Renters' Rights Act | Hawes & Co

A guide to notice periods for ending a tenancy

Grounds for possession	Type	Notice period	Who it affects
Serious rent arrears (3+ months)	(3+ months)	4 weeks	Landlords, Tenants
Anti-social behaviour	Discretionary	As little as 2 weeks	Landlords, Tenants
Landlord or family member wants to move in	Mandatory	2 months	Landlords, Tenants
Landlord intends to sell the property	Mandatory	2 months	Landlords, Investors, Tenants
Substantial redevelopment or renovation needed	Mandatory	2 months	Landlords, Investors, Tenants
Breach of tenancy agreement	Discretionary	Typically 2 weeks	Landlords, Tenants
Repeated late rent payments	Discretionary	2 months	Landlords, Tenants
Tenant has passed away (no successor)	Mandatory	2 months	Landlords, Tenants

Important: All grounds will require evidence. Tenants can challenge evictions they believe are unfair, retaliatory, or improperly served.

New tenancy structure

With the abolishment of Section 21, all tenancies are now periodic: They automatically roll on a month-to-month basis with no fixed end date.
Tenants can leave with two months’ notice at any time.
Landlords must provide at least four months’ notice for most grounds, unless a shorter period is legally allowed (e.g., rent arrears or anti-social behaviour).

Additional protections and considerations

For Tenants:
You have the right to challenge evictions and rent increases.
A new Private Rented Sector Ombudsman will handle complaints and disputes.
For Landlords:
Misuse of possession grounds (e.g., falsely claiming to sell or move in) may result in penalties and restrictions on re-letting.