Notice periods
Renters’ Rights Act notice period
Under the Renters’ Rights Act, a tenant in England gives two months’ notice in writing, ending on a rent day or the day before. A landlord’s notice depends on the reason: four months to sell or move in, and not in the first 12 months; four weeks for serious rent arrears; two weeks for breaking the agreement; none for antisocial behaviour.
England only · Checked against GOV.UK on 23 October 2026 · Independent, not a government service
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Check a property freeWhat changed on 1 May 2026
- Tenancies are periodic. Most assured shorthold tenancies became assured periodic tenancies, rolling from one rent period to the next with no end date.
- Section 21 has gone. A landlord can’t end a tenancy without a reason any more: what replaced no fault eviction.
- A landlord now uses a section 8 notice on Form 3A, naming a ground the law recognises. Each ground has its own notice period.
- A tenant can leave on two months’ notice at any point in the tenancy.
Every change in one place: the new landlord rules for 2026.
How much notice a tenant gives
Two months, in writing. A letter, email or text all count, and your landlord can’t insist on one of them. Two months is the most a landlord can require; you can agree a shorter period, or an earlier end date, but only in writing.
The notice has to end the tenancy on a day your rent is due or the day before. If your rent is due on the 15th, a notice ending on the 14th or the 15th works; one ending on the 20th doesn’t fit. Rent stays payable until the tenancy ends, whether or not you have moved out.
Changed your mind after sending it? You can only stay if the landlord agrees in writing. How to write a notice that works, with a template.
How much notice a landlord gives
It depends on the ground. The notice period starts on the day the notice is served. If the landlord uses more than one ground, they must wait for the longest period to end before going to court, except for the antisocial behaviour grounds, where they can apply straight away.
| Reason | Ground | Notice | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landlord or close family moving in | 1 | 4 months | Mandatory. Can’t take effect in the first 12 months. |
| Landlord selling the home | 1A | 4 months | Mandatory. Can’t take effect in the first 12 months. |
| Mortgage lender repossessing | 2 | 4 months | Mandatory. |
| Demolition or major redevelopment | 6 | 4 months | Mandatory. |
| Serious rent arrears | 8 | 4 weeks | Mandatory. At least 3 months’ rent owed (13 weeks if paid weekly or fortnightly). |
| Any rent arrears | 10 | 4 weeks | Discretionary. |
| Persistently late rent | 11 | 4 weeks | Discretionary. |
| Suitable other home offered | 9 | 2 months | Discretionary. |
| No right to rent | 7B | 2 weeks | Mandatory. |
| Breaking the tenancy agreement | 12 | 2 weeks | Discretionary. |
| Damage to the property | 13 | 2 weeks | Discretionary. |
| Antisocial behaviour | 14 | None | Discretionary. Court can be asked straight away. |
| Serious antisocial or criminal behaviour | 7A | None | Mandatory. Court can be asked straight away. |
Mandatory means the court must order possession if the landlord proves the ground. Discretionary means the court must also think eviction is reasonable. There are more grounds, including ones only social landlords, employers or universities can use; GOV.UK’s grounds for possession guidance lists them all.
A notice is not an eviction. If you stay, the landlord has to get a possession order from the court, and if you still don’t leave, a warrant for bailiffs to evict you. A landlord who skips those steps may be guilty of illegal eviction or harassment.
How much notice do I have to give my landlord?
Two months, in writing, unless you and your landlord agree a shorter period in writing. Two months is the most a landlord can ask for. The notice has to end the tenancy on a day your rent is due or the day before, and you keep paying rent until it ends, even if you move out sooner.
Can I give notice in the first few months?
Yes. Since 1 May 2026 there are no fixed terms, and GOV.UK tells landlords that tenants can give two months’ notice to end the tenancy at any point. The 12-month protected period only limits the landlord: it stops them using the selling or moving-in grounds early.
Can I give notice by email or text?
Yes. GOV.UK says a tenant’s notice must be in writing, for example a letter, email or text, and that a landlord can’t tell you how to give it. Keep a copy and a record of when you sent it.
Can my landlord give me notice by email?
Only if your written tenancy agreement clearly says email is an agreed way to serve notices. Otherwise GOV.UK’s guidance for landlords says to hand it over in person, deliver it to the home or put it through the letterbox, or send it by registered post. A landlord’s notice to end the tenancy has to be on Form 3A, a section 8 notice.
Can my landlord evict me to sell in the first year?
No. Grounds 1 and 1A, for selling or for the landlord or close family moving in, can’t be used until 12 months after the tenancy started. The landlord can give the notice before then, but the date in it must fall after the 12 months are up. Both grounds need four months’ notice.
Do I have to leave when the notice ends?
No. The end of the notice is the earliest date the landlord can apply to court. If you don’t leave, they must apply for a possession order, and do it within 12 months of serving the notice or the notice expires. Get advice as soon as you are given notice, and keep paying the rent.
My tenancy started before 1 May 2026. Do the new rules apply?
Yes. Most assured shorthold tenancies became assured periodic tenancies on 1 May 2026, so an end date in an older agreement no longer applies and the same notice rules cover you. A section 21 or section 8 notice given before 1 May 2026 could only be taken to court up to 31 July 2026; after that it can’t be used.
We are joint tenants. Can one of us give notice?
GOV.UK says one joint tenant can usually end a joint tenancy without the others agreeing, which ends it for everyone. A shorter notice period needs the landlord and all the joint tenants to agree. Talk to your housemates, and get advice, before anyone sends notice.
Rent increases have their own notice
A rent rise isn’t a notice to leave. Your landlord must use Form 4A and give at least two months’ notice. Check whether a rent increase notice is valid.
Where this comes from
GOV.UK’s Renters’ Rights Act overview for tenants, its guidance for landlords on when a tenant wants to leave and ending a tenancy, the grounds for possession guidance, notices of possession served from 1 May 2026, repossessing your privately rented property, the Form 3A guidance for landlords and notices given before 1 May 2026. The law itself is section 8 of the Housing Act 1988 and section 5 of the Protection from Eviction Act 1977, both as amended by the Renters’ Rights Act 2025.
General information, not legal advice. If you have been given notice, Shelter, Citizens Advice or your council can advise on your own case. RenterCheck is independent and not connected with the government.
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