Calculating your Section 8 notice expiry date
Get this wrong by one day and the court will throw out your claim.
The notice period is the gap between the date the notice is served and the earliest date the landlord can apply to court. It is set by the longest ground cited.
The rules under the Renters' Rights Act 2025 tightened the periods: Ground 8 went from 2 to 4 weeks, Grounds 1 and 1A went from 2 months to 4 months.
Notice periods by ground (post-RRA)
Ground 1 (landlord moving in): 4 months. Ground 1A (selling): 4 months. Grounds 2, 5-7: 2 months. Grounds 8, 10, 11: 4 weeks. Grounds 12-13, 15-17: 4 weeks. Grounds 7A, 14 (severe and general ASB): 2 weeks. Ground 14ZA (immediate, illegal sublet): immediate.
Counting the days
The clock starts the day after service, not the day of service. If you serve on 1 June with a 4-week ground, the earliest you can apply to court is 30 June (29 days after, because the first day does not count).
For months: 4 months from 15 March is 15 July. Calendar months, not 30-day months.
Multiple grounds: take the longest
If you cite Ground 8 (4 weeks) and Ground 1A (4 months), the notice expiry is 4 months. Always.
Writing the expiry date on Form 3A
Form 3A requires you to state 'After which possession is sought.' This date must be at or after the end of the notice period. If you put a date that is too early, the notice is void.
Common mistakes
- Counting from the date written on the notice rather than the date served. The date served is what matters.
- Treating 4 weeks as 28 days when the longest ground is actually months. Months are months.
- Forgetting that filing the day after expiry is technically the earliest valid filing. Some courts have rejected same-day filings.
Source: gov.uk Guide to the Renters' Rights Act 2025. Last verified 2026-05-09. This page is informational, not legal advice. For complex disputes, consult a solicitor.