My landlord wants to evict me but hasn't given proper notice. What is required?

What the Law Says

The legal route for a no-fault eviction of an assured shorthold tenant in England and Wales is governed by Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988. Since 2015, strict procedural rules apply — failure to comply makes the notice invalid and prevents the landlord from obtaining a possession order.

To lawfully evict you using Section 21, your landlord must serve a written notice that complies with all statutory conditions. This includes using the government’s prescribed Form 6A (for notices served on or after 1 October 2015), giving at least two months’ notice, and ensuring the notice expires on the last day of a rental period.

The landlord must also have protected your deposit in a government-approved scheme and provided you with prescribed information about it before serving the notice. They must have given you the government’s ‘How to Rent’ guide and complied with gas safety and energy performance certificate (EPC) requirements where applicable.

Crucially, the notice cannot be served during the first four months of the tenancy if it began on or after 1 October 2015 — and it cannot expire earlier than the end of the fixed term unless the tenancy agreement allows it.

Statutory Text

A landlord may, without giving any reason, obtain an order for the recovery of possession of a dwelling-house let on an assured shorthold tenancy if he has given to the tenant not less than two months’ notice in writing stating that he requires possession of the dwelling-house.

— Housing Act 1988, s. 21 — Recovery of possession on expiry of assured shorthold tenancy

What to Do

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