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Need legal advice regarding a section 8 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 8 matter with an experienced eviction solicitor.
- An outline of your legal standpoint in serving notice.
- A clear fee-quote and time frame to evict your tenant through a section 8 notice.
Draft and serve a section 8 notice
Issue standard possession claims
Application for a warrant of possession
Defence against an eviction notice
Get a quote today.
Section 8 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 8 notice
We will need the tenancy agreement and the information supporting the ground for eviction.
No Disbursement
Add Service
Issue standard 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 21
Commonly asked questions.
Serving a section 8 notice can be a complicated and lengthy process, especially if mistakes are made, and the eviction is contested. Therefore, it’s more important than ever to get things right the first time.
1. What is a section 8?
Section 8 is a form of notice that a landlord can serve a tenant with an assured shorthold tenancy agreement. Additionally, a section 8 notice allows a landlord to terminate the tenancy during a fixed term (usually the first 6 months of tenancy in the UK), as long as there’s a valid ground for doing so.
There are 17 grounds for serving a section 8 notice, which is divided between mandatory and discretionary grounds.
2. What are the section 8 notice grounds?
The 17 grounds are split into both mandatory and discretionary grounds.
Mandatory grounds. If your application meets a mandatory ground, the court must grant an order of possession. Some of the mandatory grounds include:
- The landlord wants to move back into the property.
- Mortgage lender repossessing the property.
- The landlord intends to redevelop/demolish the property.
- Serious anti-social behaviour.
Discretionary grounds. If your application meets a discretionary ground, the court may grant an order of possession. Some of the discretionary grounds include:
- Persistent late payment of rent.
- Breach of the tenancy agreement
- Deterioration of the condition of the property.
For more information on the valid grounds to serve a section 8 notice, please call our solicitors on 020 3007 5500.
3. How to serve a valid section 8 notice?
When serving a section 8 notice, you must ensure that the notice has been served properly. In instances, where the notice hasn’t properly been served it can invalidate the notice.
Our eviction solicitors advice to serve a section 8 notice in one of the following ways:
- Personal delivery
- Left at address
- Recorded delivery
- Process server
- First-class post
Proof that you have served the notice is vital, especially if the eviction was to be contested and the case was taken to court. An example of proof maybe a neutral third party witnessing you handing the notice to your tenant.
4. What happens if the tenant doesn't leave?
The eviction notice date laid out in the section 8 notice isn’t when a tenancy legally ends but more of a date to urge the tenant to move out. In an instance where the tenant hasn’t left by the notice date, you will need to legally enforce the eviction to reclaim possession.
In an instance where your tenant hasn’t left by the date set out in the section 8 notice, you will need to apply for a possession order. If the tenant still hasn’t vacated the premises following the possession order, you will need to apply for a warrant of possession from the courts.
If the 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 to your property and evict the tenants.
5. How much does it cost to get a section 8?
When it comes to the cost of evicting a tenant through a section 8 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 through a section 8 notice may be as straight forward as instructing a solicitor to draft and serve notice, and the tenant leaves by the notice date.
Generally, our solicitors will charge the following for section 8 matters:
Service | Price | Disbursements | Notes |
Draft and serve a section 8 | £350 + VAT | £70 | We will need the tenancy agreement and the information supporting the ground for eviction. |
Issue standard possession claim | £900 + VAT | £355 (court fee) | Disbursements may be higher if a barrister is required. This price includes completing the claim form, particulars of claim, witness statements, updated witness statements and preparing for the hearing and does not include court representation. |
Apply for a warrant of possession | £250 + VAT | £121 (court fee) | N/A |
Serve and enforce section 8 | £1,500 + VAT | £476 | This price does not include representation for the hearing. |
Recoverable costs – capped at £69.50 for legal fees and the court issue fee of £355. Although we’re offering fixed fees, we must make clear that this is subject to the notes. For any additional work outside of what our service outlines above, we will charge an hourly rate of £250 plus VAT.
5. How much does it cost to get a section 8?
When it comes to the cost of evicting a tenant through a section 8 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 through a section 8 notice may be as straight forward as instructing a solicitor to draft and serve notice, and the tenant leaves by the notice date.
Generally, our solicitors will charge the following for section 8 matters:
Service | Price | Court Fee |
Draft and serve a section 8 | £350 + VAT | N/A |
Issue standard possession claim | £900 + VAT | £355 |
Apply for a warrant of possession | £250 + VAT | £121 |
Serve and enforce section 8 | £1,500 + VAT | £476 |
Recoverable costs – capped at £69.50 for legal fees and the court issue fee of £355. Although we’re offering fixed fees, we must make it clear that this price depends on factors such as whether the landlord can provide relevant information supporting the ground for eviction. Furthermore, the above costs don’t include court representation or barrister costs, if required.
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 8 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 valid section 8 notices is our speciality. If you are looking to serve a section 8 notice on your tenant, our 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.
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.
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Need legal advice now regarding a section 8 notice?
Call, email or provide us with a few details of your matter, and we’ll be able to help you the same day.