6 Month Eviction Notice Template for England and Wales

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What is a 6 Month Eviction Notice?

The 6 Month Eviction Notice is a crucial document in English and Welsh residential tenancy law, used when landlords wish to regain possession of their property without citing specific grounds for eviction. Section 21 was abolished in England on 1 May 2026, so a no-fault notice of this kind can no longer be served. Possession now requires a Section 8 ground. Deposit protection, safety certificates and the How to Rent guide. The notice period was extended to six months in response to regulatory changes, providing tenants with increased security and time to find alternative accommodation. Form 6A went with Section 21. A Section 8 notice uses the current prescribed form, and Grounds 1 and 1A cannot be used during the first 12 months of a tenancy.

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Imad Mohammed Nazar

Legal Engineer, GenieAI

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A Skadden-trained M&A lawyer, Imad advised on cross-border transactions and contractual risk before moving into legal AI. He reviews GenieAI's output for compliance and enforceability across our 150+ supported jurisdictions, as well as facilitating external benchmarking.

Jurisdiction

England and Wales

Publisher

GenieAI

Sector

Business

Cost

Free to use

Last updated

About the 6 Month Eviction Notice

A 6 Month Eviction Notice is a powerful legal instrument that allows you as a landlord to regain possession of your rental property in England and Wales without needing to prove tenant wrongdoing. The "no-fault" process this document was built for no longer exists: Section 21 was abolished on 1 May 2026 and possession requires a stated Section 8 ground.

When do you need this document?

This notice was used to end an assured shorthold tenancy. Those tenancies and the no-fault route both ended on 1 May 2026, so a landlord in England now serves a Section 8 notice stating a ground. This might be because you're planning to sell, move back in yourself, or carry out major renovations. The notice is particularly useful when your tenant hasn't breached their tenancy agreement but you still need the property back for legitimate reasons. You can only serve this notice after the fixed term has ended or if your tenancy agreement specifically allows it during the fixed term. Remember, you cannot serve this notice within the first four months of any tenancy, regardless of its length.

Key legal considerations

Before serving your notice, you must ensure full compliance with your legal obligations as a landlord. Your tenant's deposit must be protected in an authorised scheme, and you must have provided the prescribed information about the scheme within 30 days of receiving the deposit. You're also required to provide your tenant with an Energy Performance Certificate, gas safety certificate (if applicable), and the government's "How to Rent" guide in its most recent version. Any breach of these requirements can invalidate your notice entirely. The Tenant Fees Act 2019 still prohibits certain fees, and charging one remains unlawful in its own right, although it no longer invalidates a Section 21 notice. The notice must give at least six months' notice and cannot expire before the end of any fixed term.

Legal requirements in England

Form 6A no longer exists as a route to possession. Use the current prescribed Section 8 form, reissued under the Assured Tenancies and Agricultural Occupancies (Forms) Regulations 2015. The notice must be served on all joint tenants if there are multiple occupants. You must specify a date that's at least six months from the date of service, and this date cannot be earlier than the last day of any fixed term. The Deregulation Act 2015 safeguards were tied to Section 21. A notice served after a local authority improvement notice or emergency remedial action notice may still be challenged as retaliatory, though it is no longer automatically invalid Section 21 notice until you've complied with those requirements. The Housing and Planning Act 2016 also requires that properties meet minimum energy efficiency standards. If you're using an agent, ensure they're properly authorised to serve notices on your behalf, and keep detailed records of service as you may need to prove proper service in court proceedings.

GOVERNING LAW

Applicable law

This 6 Month Eviction Notice is drafted to comply with England and Wales law. Key legislation includes:

Housing Act 1988 (as amended by the Renters’ Rights Act 2025): Primary legislation governing assured periodic tenancies in England and the Section 8 grounds for possession. Section 21 was abolished on 1 May 2026

Housing Act 1996: Supplementary legislation that amended the 1988 Act and introduced additional tenant protections

Deregulation Act 2015: Introduced additional requirements for landlords serving Section 21 notices, including compliance with deposit protection and property safety requirements

Tenant Fees Act 2019: Regulates fees that can be charged to tenants and impacts the validity of Section 21 notices if breached

Housing and Planning Act 2016: Contains provisions affecting private rented sector regulation and enforcement

Assured Tenancies and Agricultural Occupancies (Forms) Regulations 2015: Prescribes the mandatory Form 6A format for Section 21 notices

Deposit Protection Requirements: Legal requirement to protect tenant deposits in an approved scheme and provide prescribed information within 30 days

EPC Requirement: Legal requirement to provide valid Energy Performance Certificate to tenants before serving Section 21 notice

Gas Safety Certificate: Mandatory requirement to provide current gas safety certificate before serving Section 21 notice

How to Rent Guide: Government guide that must be provided to tenants before serving Section 21 notice

HMO Licensing Requirements: Additional licensing requirements for Houses in Multiple Occupation that affect validity of Section 21 notices

Form 6A: Prescribed format that must be used for all Section 21 notices in England

Renters Reform Bill: Pending legislation that may affect Section 21 notices, including potential abolition of no-fault evictions

Further Eviction Notice documents

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