Renters' Rights Act 2025, Phase 1 commencement
Transition readiness pack
LetSafe
England
Free tools/Section 8 Ground Picker

Section 8 Ground Picker

Answer 2 to 3 questions and instantly see which Section 8 ground applies, notice period, mandatory or discretionary, pre-conditions, and evidence tips. England · Renters' Rights Act 2025.

Loading…

Common questions about Section 8 grounds

Which Section 8 ground should I use for rent arrears?▾
If rent is 3 months' (or 13 weeks') in arrears at both the notice date and hearing date, use Ground 8 (mandatory). Always serve Grounds 10 and 11 alongside as fallbacks, if arrears are cleared below threshold before hearing, Ground 8 fails but the discretionary grounds remain. For arrears below 3 months use Grounds 10 and 11. For persistent late payment without current arrears, use Ground 11.
Which Section 8 ground do I use to sell my property?▾
Use Ground 1A (new under the Renters' Rights Act 2025). This mandatory ground requires 4 months' notice and carries a 12-month re-let ban from the earliest possession date, breach is a criminal offence with a civil penalty up to £40,000.
What is the Section 8 notice period in England in 2026?▾
Notice periods vary by ground: 4 months (Grounds 1, 1A, 2, 2ZB, 4A, 6, 6A); 2 months (Grounds 5, 5C, 7, 9); 4 weeks (Grounds 8, 10, 11); 2 weeks (Grounds 4, 7B, 12, 13, 14ZA, 15, 17); no minimum (Grounds 7A, 14). All figures apply to notices served on or after 1 May 2026 in England.
What is the difference between mandatory and discretionary Section 8 grounds?▾
On a mandatory ground, the court must grant possession if the ground is proved, the tenant has no circumstance-based defence. On a discretionary ground, the court weighs all circumstances and may refuse possession even where the ground is technically made out.
Can I cite more than one Section 8 ground on the same notice?▾
Yes, and in arrears cases you should. Always serve Grounds 8, 10, and 11 together on one Form 3A. For ASB, cite Grounds 7A, 14ZA, or 14 as applicable. Note: the RRA 2025 creates an offence for citing a ground you do not reasonably believe you can prove.
Do Section 8 grounds apply in Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland?▾
No. Section 8 applies only to assured tenancies in England. Wales uses occupation contracts under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016. Scotland has the Private Residential Tenancy regime. Northern Ireland operates under separate housing legislation.

Ready to serve notice?

The Section 8 Notice Pack (LS-E-010, £19) includes Form 3A pre-filled for all 37 grounds, notice-period calculator, ground-by-ground guidance, and a proof-of-service log.

Section 8 Notice Pack · £19 →Full grounds reference →

Information only, not legal advice. England only. Valid for notices served on or after 1 May 2026.

What this tool does

The Section 8 Ground Picker asks two or three plain-English questions about your situation and tells you which possession ground fits, the notice period that applies, whether the ground is mandatory or discretionary, and the pre-conditions you need to satisfy before you serve notice. It is free, takes about two minutes, and nothing is stored or sent to us.

Who it is for

It is built for private landlords in England who need to recover possession of a property let on an assured tenancy. Since Section 21 was abolished by the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, every possession claim starts with a Section 8 notice, so choosing the right ground is now the single most important decision in the process. Agents and advisers can use it as a quick sense-check too.

How Section 8 grounds work after the Renters’ Rights Act

Section 8 of the Housing Act 1988 lists the grounds on which a court can order possession. The Renters’ Rights Act reworked that list: it added new grounds such as Ground 1A (landlord selling) and Ground 4A (student HMOs), amended others, and set a specific notice period for each. Grounds fall into two families. On a mandatory ground the court must order possession once the ground is proved; on a discretionary ground the judge weighs reasonableness and can refuse. Serving the wrong ground, or the right ground with the wrong notice period, usually means starting again, so check before you serve.

Once you know your ground, the Section 8 Notice Pack gives you Form 3A with every current ground pre-labelled, and the Section 8 Possession Bundle adds the court paperwork if the notice expires unresolved. For background reading, see what happens after you serve a Section 8 notice, notice periods in 2026 and the rent arrears possession timeline.