In the UK, landlords must give tenants four months’ written notice to vacate the property, under the Renters’ Rights Act
From May 2026, landlords will need to follow the protocol for a Section 8 notice, using the ‘grounds’ of intending to sell the property (Ground 1A). However, they cannot evict tenants within the first 12 months of the tenancy.
Landlords looking to sell their property need to follow the new laws to avoid getting caught out with penalties or fines. At J Property Management London, we can help. We help landlords manage their properties – from staying legally compliant to handling all tenant communication.
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Can Landlords Evict Tenants If They’re Selling The Property?
Yes, if they are selling the property, landlords have the grounds to evict tenants as long as they follow the correct legal procedure. This means providing written notice, following Section 8 protocol and giving the correct notice period of four months (as of May 2026).
What Do New Laws Mean For Notice Periods When Selling A House?
Up until now, landlords have been able to serve two months’ notice at any point after the first four months of the tenancy. They have also had the choice to have fixed-term tenancies as well as periodic (rolling) tenancies.
Now, with the introduction of the Renters’ Rights Bill (from May 1 2026), landlords must provide a written four months’ notice and cannot serve this within the first 12 months of the contract.
Previously, landlords could evict tenants using a Section 21 notice; this type of notice is abolished under the Renters’ Rights Bill. Instead, landlords will now have to serve an eviction notice under Section 8, Ground 1A if they want to sell the property. Not only can they not do this within the first year of the tenancy, but they also cannot then re-let the property for 12 months after evicting tenants.
If you’re a landlord and you gave your tenant a section 21 notice before May 1 2026, you’ll be able to still use this notice so long as court proceedings are started before 31 July 2026. After that date, you can no longer evict a tenant using section 21.
How Does Section 8 Work For Landlords Evicting Tenants?
Section 8 is the new protocol for evictions coming into effect after May 2026. Under Section 8, landlords can evict their tenant provided that they give reasonable grounds and evidence. The reasons permitted for evicting tenants include:
- Intention to sell the property
- Rent arrears (missed or owed rent payments)
- The landlord (or family member of the landlord) needs to move into the property
- Antisocial behaviour from tenants.
If the reason is to sell the house or move into it yourself, landlords cannot evict tenants within the first12 months of the tenancy.
The steps to provide a Section 8 notice are as follows:
- Landlords need to explain the grounds for tenant eviction, including evidence
- The tenant must receive notice via a completed written form which specifies the tenant notice period
- In the case of evicting tenants to sell a house, the correct notice period will be 4 months (unless the tenant has breached their tenancy agreement in any way, e.g. rent arrears)
- After giving notice, landlords should keep proof that they have done this
- Tenants must leave by the end of the notice period otherwise landlords must apply through court to evict them.
How To Handle Tenants When Selling A House In The UK
If you’re evicting tenants in order to sell your house in the UK, there are a few things to be aware of:
Notice Period
With Section 21 notices no longer allowed, you’ll have to follow the protocol for Section 8 notices and provide 4 months notice.
Viewings
To conduct viewings of the property, you’ll need to communicate with tenants. You should provide a minimum of 24 hours’ written notice for viewings and tenants have the right to reject the suggested time.
Written Notices
To be valid, notices must be written. It’s also recommended you keep a record that you’ve provided a written notice in case of future legal action.
Full Compliance
As a landlord, you’ll need to make sure you’ve done everything by the book otherwise it could impact your ability to evict tenants. For example, if you haven’t correctly protected your tenants’ deposits in a protection scheme, you may lose your rights to evict tenants.
Can You Sell A House With Tenants?
Yes, it is possible to sell a house with “sitting tenants” – the existing tenants living in the property. If that is the case, the tenancy continues and the new property owner becomes the landlord by default.
As part of this, the new owner will have to agree to any existing terms in the tenant’s tenancy agreement.
Can You Give Notice To A Tenant If You’re Not Selling Your House?
You can give notice to evict your tenants even if you’re not selling your house but under the Renters’ Rights Bill, you can only do this in certain scenarios. These include:
If Your Tenant Owes You Rent
If tenants owe you rent or have “rent arrears”, you might be able to start eviction procedures. In the case that a tenant owes you rent, it’s always worth speaking to them first to see if you can agree on a rent repayment plan. If you can’t land on an agreement, you’ll need to give them 4 weeks’ notice before applying to court to evict them.
Antisocial Behaviour
Landlords can start eviction procedures for tenants with antisocial behaviour so long as they can provide reasonable evidence. This could include things like:
- Noise complaints
- Violence, intimidation, threats or harassment
- Problems with pets
- Not respecting space (e.g. not parking correctly, leaving rubbish in communal space)
- Illegal behaviour
- Damage to the environment, including graffiti and vandalism.
To Move Into The Property
If you or a close family member needs to move into the property, you can evict tenants with a four months’ notice period. To do this, you’ll need to provide evidence of intention to move into the property.
Tenant Management With J Property Management
At J Property Management, we help London landlords expertly manage their tenants, from tenant sourcing to legally handling evictions.
Whether you’re unsure how to proceed in light of new property laws, or want to get on top of tenant management, we can help. Our personalised property management solutions are designed to support you with whatever you need.
Contact us today to see how we can help you handle your tenants, legally and profitably.
