Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Section 8 HA 1988 possession notices for assured and assured shorthold tenancies in England: prescribed form, grounds, service and next steps

Published by a LexisNexis Property Disputes expert

Practice notes

This ‘how to’ guide explains how social landlords can serve a notice under section 8 of the Housing Act 1988 (HA 1988) to recover possession of a dwelling in England let on an Assured tenancy (AT) or an Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST). Social landlords—being private registered providers of social housing—are not yet affected by the reforms brought in by the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 (RRA 2025). It sets out the required form and service of the notice, the grounds for possession, and the practical actions to take once a notice has been issued. For guidance on serving notice to determine an AST under HA 1988, s 21 see Practice Notes: Social sector tenancies—how to serve a section 21 notice, Quick guide to terminating Assured and Assured Shorthold Tenancies and Assured and assured shorthold tenancies—terminating—Section 21. For guidance on how to serve a section 8 notice for private sector landlords, see Practice Note: Private sector tenancies—how to serve a section 8 notice.

Check the form of notice

The section 8 notice must be in the prescribed form, or a form substantially to the same effect. See Precedent: Drafting...

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Web page updated on 21/05/2026

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