How much will it cost to evict my tenant?
Get a quote
Need legal advice regarding a section 21 notice?
Call, email or provide us with a few details of your matter, and we’ll help you arrange an initial consultation. You’ll get:
- Unlimited time to discuss your section 21 matter with an experienced solicitor.
- An outline of your legal standpoint in serving notice.
- A clear fee-quote and time frame to evict your tenant through a section 21 notice.
Draft and serve a section 21 notice
Issue a possession claim to the court
Application for a warrant of possession
Defence against an a section 21 notice
Get a quote today.
Section 21 evictions rarely require you to apply for a warrant of possession. In most cases, drafting and serving an eviction notice will result in a tenant vacating the premises.
Add Service
Draft and serve a section 21 notice
We will need the tenancy agreement and documentation to ensure you’re eligible for a section 21.
No Disbursement
Add Service
Issue accelerated possession claim
*Subject to a valid notice being served. Additional costs may be required for barrister fees.
Disbursement – £355 Court Fee
Add Service
Apply for a warrant of possession
If a warrant of possession is granted, bailiffs can legally remove the tenants.
Disbursement – £121 Court Fee
Total solicitor fees (excluding court fees and barrister fees) starting from:
Other eviction notices.
Section 8
Commonly asked questions.
Serving a section 21 notice is a complicated procedure, but it doesn’t have to be. Our solicitors have answered some of the most commonly asked questions surrounding Section 21 notices.
1. What is a section 21?
A Section 21 notice is commonly referred to as a ‘no-fault eviction’ as the landlord will not need to provide a reason for eviction. However, a landlord can only serve this form of eviction notice once the tenant’s fixed-term tenancy has ended or on occasions where the tenancy is open-ended.
The duration of the fixed term is set out in the tenancy agreement. In the UK, the length of a fixed-term is usually between six months to one year.
2. What makes a section 21 notice invalid?
- The tenancy must be an Assured-Shorthold Tenancy.
- A tenant must provide the correct amount of notice. The notice period is currently six months because of Covid-19.
- A landlord must have correctly served the Section 21 notice.
- The notice must be served after the end of the tenancy’s fixed-term.
- The tenant hasn’t recently made complaints about the condition of the property.
- A local authority hasn’t served an “Improvement Notice” or “Notice of Emergency Remedial Action” in the last six months.
- A tenant must’ve received a copy of the gas safety certificate, an Energy Performance Certificate and the Government’s ‘How to Rent’ guide during their tenancy.
- The tenant’s deposit is protected in a government-authorised scheme. A tenant should’ve been served prescribed information with a deposit certificate within 30 days after paying their deposit.
For more questions on what makes a section 21 notice valid, please contact our solicitors on 020 3007 5500.
3. How to serve a section 21?
As highlighted above, one of the factors that can make a section 21 notice invalid is the way the notice has been served. Therefore, if you’re serving a section 21 notice it’s important to know how to correctly serve the notice.
When you want to serve notice a form 6a will need to be properly completed and then served to the tenant in one of the following ways.
- Personal delivery
- Left at address
- Recorded postal delivery
- Using a process server
- First-class postal delivery
When you serve the section 21 notice, proof of delivery is of the utmost importance. If your tenant contests the eviction, it’s highly highly likely that this proof of delivery will be demanded in court.
4. What happens if the tenant doesn't leave?
The notice date in the section 21 notice isn’t when tenancy legally ends, but more of a date to urge the tenant to move out. If the tenant hasn’t left the premises by the notice date, you will need to look to legally enforce the eviction.
The next stage to evicting a tenant will be to identify and apply for the possession claim. However, if the tenant is still not evicting the premises, you will need to apply for a warrant of possession from the courts. If this warrant of possession is approved, the court will issue the tenant with an eviction notice with a date that they must legally vacate the property by. If the tenant was to ignore this eviction date, a bailiff will go round to remove the tenants.
5. How much does it cost to get a section 21
When it comes to the cost of evicting a tenant through a section 21 notice, it entirely depends on several factors. For instance, whether the tenant vacates the property by the notice date or contests the eviction.
Evicting your tenant may be as straight forward as getting a solicitor to serve notice and then the tenants move out but the notice date.
