You've been threatened with eviction
Get specialist housing advice today, not general debt advice. Here is exactly what to do, what they can and cannot do, and where to get free help today.
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Checked against current GOV.UK guidance and the relevant legislation. Figures verified 2026-08-14. Primary source · every figure we use.
What to do now
- Identify what you have received: a section 8 notice, a claim form, or a warrant. Each has different implications and timescales. If a landlord in England has just given you a section 21 notice, it has no legal effect — section 21 was abolished on 1 May 2026, and even notices served before that date could not be taken to court after 31 July 2026.
- Contact Shelter or your council's housing options team the same day. Both are free.
- Check your Universal Credit housing element or Housing Benefit is correct and in payment.
- Apply for a Housing Payment through the council — part of the Crisis and Resilience Fund, and intended specifically for rent shortfalls and arrears.
- Ask about an Alternative Payment Arrangement so the housing element goes directly to the landlord.
- Complete and return any court forms. Attend the hearing with a written income and expenditure statement and a realistic offer.
- If a warrant has been issued, you can apply to suspend it — but time is very short, so get advice immediately.
What else you need to know
Since 1 May 2026, renting in England works differently. The Renters’ Rights Act abolished section 21 “no-fault” eviction, converted tenancies to periodic assured tenancies, and every possession claim now has to prove a specific legal ground in court. For rent arrears, the mandatory ground — Ground 8 — now requires three months’ arrears for monthly rent, or thirteen weeks for weekly or fortnightly rent, both at the date of the notice and at the hearing, with at least four weeks’ notice. Arrears caused solely by a delayed Universal Credit housing payment are left out of the calculation. Reducing arrears below the threshold before the hearing changes the position from mandatory to discretionary — the judge then weighs reasonableness, which is why every pound paid before the hearing date genuinely matters. Repeated smaller arrears fall under discretionary Ground 11, not an automatic ground.
Where to get help today, free
You never have to pay for debt advice. MoneyHelper (government-backed), StepChange, National Debtline and Citizens Advice all give free, confidential advice with no obligation. We would rather you got good advice somewhere than bad advice from anyone.
If you are in crisis and struggling to cope, Samaritans can be reached free on 116 123, at any hour, from any phone.
Once the immediate pressure is off
Understanding your longer-term options is the thing that stops this happening again. Eight questions, and we will show you what applies where you live.
What changed on 1 May 2026
Old position: a landlord could end an assured shorthold tenancy with a section 21 notice, giving no reason, and mandatory rent-arrears eviction needed two months’ arrears with two weeks’ notice.
Current position: section 21 is abolished in England; every eviction needs a proven section 8 ground; the mandatory arrears threshold is three months (thirteen weeks for weekly rent) at both notice and hearing; the notice period is four weeks; and Universal Credit delays are excluded from the arrears count. Notices served before 1 May 2026 could only reach court until 31 July 2026 — that window is closed.
Why older articles disagree: most eviction guides on the web were written for the pre-2026 rules and still describe the two-month threshold. Check the date on anything you read, including ours — this page states the law as verified against government guidance on 25 August 2026.
Wales is different: the Renters’ Rights Act changes apply to England. Wales has its own system under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act, which still includes a no-fault route with its own notice rules — start from Wales if you rent there.
Related guides
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