Form 3A Section 8 Notice: Box-by-Box Guide and Download (2026)

Before you start: choose your possession ground

Before completing Form 3A, you need to know which Section 8 possession ground applies to your situation. Choosing the wrong ground, or completing Form 3A before identifying all applicable grounds, means re-serving and restarting the notice period.

• Section 8 Ground Picker, free tool: answer a few questions about your situation and get the correct ground, notice period, and evidence checklist in seconds. Then return here to complete Form 3A accurately.

Section 1: The tenant and property details

Section 1 has two questions. Question 1.1 is the full name of every tenant; question 1.2 is the address of the property your landlord is seeking possession of. You can complete and sign the notice electronically or by hand.

• 1.1 Tenant name(s): enter every adult tenant named on the tenancy agreement, using their legal name, not a nickname. Omitting a joint tenant defeats service against that tenant and can put possession against all of them at risk where the tenancy is joint and several
• 1.2 Property: the full postal address of the property let, not a forwarding address and not the agent's office. Include flat or unit number, building name, street, town and postcode
• If the let is only part of a building (for example one room in an HMO), describe that part specifically, 'Room 3, 12 High Street' rather than just '12 High Street'
• The address determines the county court that hears any later possession claim under CPR PD55A

Section 2: The earliest date your landlord can apply to court

Question 2.1 is the earliest date you can apply to the court for a possession order. It must be the day after the notice period, or the longest notice period if you rely on more than one ground, has expired. The notice is then valid for 12 months from the date it was served.

• Work out question 2.1 from the notice periods in Section 3 below, then enter the day after the longest one expires
• Anti-social behaviour exception: if you rely on Ground 7A or Ground 14 you can enter the date you serve the notice and apply to the court immediately, even if you also use grounds with longer notice periods
• The notice is normally valid for 12 months from service; after that it expires and you must start again
• The 12-month limit can be extended if the tenant enters a 'breathing space' under the Debt Respite Scheme

Section 3: The notice period required

Question 3.1 records the minimum notice period for the ground or grounds you are relying on. The notice period begins on the day the notice is served. If you rely on more than one ground you must wait for the longest period before applying to court. These are the statutory notice periods under the Housing Act 1988 as amended by the Renters' Rights Act 2025:

• Four months: Grounds 1, 1A, 1B, 2, 2ZA, 2ZB, 2ZC, 2ZD, 4A, 6, 6A and 6B (the landlord or a family member moving in, sale, mortgage repossession, redevelopment and related grounds)
• Two months: Grounds 5, 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D, 5H, 7 (death of the tenant) and 9 (suitable alternative accommodation)
• Four weeks: Grounds 5E, 5F, 5G, 8 (serious rent arrears), 10 and 11 (other or persistent late rent) and 18
• Two weeks: Grounds 4, 7B (no right to rent), 12, 13, 14ZA, 14A, 15 and 17
• No notice period: Grounds 7A and 14 (anti-social behaviour), you can apply to court as soon as the notice is served

Section 4: Your landlord's reasons for asking you to leave

Section 4 is where most notices fail. It has three questions. Question 4.1 is an optional tick-list of common grounds. Questions 4.2 and 4.3 are mandatory: 4.2 is the full legal wording of each ground, 4.3 is your explanation of why each ground applies.

• 4.1 (optional tick-list): tick any common ground that applies, Ground 8 (at least 13 weeks' or 3 months' arrears), Grounds 10 or 11 (some unpaid or persistently late rent), Grounds 1 or 1A (you want to use or sell the property), Grounds 4A, 5A or 5C (student or worker lets), Ground 6 (redevelopment), Grounds 7A or 14 (anti-social behaviour), Grounds 13 or 15 (deterioration of the property or furniture), Ground 7B (no right to rent), or 'Other'
• 4.2 (mandatory, full legal wording): paste the full legal wording of every ground, word for word. Do not rely on the name of the ground alone. The exact wording is in the separate gov.uk document 'Form 3A: Legal wording for possession grounds', copy it from there, not from an old Form 3 template
• 4.3 (mandatory, your explanation): under a heading for each ground, explain in your own words why you can use it, with as much evidence as possible. For Ground 8, state the rent, the dates instalments fell due, amounts received and the total arrears at the date of service. For Ground 1A, state that you intend to sell and that the tenancy began at least 12 months ago
• List every ground you rely on, at the hearing you can only succeed on a ground set out in the notice (Mountain v Hastings, CA, 1993)
• Vague explanations ('tenant has been late with rent') are struck out, use dates, amounts and named witnesses

Section 5: Contact details and signature of the landlord, licensor or agent

Section 5 identifies, and is signed by, the person giving the notice. It must be signed by the landlord or licensor, or by someone authorised to sign on their behalf, such as a managing agent. Give the details of whoever actually completed and signed it.

• Question 5.2 asks you to state whether you are the landlord, the licensor or an agent
• Question 5.3 is the date, and question 5.5 is the address of the landlord, licensor or agent who signed
• You can sign electronically or by hand; keep the original and give each named tenant a copy
• Joint landlords or licensors: either each signs in the additional-signatures box, or one signs on behalf of all with their agreement
• If an agent signs, keep written authority to do so, the court may ask to see it

Section 6: Information for the tenant

Section 6 is prescribed information for the tenant. You do not fill it in, and you must not alter or shorten it, changing it can make the notice invalid as not in the prescribed form.

• Explains that the tenant does not have to leave immediately and that only a court can order possession
• Points the tenant to Shelter, Citizens Advice, the Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service and Civil Legal Advice
• Explains breathing space protections where the notice is based on rent arrears
• Sets out the tenant's right to defend a possession claim in court

Frequently asked questions