Renters' Rights Act 2025, Phase 1 commencement
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England, Notice Periods, Renters' Rights Act 2025, Section 8

Landlord Minimum Notice Periods UK, Complete Guide

Landlord notice periods UK 2026: updated minimum notice requirements for every Section 8 ground, rent increases, property access, tenancy end, and possession under the Renters' Rights Act 2025. Quick-reference table included.

9 min readUpdated 27 May 2026Last reviewed: 27 May 2026 by Richard Wood, FounderNotice PeriodsSection 8Renters' Rights ActLandlord Obligations
Written and reviewed by· Founder, LetSafe UKLast reviewed: 27 May 2026
Section 8 Notice Pack (All Grounds)£19

Minimum notice periods in residential lettings in England changed significantly on 1 May 2026 when the Renters' Rights Act 2025 came into force. Section 21 is abolished. Notice periods for Section 8 grounds are now the only statutory mechanism for ending a tenancy without the tenant's consent. Getting notice periods wrong is one of the most common reasons possession claims are struck out by the County Court, this guide covers every notice a landlord may need to serve in 2026.

Quick-reference notice period table, Section 8 grounds

  • Ground 1 (landlord occupation), 4 months' notice
  • Ground 1A (landlord intends to sell), 4 months' notice; 12-month re-let ban applies
  • Ground 6A (possession needed to comply with enforcement action), 4 months' notice
  • Ground 7 (death of tenant / inherited tenancy), 2 months' notice
  • Ground 7A (serious anti-social behaviour or relevant conviction), no minimum notice period; proceedings may begin as soon as the notice is served
  • Ground 7B (no right to rent), 2 weeks' notice
  • Ground 8 (mandatory rent arrears 3+ months), 4 weeks' notice
  • Ground 10 (rent arrears, any amount), 4 weeks' notice
  • Ground 11 (persistent delay in paying rent), 4 weeks' notice
  • Ground 12 (breach of tenancy), 2 weeks' notice
  • Ground 13 (deterioration of property), 2 weeks' notice
  • Ground 14 (nuisance or annoyance), notice valid immediately
  • Ground 15 (deterioration of furniture), 2 weeks' notice
  • Ground 17 (misrepresentation), 2 weeks' notice

Rent increase notice, Section 13 (Form 4A)

  • All periodic tenancies (weekly, monthly, quarterly or annual): at least 2 months' notice; the Renters' Rights Act 2025 replaced the old variable periods with a flat two-month minimum
  • The new rent takes effect from the first payment date after the notice expires, not from the date of service
  • Contractual rent-review clauses in a Periodic Assured Tenancy are unenforceable, Section 13 is the only route
  • A tenant may challenge the proposed new rent at the First-tier Tribunal (Residential Property) within the notice period

Property access notice, 24-hour minimum

  • Routine inspection or repair: minimum 24 hours' written notice; visit at a reasonable time
  • Emergency access: immediate entry lawful for genuinely urgent works (burst pipe, gas leak) but not minor repairs
  • Email notice: acceptable if the tenancy agreement permits email communication
  • Repeated unannounced entry: can constitute harassment, civil penalties apply

Information Sheet, serving deadline

The RRA 2025 Information Sheet must be served on every named tenant under a written tenancy that began before 1 May 2026. The one-off deadline was 31 May 2026; late service is still required, with proof kept. Non-service is a civil offence with a penalty of up to £7,000. New tenancies from 1 May 2026 do not receive the Information Sheet; they require the written statement of key terms before the tenancy is agreed.

How to calculate notice expiry

  • Day 1 is the day after service (not the date of service itself)
  • 4-week notice served 27 May 2026: expires 24 June 2026
  • 2-month notice served 27 May 2026: expires 27 July 2026
  • Keep proof of service: witness statement, recorded post receipt, or email with read receipt
  • Do not start possession proceedings until the notice period has fully expired

Sources

This guide is accurate as at 28 September 2026. It is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.

Primary sources

This page is drafted against the legislation below. Always check the current text of the law before acting.

Frequently asked questions

How much notice must I give for a Section 8 notice in 2026?+

It depends on the ground. Rent-arrears grounds (Ground 8, 10 and 11) require four weeks' notice. Ground 1 and Ground 1A (the landlord or close family moving in, or selling) require four months. Serious anti-social behaviour (Ground 7A) and nuisance (Ground 14) have no minimum notice period, so proceedings may begin as soon as the notice is served. Serving the wrong notice period invalidates the notice, so confirm the exact period for every ground you cite.

How much notice must I give a tenant before a property inspection or repair visit?+

In England, landlords must give at least 24 hours' written notice before entering a property. Notice should be in writing and the visit should be at a reasonable time, typically during normal working hours unless agreed otherwise. Emergency access for urgent repairs (burst pipe, gas leak) can be carried out without notice.

What notice period do I need to give for a rent increase in 2026?+

On a Periodic Assured Tenancy, rent can only be increased using a formal Section 13 notice (Form 4A). The notice must give at least 2 months' notice. Contractual rent-review clauses in a PAT are unenforceable.

What notice period applies to Ground 8 rent arrears possession?+

Four weeks' notice is required for Ground 8 (mandatory rent arrears of three months or more). Notice periods differ by ground, always check the specific period for each ground before serving.

Can I give notice before 6 months to sell the property?+

No. Under Ground 1A (landlord intends to sell), the notice cannot take effect within the first 12 months of the tenancy, and four months' notice is required. A 12-month re-let and re-marketing ban also applies from the possession date in the notice.

Free tools for this topic

No account needed, results in under two minutes.

Free tool
Section 8 Ground Picker
2-minute tool: find the correct possession ground for your situation.
Free tool
Section 13 Calculator
Work out the permitted rent increase and the earliest valid date.
Free tool
Notice Validity Checker
Confirm the notice period and check for common drafting errors.

Templates recommended in this guide

Put this guide into practice, get the Section 8 Notice Pack (All Grounds) from the LetSafe shop, the regulation-current pack that matches this guide.

NoticeLS-E-010

Section 8 Notice Pack (All Grounds)

Every mandatory and discretionary ground on the new 2026 list, pre-labelled with the notice period, arrears threshold, and evidence block.

£19
See what’s inside
TenancyLS-E-001

Periodic Assured Tenancy Agreement

The default English tenancy since 1 May 2026. Periodic from day one, with the prescribed written statement of terms built in. Ships with the Form 4A rent-increase notice template and an Information Sheet delivery acknowledgement form so a buying landlord has every Phase-1 compliance document in one pack.

£29
See what’s inside
ComplianceLS-E-020

Landlord Annual Compliance Checklist

Annual walk-through of every compliance touchpoint: gas, electrical, EPC, smoke/CO, Right-to-Rent, deposit, licensing, database registration.

£19
See what’s inside
TransitionLS-E-130

Renters' Rights Act Transition Pack

For landlords who need to migrate existing ASTs onto the new regime. The single most-searched landlord product of 2026.

£39
See what’s inside

Found a gap or disagree with something?

Reply to any LetSafe email or write to richard@letsafeuk.co.uk. We rewrite guides when we get something wrong, the sooner we hear, the sooner we fix it.

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