Generally, our solicitors advise that the costs associated with a section 21 are:
Service | Price | Disbursements | Notes |
Draft and serve a section 21 | £350 + VAT | N/A | Only if the landlord has all the relevant documentation in place. |
Issue accelerated possession claim | £700 + VAT | £355 (court fee) | On the basis that a defence is not received or if the defence isn’t listed for hearing. |
Apply for a warrant of possession | £250 + VAT | £121 (court fee) | N/A |
Serve and enforce section 21 | £1,300 + VAT | £476 | This does not include preparing for a defence hearing. |
Recoverable costs
These are capped at £69.50 for legal fees and the court issue fee of £355.
5. How much does it cost to get a section 21
When it comes to the cost of evicting a tenant through a section 21 notice, it entirely depends on several factors. For instance, whether the tenant vacates the property by the notice date or contests the eviction.
Evicting your tenant may be as straight forward as getting a solicitor to serve notice and then the tenants move out but the notice date.
Generally, our solicitors advise that the costs associated with a section 21 are:
Service | Price | Court Fee |
Draft and serve a section 21 | £250 + VAT | N/A |
Issue accelerated possession claim | £700 + VAT | £355 |
Apply for a warrant of possession | £250 + VAT | £121 |
Serve and enforce section 21 | £1,200 + VAT | £476 |
Recoverable costs – capped at £69.50 for legal fees and the court issue fee of £355.
6. Do you offer legal aid for eviction matters?
Few eviction solicitors offer legal aid and while we would love to, the government only appoints a tiny number of law firms to offer these services. So for the time being, we can only accept privately funded cases.
Need legal advice regarding a section 21 notice?
Tell us about your case, and we’ll get back to you the same day.
Meet your eviction solicitors.
Paul Britton
Head of Eviction Law
Sophie Campbell-Adams
Eviction Solicitor
Patrick Murray
Trainee Solicitor
Rory Lindsay
Trainee Solicitor
Paul Britton
Head of Eviction Law
Sophie Campbell-Adams
Eviction Solicitor
Patrick Murray
Trainee Solicitor
Rory Lindsay
Trainee Solicitor
Why Britton and Time Solicitors?
Issuing and enforcing section 21 notices is our speciality. So, if you’re looking for legal support with your section 21 matter, our eviction solicitors will always guarantee:
Award-Winning Service.
You are our priority, and the law is our speciality. Our award-winning eviction solicitors ensure you know exactly where you stand from a legal perspective so a valid notice can be served.
Full Billing Transparency.
No fee surprises. Ever. Our eviction solicitors will inform you from the outset on how much your case will cost, and we will do everything in our power to keep costs down and within your original fee estimate.
Regular Communication.
With fortnightly updates on your case, you’ll never be left in the dark. Our eviction solicitors ensure you know exactly how your case is progressing and are with you every step of the way.
Our reviews.
It’s not about how good we think our eviction solicitors are; it’s about what you think.
Will to Win
There are three things that make Britton & Time, and in particular Paul, stand apart from other law firms: knowledge, communication and a will to win.
Rated excellent by over 95% of our clients.
%
Google Reviews
%
Yell
%
Review Solicitors
%
Solicitor.info
Other landlord and tenant services.
Eviction
Landlord
Section 8
Tenant
Our landlord and tenant insights.
For more information and insights from our landlord and tenant solicitors, take a look at our landlord and tenant services.
What Is A Section 146 Notice?
If you're a landlord that has issues with a break in your contract, or a tenant that has been handed a section 146 notice, then this article is for you. Here, we break down...
What Is A Section 21 Notice? Everything You Need To Know.
In this article What is a section 21 notice? Differences between section 21 and section 8 notices What makes it invalid? Common mistakes when serving notices How do you serve a...
Assured Shorthold Tenancy – Five Things You Must Know
In this article What is an assured shorthold tenancy? What criteria must be met? How long does it last? Most common eviction notices Responsibilities of the landlord What is an...
Section 8 Notice – 7 Things You Must Know
In this article What is a section 8 notice? Differences between section 8 & 21 Grounds and notice periods Common reasons for issuing a section 8 How do I apply for a section...
What Are The Three Stages to Legally Evicting a Tenant?
In this article How to evict a tenant? Drafting and serving an eviction notice Section 21 notices Section 8 notices Applying for a warrant of possession Considerations when...
What Is A Section 146 Notice?
If you're a landlord that has issues with a break in your contract, or a tenant that has been handed a section 146 notice, then this article is for you. Here, we break down...
What Is A Section 21 Notice? Everything You Need To Know.
In this article What is a section 21 notice? Differences between section 21 and section 8 notices What makes it invalid? Common mistakes when serving notices How do you serve a...
Need legal advice now regarding a section 21 matter?
Call, email or provide us with a few details of your matter, and we’ll be able to help you the same day.