Section 8 Eviction Grounds Under
the Renters' Rights Act

The landlord wants to move back into the property as their own home. This is a mandatory ground requiring 4 months' notice. The landlord cannot re-let the property for 12 months after gaining possession, preventing misuse of this ground.

The landlord intends to sell the property. This is a mandatory ground requiring 4 months' notice. A 12-month restriction applies before the property can be re-let, ensuring the sale intention is genuine.

The mortgage lender is repossessing the property. This is a mandatory ground — the tenant is not at fault. The lender exercises its right under the mortgage agreement, and possession follows automatically.

A mandatory ground for student HMO properties. It allows possession for a new student intake at the start of the academic year, but only applies to properties let by educational providers — not private landlords.

A mandatory employment ground. The property is tied to a minister of religion role, and possession is needed when that role ends or the minister moves on.

A mandatory employment ground. When the tenant's employment ends, the property tied to that employment must be returned to the employer or landlord.

Mandatory employment grounds for supported accommodation. The provider must rehouse the tenant when possession is sought, ensuring no one is left without a home.

A mandatory ground. Temporary accommodation provided for homelessness purposes is returned to the local authority so it can be used for the next person in need.

A mandatory ground. The landlord intends to carry out major redevelopment of the property that cannot reasonably be done with the tenant in situ. The tenant may be entitled to compensation.

A mandatory ground. The landlord must comply with local authority enforcement action — this is not the landlord's choice. Possession is required so that the enforcement work can be carried out.

A mandatory ground that applies when the tenant has died. It only applies to non-resident successors of the tenancy — if a qualifying resident successor exists, this ground cannot be used.

Ground 7A covers both severe and general anti-social behaviour. For severe cases (conviction for a serious offence, closure order, etc.) the court can act without a standard notice period. For general ASB, evidence from neighbours and police supports the possession case, but the court retains discretion.

A mandatory ground. The tenant has no right to rent in the UK under immigration rules. Just 2 weeks' notice is required — the shortest notice period of any ground.

A mandatory ground. The tenant has serious rent arrears — 3 or more months' arrears both at the time of serving notice and at the court hearing. If arrears drop below the threshold before the hearing, this ground fails.

Suitable alternative accommodation is available for the tenant. The court can refuse possession if the alternative is not truly suitable — for example, if it's too far from the tenant's workplace or children's school.

Even a few pounds of rent arrears can qualify under this discretionary ground. The court weighs all circumstances — including whether the tenant has made efforts to pay — when deciding whether to grant possession.

The tenant has a pattern of persistent late rent payment. The pattern of lateness matters, not the current balance — even if the tenant is now up to date, the history of late payments can justify possession.

The tenant has breached one or more tenancy terms (other than rent). Fixing the breach before the court hearing may save the tenancy, as the court considers whether possession is reasonable given the circumstances.

The property has deteriorated due to the tenant's actions or neglect. Photographic evidence is critical — landlords should document the condition at check-in and compare with the current state.

A discretionary ground for social landlords. It allows eviction of the perpetrator of domestic abuse — not the victim. The intention is to protect survivors by removing the abuser from the property.

The tenant has been convicted of an offence during a UK riot. This is a discretionary ground — the court still decides whether possession is reasonable in the circumstances.

Furniture provided by the landlord has deteriorated due to the tenant's actions. Inventory reports are essential evidence — without a detailed check-in inventory, this ground is very difficult to prove.

The tenancy was obtained by a false statement from the tenant — for example, lying about income or employment status. The landlord must show they relied on the false statement when granting the tenancy.