Notice to quit: what it is and when it still applies

England. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland use different notices and periods.

Who serves what, now

Situation	Correct notice	Period
Tenant ending an assured tenancy	Notice to quit	At least 2 months, expiring at the end of a rent period
Landlord ending an assured tenancy	Section 8 notice on a ground	Depends on the ground — 4 weeks to 4 months
Either party, common law periodic tenancy (not assured)	Notice to quit	At least 4 weeks, or one full period if longer
Landlord ending a lodger’s licence	Reasonable notice, usually in writing	Commonly the rent period; no court order needed
Ending a tenancy by agreement	Deed or agreement of surrender	Whatever both sides agree

The tenant’s notice to quit

Since 1 May 2026 every assured tenancy is periodic, and the tenant leaves by giving notice. The requirements:

• At least two months. Shorter only if the landlord agrees.
• Expiring at the end of a rent period. On a tenancy with rent due on the 5th, a notice must expire on the 4th of a month, not mid-period.
• In writing.
• It cannot be unilaterally withdrawn. Withdrawal requires the landlord’s agreement — and on a joint tenancy, the agreement of every joint tenant too.

When a landlord still uses one

Common law tenancies. A small category of lettings are not assured tenancies — a resident landlord letting to someone who is not sharing living accommodation, a company let, a tenancy at a very high or very low rent, or a letting of land with no dwelling. These are ended by notice to quit, and the Protection from Eviction Act 1977 sets the floor: at least four weeks, in writing, containing prescribed information, and expiring at the end of a period of the tenancy. You still need a court order to enforce it.

Excluded occupiers. A lodger sharing accommodation with a resident landlord is an excluded occupier. Reasonable notice is enough, no prescribed form applies, and no court order is required to recover possession — though using force is a criminal offence. See taking in a lodger.

Getting the dates right

Most defective notices fail on dates rather than content. Three rules:

1. Identify the rent period from the tenancy agreement, not from when payments happen to arrive.
2. Count from service, not from writing. Build in time for deemed service — check the agreement, and if in doubt allow extra days for post.
3. Expire at the end of a period. A notice expiring mid-period is invalid, and a saving clause does not always rescue it.

Keep proof of service. A certificate of service, a dated photograph of the notice at the property, or a witness. Almost every contested possession claim starts with an argument about whether and when the notice was served.

What to serve instead, as a landlord

For an assured tenancy, a section 8 notice specifying the ground you rely on. The main ones:

Ground	Use	Notice
Ground 8	Serious rent arrears — three months	4 weeks
Ground 1	You or a close family member moving in	4 months, not in the first 12 months
Ground 1A	Selling the property	4 months, not in the first 12 months
Grounds 10 and 11	Some arrears, or persistent late payment	4 weeks — discretionary
Ground 14	Antisocial behaviour	Immediate — discretionary

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