Section 21 notice (most private landlords use this type of eviction notice, the Renters Reform Bill, although now delayed, proposed stopping this form of eviction)

• Landlord has to give you written notice, must be at least two months

• Landlord does not need to give a reason for the eviction

• Check if your section 21 notice is valid here

Section 8 notice (only valid for assured and assured shorthold tenancies)

• Landlord has to give you written notice, normally this should be at least 14 days

• Has to cite a reason for eviction, most commonly rent arrears

• Find out more about section 8 evictions here and here

Initially, the council or housing association will issue you an eviction notice they call a “notice seeking permission” .

The council or housing association must start court action to further the eviction within a year or the eviction notice will no longer be valid.

When does the year count-down start?

• Housing association assured tenancy: the year starts from when you receive the notice

• Secure council tenancy: the year starts from the date of expiry on the notice (the date the court action can start)

A hearing will then be scheduled, usually at the county court local to you - you will receive paperwork notifying you of the hearing.

• Good idea to seek legal advice at this stage, and support from your local tenants’ union - we can help connect you with free legal support.

Find out more about what happens at these hearings here.

Court will either rule against the landlord and you can stay in your home, or issue either of these possession orders:

• Suspended: can stay in home, pending conditions (pay back rental arrears etc)

  • Find out more about suspended possession orders here

• Outright possession order

  • Bailiffs can come to remove you from your home - your landlord will need to give you at least two weeks notice of this happening

STU can stand with you, no matter what stage of this process you are in - it is never too late for community defence.

You are considered an “occupier with basic protections” if you:

• live in student accommodation and pay rent to your university

• live in the same building as your individual landlord but don’t share living quarters (“living quarters” does not include shared hallway, storage areas or stairways)

• live in housing co-operative

• are homeless and in temporary accommodation (so the council has accepted a duty to house and you are waiting for longer-term accommodation)

Find out more about who is considered an “occupier with basic protections” here.

If you are homeless and in temporary accommodation, find out more about your rights within this type of tenancy specifically here.

If you are an “occupier with basic protection”, your landlord will need a court order to evict you.

Find out more about the eviction process for occupiers with basic protections here.

You are considered an “excluded occupier” if you:

• share accommodation with your landlord

• are an asylum seeker in UKVI accommodation

• live in a temporary holiday let

• are part of a squat that has been granted temporary rights to occupy

• live in accommodation rent free

• are a licensee in a public sector hostel

• have no right to rent and the Home Office has served you notice

• are homeless and have been granted licence to occupy interim accommodation or accommodation under the duty to applicants found intentionally homeless

Excluded occupiers can be evicted without the landlord having to go to court, but the landlord still has to give you notice.

Find out more about excluded occupier evictions here.

Your rent can increase if you agree to the increase (this includes if you express opposition but still pay the increased amount) or sign a new tenancy agreement.

There is no limit to how much a landlord can try to increase the rent by in an assured shorthold tenancy (most private tenants have this type of tenancy), although you don’t have to agree to the increase.

If you do not agree to a rent increase, your landlord can only increase rent if you have a rent review clause in your tenancy agreement, or through the section 13 process.

• Using the section 13 process allows your landlord to increase your rent once per year, with a month notice .

• Your landlord can’t use this process if you have a rent review clause already in your tenancy agreement, or if you are in the first year of your tenancy.

You have the power to negotiate to lower a rent increase, or in some cases fight the section 13 process through a tribunal .

You can access more information on rent increases for private renters here.

Council and housing association tenants usually face rent increases every April.

From April 2023, the government has capped these rent increases to 7% annually.

However, council and housing association tenants may have to pay a service charge in addition to rent for things such as maintenance of common areas, outside space upkeep, entry systems, building security, and insurance and management fees.

There is no annual cap to service charge fees.

Both council and housing association tenants should receive four weeks’ notice of a rent increase.

For more information on council and housing association rent increases, click here.

As an “occupier with basic protections”, your rent can increase during your contract if the rental agreement states that it can.

If your fixed term agreement has expired or you never had one, there are no specific rules your landlord has to follow to increase your rent - they can increase your rent at any time.

Your rights around rent increases are the same as for an occupier with basic protections, in that your rent can increase during your contract if the rental agreement states that it can.

If your fixed term agreement has expired or you never had one, there are no specific rules your landlord has to follow to increase your rent - they can increase your rent at any time.