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Section 8 notice builder (Form 3A), UK 2026

The right ground, the right notice period, on Form 3A.

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The Section 8 builder is on paid plans, from £7.99 a month; the free plan and the 3-day trial do not include it.

What it does

01Drafts the notice laid out as Form 3A, with the full text of each ground selected
02Supports Grounds 1, 1A, 7, 7A, 7B, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 14A, 15 and 17
03Calculates the earliest date for proceedings, including the same-day rule for Grounds 7A and 14
04Pulls the arrears total from the rent ledger and checks the Ground 8 threshold

Since Section 21 was abolished, every possession claim in England starts with a Section 8 notice that names a ground, gives the right notice period and uses the prescribed form. For private landlords that form is Form 3A. The builder drafts it for the 14 grounds landlords use most, works out the earliest date court proceedings can begin, and pulls your arrears from the rent records you already keep.

14 grounds, with the right notice

Grounds 1, 1A, 7, 7A, 7B, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 17, plus 14A for social landlords, each with its statutory wording and notice period.

Dates calculated

The earliest date proceedings can begin and the latest date the notice can be relied on, worked out from the grounds you select and the service date.

Arrears from your records

For Ground 8 the builder pulls the arrears total from the rent ledger and shows whether the threshold is met. A separate rent statement PDF is available for the hearing.

In the app

What it does

Drafts the notice laid out as Form 3A, with the full text of each ground selected
Supports Grounds 1, 1A, 7, 7A, 7B, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 14A, 15 and 17
Calculates the earliest date for proceedings, including the same-day rule for Grounds 7A and 14
Pulls the arrears total from the rent ledger and checks the Ground 8 threshold
Warns when the deposit is not recorded as protected
Warns when Grounds 1 or 1A are used on a tenancy under a year old
Emails the notice and logs the time, recipient and a fingerprint of the PDF

Notice periods

How much notice each ground needs

4 months for Grounds 1, 1A, 2 and 6. 2 months for Grounds 5, 7 and 9. 4 weeks for the rent grounds, 8, 10 and 11. 2 weeks for Grounds 7B, 12, 13, 14ZA, 14A, 15 and 17. Grounds 7A and 14, for antisocial behaviour, need no notice period: proceedings can begin as soon as the notice is served. Where a notice relies on several grounds, the longest notice period applies.

A notice that gives too short a period is defective, which is why the builder works the dates out from the grounds you choose rather than leaving you to count.

Ground 8

The rent arrears threshold since 1 May 2026

Ground 8 is mandatory: if it is proved, the court must order possession. It needs at least 3 months’ rent unpaid where rent is paid monthly, or 13 weeks’ rent where it is paid weekly or fortnightly, both on the date the notice is served and on the date of the hearing. Rent that is unpaid only because a universal credit housing payment has not yet arrived is ignored. Before the Act the threshold was 2 months with 2 weeks’ notice.

Because a payment before the hearing can take the arrears below the threshold, landlords usually rely on the discretionary Grounds 10 and 11 as well, which let the court still order possession if it thinks that reasonable.

Before you serve

The one compliance failure that bars the order

If the deposit was not protected in an approved scheme or the prescribed information was not given, the court cannot make a possession order on any ground except 7A and 14 until that is put right or the deposit is returned. A missing gas safety record, EICR or EPC does not bar a Section 8 order, though each carries its own penalty.

Who it is for

Landlords and small agents who need to recover possession on a specific ground, most often rent arrears or antisocial behaviour, and want the notice right first time.

The law behind it

Housing Act 1988, section 8 and Schedule 2, as amended by the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, in force for private tenancies from 1 May 2026. The notice follows prescribed Form 3A, which a notice may use or be substantially to the like effect of. Housing Act 2004, section 215 (deposit bar).

Written for private lets in England. Guidance, not legal advice: for a defended claim or an unusual let, take advice from a housing solicitor.

Free PDF · instant by email

Free PDF: Section 8 Grounds Quick Reference

The Section 8 grounds a private landlord in England is most likely to use, with the notice period, whether the ground is mandatory or discretionary, and the evidence worth gathering.

Mandatory and discretionary grounds, with notice periods
Ground 8: 3 months’ rent (monthly) or 13 weeks (weekly)
Grounds 1 and 1A: the first-year rule and re-letting ban
Evidence to gather for each ground

Questions

Frequently asked questions

Which form do I use for a Section 8 notice?

Form 3A for a private landlord from 1 May 2026. Form 3 is the version for social housing.

Which ground is used most for arrears?

Ground 8, the mandatory ground, with 4 weeks’ notice, usually together with the discretionary Grounds 10 and 11. Ground 8 needs 3 months’ rent unpaid for monthly rent, or 13 weeks’ for weekly or fortnightly rent, at service and at the hearing.

Which grounds does the builder support?

Grounds 1, 1A, 7, 7A, 7B, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 14A, 15 and 17. Ground 14A is only available to social landlords. For other grounds, use the current Form 3A from GOV.UK.

Can I use Grounds 1 or 1A in the first year?

Not to recover the property within that year. The tenancy must have begun at least a year before the date given in the notice. The builder warns you if the tenancy is too new.

Does a tenant paying some arrears defeat Ground 8?

If the arrears fall below the threshold by the hearing, Ground 8 is not made out. The court can still order possession on Grounds 10 or 11 if it thinks that reasonable, which is why they are usually included.

How should I serve the notice?

By a method the tenancy agreement allows, keeping proof: a certificate of posting, a signed-for receipt, or a record of hand delivery. If you email it from LetCompliance, the time, recipient and a fingerprint of the PDF are logged. The court’s certificate of service form, N215, records service for the claim.

Does the builder tell me what evidence to bring?

It does not produce an evidence checklist per ground. For rent grounds, download the rent statement PDF from your records; for other grounds, gather the tenancy term, dated photos, inventories or incident logs that prove the ground.

Section 8 notice: every ground explained

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