Section 8 notice period calculator

Since Section 21 ended, every possession runs on a ground — and each ground carries its own notice period. Tick the grounds on the notice to see which one governs and the earliest date proceedings can begin. Nothing you type leaves your browser.

This works out dates from the notice periods the government publishes. It does not tell you whether a ground actually applies, and getting that wrong costs months rather than money. Treat it as a diary check, and take advice before serving.

The day it is given to the tenant, not the day you write it.

Only needed to check the first-12-months restriction.

Grounds cited on the notice

Tick every ground you are relying on. Where several are cited, the longest notice period applies to the whole notice.

Rent

Conduct and breach

The landlord needs the property

Specialist lettings

Enter the date of service and tick at least one ground.

Rent arrears are the most common ground. Proplio tracks rent so you know the day a tenancy goes late, not the month.

The rules behind the dates

Section 21 is gone
No-fault possession ended on 1 May 2026 and existing assured shorthold tenancies became periodic. Every possession claim now runs on a Section 8 ground, and the ground you pick sets the notice period.
Renters' Rights Act 2025
The longest ground governs the notice
Where a notice cites several grounds, the notice period is the longest of them. Citing a four-week arrears ground alongside a four-month sale ground means four months for the whole notice.
Housing Act 1988, s. 8
Grounds 1 and 1A are locked for 12 months
A landlord cannot rely on moving in (Ground 1) or selling (Ground 1A) during the first 12 months of a tenancy. Add the tenancy start date and the calculator applies it.
Renters' Rights Act 2025
Mandatory and discretionary are different animals
On a mandatory ground the court must order possession if the ground is proved. On a discretionary ground it orders possession only if it considers it reasonable, whatever the notice period says.
Housing Act 1988, Sch. 2

Common questions

How much notice does a Section 8 notice need?
It depends entirely on the ground. Notice periods run from four weeks on some arrears grounds to four months on the sale and moving-in grounds, and the ground you cite is what sets the period — not the tenancy or the rent frequency.
What notice period applies if a notice cites several grounds?
The longest of them governs the whole notice. Citing a four-week arrears ground alongside a four-month sale ground means four months for the notice as a whole, so adding a ground can push the date out rather than bring it forward.
Can a landlord still serve a Section 21 notice?
No. No-fault possession ended on 1 May 2026 and existing assured shorthold tenancies became periodic. Every possession claim now runs on a Section 8 ground.
Can a landlord use Ground 1 or Ground 1A in the first year of a tenancy?
No. A landlord cannot rely on moving in (Ground 1) or selling (Ground 1A) during the first 12 months of the tenancy, so the earliest date those grounds can bite is the first anniversary of the tenancy start plus the notice period.
What is the difference between a mandatory and a discretionary ground?
On a mandatory ground the court must order possession if the ground is proved. On a discretionary ground it orders possession only if it considers it reasonable to do so, whatever the notice period says — so a correctly dated notice on a discretionary ground still guarantees nothing.
When can possession proceedings actually begin?
Once the notice period set by the governing ground has expired. The notice has to have been validly served and still be in date when the claim is issued, which is why the earliest claim date is worth putting in the diary at the moment of service.

Arrears grounds turn on the arrears figure being right on the day the notice is served — Proplio tracks rent so you know the day a tenancy goes late, not the month.

Sources

Covers England. Grounds the government's table does not list are deliberately omitted rather than guessed at. General information, not legal advice — the decision to serve a notice, and on which ground, needs proper advice. Related reading: Section 8 grounds for possession.