Section 8 notice period calculator

Use this Section 8 notice period calculator to find the earliest date you can put in question 2.1 of Form 3A, and the last day to start court proceedings. Enter the date the tenant will receive the notice, the tenancy start date and the grounds you're relying on. It applies the notice periods in force in England since 1 May 2026.

How to use the Section 8 notice period calculator

1. Enter the date the tenant receives the notice. Hand delivery is the most reliable method. If you post it, enter the date it will arrive, not the date you post it, and allow extra days.
2. Enter the tenancy start date. It's needed for Grounds 1 and 1A (the 12-month protected period) and Ground 6 (the tenancy must have begun at least 6 months before the date in the notice).
3. Tick every ground you'll rely on. Only grounds open to private landlords are listed. Grounds 8, 10 and 11 are ticked to start with, because relying on all three together is standard practice for rent arrears.
4. Read the result. You get the earliest date for question 2.1, a line for each ground explaining its date, the last day to start court proceedings, and any warnings.

The rules the calculator applies

Minimum notice	Grounds offered (private landlords)
4 months	1, 1A, 2, 2ZB, 2ZC, 2ZD, 4A, 6, 6B
2 months	5, 5A, 5C, 7, 9
4 weeks	5G, 8, 10, 11
2 weeks	7B, 12, 13, 14ZA, 15, 17
None	7A, 14

On top of the table, the calculator applies these rules:

• Several grounds: the date is set by the longest notice period.
• Weeks: counted in whole weeks beginning with the day of service, so a notice served on a Monday gives a Monday date.
• Months: the same day number, n months later. Where that day doesn't exist (31 October plus 4 months), we use the 1st of the next month. This is our conservative choice, because the law doesn't settle the point.
• Grounds 7A and 14: if either is included, the date can be the date of service, even alongside other grounds. If only 7A or 14 is proved, the court can't make the order take effect within 14 days of service.
• Grounds 1 and 1A: the date can't fall within the first year of the tenancy. The law counts both the start day and the notice date, so the day before the anniversary is arguable; we use the first anniversary to be safe.
• Ground 6: the tenancy must have begun at least 6 months before the date.
• Ground 4A: the date must fall between 1 June and 30 September, so it moves forward to 1 June, or to next year if the window has passed.
• Last day to start proceedings: 12 months from service. We show the day before the first anniversary, to be safe.

The date doesn't need to fall on a rent day. See our full guide to Section 8 notice periods.

Worked examples

Grounds	Served	Tenancy began	Question 2.1 date	Last day to start proceedings
8, 10, 11	Monday 2 November 2026	—	Monday 30 November 2026	Monday 1 November 2027
1A	Monday 2 November 2026	1 August 2026	Sunday 1 August 2027 (protected period)	Monday 1 November 2027
6	Saturday 31 October 2026	2020	Monday 1 March 2027 (month-end rule)	Saturday 30 October 2027
14 and 8	Monday 2 November 2026	—	Monday 2 November 2026 (date of service)	Monday 1 November 2027
4A	Monday 2 November 2026	—	Tuesday 1 June 2027 (June to September window)	Monday 1 November 2027

Watch out: In the Ground 1A example, 4 months' notice alone would give 2 March 2027, but the protected period pushes the date to August. That leaves only 3 months between the earliest court date and the 12-month deadline.

What the calculator doesn't check

The calculator works out dates. It doesn't check that you can prove the ground, and it doesn't cover these points:

• Ground conditions: for example the Ground 8 arrears threshold (use our rent arrears calculator), the student, HMO and prior-statement conditions for 4A, or the fact that Ground 1A can't be used on assured tenancies from before 1 May 2026 that were not assured shorthold tenancies.
• Other time limits: proceedings within 6 months of becoming landlord (2ZC, 2ZD), the notice date within 12 months of the council's notification (5G), proceedings within 12 months of the death (7), and the service deadlines for 7A.
• Breathing space: you can't serve Grounds 8, 10 or 11 while the tenant is in a debt breathing space.
• Deposit protection: an unprotected deposit doesn't affect the date, but it blocks the court order on most grounds.

It is for private landlords in England only. Social landlords use Form 3, and Wales has different law. If the tenant is likely to defend, speak to a solicitor.

What to do next

Turn your dates into a completed Form 3A with our Section 8 notice service, which applies the same rules. Then read how to serve a Section 8 notice so the service date you entered holds up. All our free tools are on the landlord calculators page.