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For private landlords in England. This is self-help software. We are not a law firm, we are not regulated, and we do not give legal advice. You choose what to serve, and you complete, sign and serve the notice yourself.

Check the dates on a landlord notice, then fill the official form

Since 1 May 2026 a rent increase needs Form 4A and a possession notice needs Form 3A. A date that is too early, or changed wording on the form, can make the notice invalid, and you start again. These checks work the dates out from the Housing Act 1988 and the notes on the forms, show each test, and give the later, safe date where the law leaves a doubt. Cases the checks do not cover are refused, with the reason.

Check a section 8 notice (Form 3A)Check a rent increase (Form 4A)

Housing Act 1988 section 8(4) and (4AA), read 11 November 2026
GroundsNotice period “beginning with the date of service”
1, 1A, 1B, 2, 2ZA, 2ZB, 2ZC, 2ZD, 4A, 6, 6A, 6Bfour months
5, 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D, 5H, 7, 9two months
5E, 5F, 5G, 8, 10, 11, 18four weeks
4, 7B, 12, 13, 14ZA, 14A, 15, 17two weeks
7A, 14no notice period

Where a notice uses more than one ground, the longest of their periods applies. If the notice uses ground 7A or 14, the periods do not apply: the date must not be before the day of service (section 8(4)).

Form 3A legal wording

What the checks do

What they do not do

Questions landlords ask

Can I still give a section 21 notice?

No. Part 1 of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 came into force on 1 May 2026, and since then landlords in England cannot use section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 to seek possession. You can only give a notice under section 8, which needs a ground for possession, on Form 3A.

Source: GOV.UK guidance for landlords: repossessing your property; S.I. 2026/421, regulation 2 · Check a section 8 notice

How often can a landlord increase the rent?

Once a year, and not in the first year of the tenancy. The next increase cannot take effect until at least a year after the last one took effect, even if that was before 1 May 2026, whether it was made by notice on Form 4 or by a rent review clause.

Source: GOV.UK guidance for landlords: rent increases; Housing Act 1988, section 13

How much notice do I give for a rent increase?

Give the tenant a completed Form 4A at least 2 months before the new rent is to start; this is the section 13 process. You follow it every time, even when the tenant has already agreed the increase. You can give the form in person, by post, or by email if the tenancy agreement allows it. The new rent must also start at the beginning of a rent period, which the rent check works out with you.

Source: GOV.UK guidance for landlords: rent increases; Housing Act 1988, section 13; Form 4A (05.26), notes · Check a rent increase

How much can a landlord increase the rent by?

GOV.UK’s guidance names no fixed amount or percentage. If the tenant thinks the new rent is higher than the open market rent, meaning the rent you would expect if you relet the home on the open market, they can ask the First-tier Tribunal to decide what the rent should be. The tribunal must receive their application before the new rent is due to start (section 13(4)).

Source: GOV.UK guidance for landlords: rent increases; Housing Act 1988, section 13

What makes a section 8 notice valid?

Use Form 3A, or a form substantially to the like effect; give the right amount of notice for the grounds you use; and set out fully the substance of each ground and why you think it applies. GOV.UK asks you to write out the full wording of each ground you rely on; it publishes that wording beside Form 3A. To use most grounds the tenant’s deposit must have been protected and the prescribed information given.

Source: GOV.UK guidance for landlords: repossessing your property; Housing Act 1988, section 8; Form 3A: legal wording for possession grounds · Form 3A legal wording

When can I use ground 1 or 1A to move in or sell?

Not until 12 months after the tenancy started. You can serve the notice earlier, but the date in it must be after the tenant has been in the home for 12 months.

Source: GOV.UK guidance for landlords: repossessing your property; Housing Act 1988, Schedule 2

What does a possession claim cost, and which forms are used?

The court fee is £415. If you are claiming only because the tenant owes rent you can use Possession Claim Online; for any other ground under section 8 you send the claim form N5 and the particulars of claim N119 to the county court, with a copy of the section 8 notice and proof you served it correctly.

Source: GOV.UK guidance for landlords: repossessing your property

Where the rules come from

Last read: 11 November 2026. Forms matched with GOV.UK: 11 November 2026.

Notice pack

The checks are free. The notice pack is Form 4A or 3A from GOV.UK with your details and the dates filled in, a check sheet with each test and its source, a service record and a calendar file, made in your browser. £9 for one notice, including VAT.