How Long Does A Section 8 Notice Take?
In theory, a Section 8 Notice should be quite rapid, and it can take as little as fourteen days before the landlord can issue possession proceedings. However, much depends on the reasons for the notice and how cooperative or uncooperative the tenants are.
A Section 8 Notice has to list the reason for eviction. The grounds for eviction dictate the period of time before the tenant leaves, which can range from fourteen days to two months.
Rent arrears are the most common reason for serving a Section 8 Notice and the notice period is fourteen days. However, rent arrears and financial difficulties can make it hard for a tenant to pay the deposit on a new property. Tenants may end up overstaying the notice period. Many will be advised that the court process to convert a Section 8 Notice into an order for possession and bailiff’s appointment can take several months.
If the tenant ignores the possession order, the landlord will have to evict them and apply for a date with the County Court Bailiff. On average, this can take another 5-10 weeks.
Other grounds in a Section 8 Notice which dictate a two-week notice period include:
- Ground 12: Breach of tenancy agreement
- Ground 13: Damage to property
- Ground 15: Damage to furniture
More extended notice periods include Ground 2, when a mortgage lender on the property has served a foreclosure notice. Citing this ground requires a minimum of two months’ notice and can only be used if the mortgage predates the start of the tenancy agreement.
On 28 October 2025 the long awaited Renters Rights Act 2025 (‘the Act’) received Royal Assent meaning it is now law. This includes very significant changes for landlords and tenants including changes to tenant rights, deposits, notices (including section 8 notices) and eviction processes amongst others. At present the Act has not yet come into force however this is anticipated fairly soon. For the current position on this see our blog here. When the Act is fully implemented it will no longer be possible to pursue possession claims via the accelerated possession route as this will no longer exist. This means that possession proceedings will be via a new notice, similar to a section 8 notice under the Housing Act 1988, and requiring ‘grounds’ to be relied upon in a similar way. For now landlords can continue to use the existing processes and should serve notices and issue claims promptly wherever possible to take advantage of the time period before the Act is fully implemented. We will be continuing to act nationally in these disputes almost exclusively for landlords. When the Act is implemented a period of change, elongated timescales for claims to be resolved, and more complex and expensive court processes should all be anticipated, in keeping with the aims of government to give tenants greater rights and security of tenure.