Early-stage rent arrears: the steps GOV.UK expects landlords to consider

Practical, GOV.UK-referenced steps landlords can take when a tenant first falls behind on rent.

Most rent arrears are cleared early if they are picked up early. The practical work is spotting a missed payment quickly, contacting the tenant in writing, and keeping a clean record of everything that follows.

Step 1 — confirm the payment is genuinely missing

Check the bank account and the rent ledger before contacting anyone. Payments made on a weekend or by a different payer can arrive late or under an unfamiliar reference.

Step 2 — contact the tenant in writing

A short, factual message works best: the amount outstanding, the date it was due, and how to pay. Keeping it in writing gives you a dated record and avoids disputes later about what was said.

Step 3 — agree a repayment plan if the tenant is struggling

GOV.UK's guidance on rent arrears encourages landlords and tenants to try to agree a way of clearing arrears before matters escalate. If you agree a plan, put it in writing, state the instalment amounts and dates, and record each payment received against it.

Step 4 — keep the paper trail

Keep the rent ledger, bank evidence, every message sent and received, and any agreed plan. If the matter later reaches court, the ledger and the correspondence are the evidence the court will look at.

Step 5 — understand where the statutory route begins

If arrears continue, the possession route for an assured tenancy is a notice under section 8 of the Housing Act 1988 relying on the rent arrears grounds in Schedule 2. Those grounds have their own conditions and notice periods, so read the ground before serving anything.

Where to read the rules

• Renting out a property: rent arrears (GOV.UK)
• Evicting tenants in England (GOV.UK)
• Housing Act 1988, section 8 (legislation.gov.uk)
• Housing Act 1988, Schedule 2 (legislation.gov.uk)

Sources - https://www.gov.uk/renting-out-a-property/rent-arrears - https://www.gov.uk/evicting-tenants - https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/50/section/8 - https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/50/schedule/2

General summary; not legal advice.

Sources: - GOV.UK - Rent arrears (accessed 2026-08-02): https://www.gov.uk/renting-out-a-property/rent-arrears - GOV.UK - Evicting tenants in England (accessed 2026-08-02): https://www.gov.uk/evicting-tenants - Housing Act 1988, s.8 (accessed 2026-08-02): https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/50/section/8 - Housing Act 1988, Schedule 2 (accessed 2026-08-02): https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/50/schedule/2

Published: 2026-08-10.

Last reviewed: 2026-08-30.

General summary; not legal advice.