Serving a Section 8 notice correctly: where GOV.UK sets out the rules

The official forms and guidance for serving a Section 8 notice in England.

A Section 8 notice is the notice a landlord in England serves when they are seeking possession on one or more of the statutory grounds in Schedule 2 to the Housing Act 1988. It must be given on the prescribed form and must correctly identify the grounds relied on.

The prescribed form

Section 8 of the Housing Act 1988 requires the notice to be in the form prescribed by regulations. GOV.UK publishes the current assured tenancy forms; the Section 8 notice is Form 3A — the prescribed Section 8 notice for assured periodic tenancies in England, introduced by the Renters' Rights Act 2025 (it replaced the former Form 3). Using an out-of-date or non-prescribed form risks the notice being invalid.

Setting out the grounds

The notice must state each ground relied on and give the particulars — the facts that support it. For rent arrears, that means the amounts and the periods they relate to. The court can, in limited circumstances, allow a landlord to alter or add grounds, but it is far safer to get the grounds and particulars right before service.

Notice periods

The minimum notice period depends on which ground is used and is set by section 8 of the Housing Act 1988 together with Schedule 2. Different grounds carry different periods, so check the ground you are relying on rather than assuming a single figure applies.

Serving the notice

Serve the notice in a way permitted by the tenancy agreement and keep evidence of how and when it was served — the date of service determines when proceedings can begin. A dated copy of the notice, a record of the method of service and any delivery confirmation are the records a court will expect to see.

Where to read the rules

• Assured tenancy forms (GOV.UK)
• Evicting tenants in England: Section 8 (GOV.UK)
• Housing Act 1988, section 8 (legislation.gov.uk)
• Housing Act 1988, Schedule 2 — grounds for possession (legislation.gov.uk)

Sources - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/assured-tenancy-forms - https://www.gov.uk/evicting-tenants/section-8-and-section-21-notices-of-possession - 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 - Assured tenancy forms (accessed 2026-08-02): https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/assured-tenancy-forms - GOV.UK - Section 8 and Section 21 notices (accessed 2026-08-02): https://www.gov.uk/evicting-tenants/section-8-and-section-21-notices-of-possession - 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: 2026-07-31.

Last reviewed: 2026-08-30.

General summary; not legal advice.