Notice periods by ground
| Grounds | Notice period “beginning with the date of service” |
|---|---|
| 1, 1A, 1B, 2, 2ZA, 2ZB, 2ZC, 2ZD, 4A, 6, 6A, 6B | four months |
| 5, 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D, 5H, 7, 9 | two months |
| 5E, 5F, 5G, 8, 10, 11, 18 | four weeks |
| 4, 7B, 12, 13, 14ZA, 14A, 15, 17 | two weeks |
| 7A, 14 | no notice period |
Where a notice uses more than one ground, the longest of their periods applies.
What makes a Form 3A invalid
- An old version of the form.
- The ground named but its legal wording missing or changed.
- A date in question 2.1 that is too early.
- Arrears grounds served during a breathing space.
- Ground 8 below its threshold on the day of service.
- Proceedings begun more than twelve months after service.
What a wrong notice can cost
Serving a document that claims to be a section 8 notice but does not meet section 8 can bring a penalty from the council of up to £7,000 (Housing Act 1988, sections 16E, 16I and 16M).
Sources
- Housing Act 1988, section 8
- Housing Act 1988, Schedule 2
- Housing Act 1988, sections 16E and 16M
- Form 3A (05.26), notes
- Form 3A: guidance for private landlords
- Form 3A: legal wording for possession grounds
- GOV.UK guidance for landlords: repossessing your property
Last read: 11 November 2026.