees and arrears from an earlier tenancy.
4. The part unpaid only because a Universal Credit payment hasn't arrived yet. This amount is taken off before the check.

The result shows the threshold, the arrears that count and, if you're short, by how much.

The rules the calculator applies

Rent is due	Ground 8 threshold	Example
Monthly	3 months' rent	£1,200 a month: £3,600
Weekly	13 weeks' rent	£250 a week: £3,250
Fortnightly	13 weeks' rent (6.5 fortnights)	£500 a fortnight: £3,250
Every four weeks, or other	No threshold set	Use Grounds 10 and 11

The other rules behind the result:

• Two dates. The threshold must be met on the day you serve the notice and on the day of the hearing. The calculator checks today only.
• Universal Credit. If the tenant is entitled to a Universal Credit housing amount, any rent unpaid only because they haven't yet received that payment is ignored. See Universal Credit and rent arrears.
• Rent lawfully due. Rent isn't treated as due until you've given the tenant an address in England or Wales for serving notices (Landlord and Tenant Act 1987 section 48).
• Four-weekly rent. The law sets Ground 8 thresholds only for weekly, fortnightly and monthly rent. For other periods, rely on Grounds 10 and 11 and get advice from a solicitor before trying Ground 8.

Ground 8 needs 4 weeks' notice, and the court can't dispense with the notice.

Worked examples

Rent	Arrears today	Universal Credit delay	Arrears that count	Ground 8 threshold	Result
£1,200 monthly	£3,600	£0	£3,600	£3,600	Meets it
£1,200 monthly	£3,599	£0	£3,599	£3,600	Short by £1
£250 weekly	£3,250	£0	£3,250	£3,250	Meets it
£1,000 monthly	£3,200	£400	£2,800	£3,000	Short by £200
£900 every four weeks	£5,000	£0	£5,000	None set	Use Grounds 10 and 11

In the fourth row, the tenant owes more than 3 months' rent on paper, but £400 is a Universal Credit payment that hasn't arrived yet. Once it's ignored, the arrears fall below the threshold. You can still use the discretionary Grounds 10 and 11.

Watch out: Arrears that meet the threshold today can fall below it by the hearing if the tenant pays some off. Rely on Grounds 8, 10 and 11 together, so the claim can continue on the discretionary grounds.

What the result doesn't tell you

• Whether the arrears will still meet the threshold at the hearing. Keep a rent schedule with dates due, amounts paid and a running balance; the court will want one covering up to 2 years.
• Counterclaims. A tenant's disrepair counterclaim can be set off against the arrears and may take them below the threshold.
• Breathing space. You can't serve a notice relying on Grounds 8, 10 or 11 while the tenant is in a debt breathing space.
• Deposit protection. If the deposit isn't protected, the court can't make a possession order on Ground 8.

What to do next

If the arrears meet the threshold, create a rent arrears Section 8 notice on Grounds 8, 10 and 11, then use our Section 8 notice period calculator to check the dates. Read our full guide to Ground 8 and evicting a tenant for rent arrears. All our free tools are on the landlord calculators page.