If your landlord is selling the house you rent, you do not have to move out because of the sale. A landlord who wants the home empty must serve a Section 8 notice on Ground 1A with at least four months' notice. They generally cannot name a date inside your first year, and they need a court order if you stay. You do not have to leave on the date in the notice, and free legal advice is available from the day you receive it.
The short version
- Notice: at least four months, on Form 3A, counted from the day it is served.
- First year: the date in the notice must fall after your tenancy's first year (the start day and the notice date both count).
- Leaving: only a court order can end the tenancy.
Can my landlord evict me to sell the house?
Yes, but only on a legal ground and through the court, because Section 21 ended on 1 May 2026. Ground 1A applies where the landlord intends to sell a freehold or leasehold interest in the home, or to grant a lease of more than 21 years. It is a mandatory ground: if the judge is satisfied it is made out, the court "shall make an order for possession" (section 7(3)), subject to Convention rights (in plain terms, a human-rights defence). GOV.UK tells landlords that evidence could include proof of instructing an estate agent. Our selling with a tenant in situ article covers their side.
Three limits protect you:
- The first year. The tenancy must have begun at least a year before the date named in the notice. The landlord can serve earlier but cannot name a date inside year one. The Act has one exception, for compulsory purchase.
- Older tenancies. Ground 1A does not apply to an ordinary assured tenancy made before 1 May 2026 that was not a shorthold (S.I. 2026/421, regulation 5).
- Your deposit. GOV.UK says a landlord who cannot show the right deposit information was given, or that the deposit was returned, will not in most cases get an order. See our deposit protection article.
So what: a text saying "I'm selling, be out by next month" has not ended anything. A landlord cannot end an assured tenancy by notice to quit. It takes a court order and its execution, with narrow exceptions (Housing Act 1988, section 5).
How much notice must a landlord selling the house give?
The minimum is four months beginning with the day of service (section 8(4AA)). The notice names the earliest date the landlord can start proceedings, and says they will not begin later than 12 months from service. The example below uses invented dates and a tenancy over a year old.
| Date (invented) | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1 March 2027 | Form 3A served on Ground 1A, naming 1 July 2027. |
| From 6 May 2027 | The named date is within 56 days. If the notice is valid and it is your only home, the Housing Act 1996 treats you as threatened with homelessness (section 175(5)), which is the point to ask the council for help. |
| 1 July 2027 | The earliest day the landlord can apply to court. You can still live there. |
| After a hearing | After an outright order, giving up possession cannot be postponed beyond 14 days unless exceptional hardship is shown, and never beyond six weeks (Housing Act 1980, section 89). |
What should I do if I get a Section 8 notice?
- Check it. GOV.UK tells tenants to check the service, the details and whether the ground is justified. Our Section 8 article shows what a valid Form 3A contains.
- Get free advice. The Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service gives free legal advice from the moment written notice arrives. Civil Legal Advice can tell you how to reach it.
- Talk to your landlord or agent. GOV.UK says they may let you stay if the reasons can be resolved. Contact your council before agreeing to leave.
- Keep paying rent, even in a dispute, says GOV.UK.
- Answer court papers. The defence form has to be returned within 14 days. Staying on can mean paying the landlord's court costs if the court rules against you, so weigh that with an adviser.
Do I have to allow viewings and valuations?
GOV.UK lists your right to live undisturbed, but says you should allow access to inspect or repair, and that a landlord has to give at least 24 hours' notice and visit at a reasonable time. Section 11(6) of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 allows entry at a reasonable time on 24 hours' written notice to view condition and repair.
None of the sources we read mentions valuations, photographs or buyers' viewings, so we cannot point to a rule that makes you allow them. A landlord might argue that refusing a visit your agreement requires breaks the tenancy (breach of a term, Ground 12), and a court decides. See our access article.
What happens if the house is sold with me in it?
Your tenancy continues. A new owner who wants the home for themselves or close family can use Ground 1 instead, with four months' notice and the same one-year test (see our Ground 1 article). Under section 3 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, the new landlord must give you written notice of the sale and their name and address by the next rent day, or two months after the sale if that is later.
The GOV.UK pages we read do not say how a deposit passes to a buyer. The Deposit Protection Service says a landlord can transfer responsibility through its online account, and we have not checked the other schemes.
Can I leave early, and will I be paid to go?
You can end the tenancy yourself. GOV.UK says the most a landlord can ask is two months' notice, ending on a rent day or the day before. Get advice before you agree to leave early. None of the GOV.UK pages we read says a tenant is owed moving costs or compensation because of a sale. See our ending your tenancy guide.
How do I spot an illegal eviction, and who helps in Enfield?
GOV.UK says it is a crime for a landlord to harass you or remove you without a court order or court-appointed bailiff. Signs include changed locks, withheld keys, stopped services, threats and, in its rent repayment guidance, entering without permission. Councils can prosecute or fine up to £40,000.
Enfield Council's page, updated 1 May 2026, says to seek help as soon as you think you might become homeless and, once it confirms you are eligible for help, to tell it about court action. It lists the Housing Advisory Service (housingadviceservice@enfield.gov.uk) and the private rented sector housing team (prsh@enfield.gov.uk).
Can my landlord re-let or advertise the home after serving notice?
Once a landlord serves a Ground 1A notice, they may not let the home on a tenancy of 21 years or less, give someone a paid licence to occupy it, or market it to let during the restricted period, unless an exception applies (sections 16E and 16M). It runs from service to the end of 12 months beginning with the earliest court date in the notice (30 June 2028 in the example), longer than the year GOV.UK's guidance tells you to watch for. Keep dated screenshots and tell the council.
You can apply to the First-tier Tribunal for a rent repayment order within two years of the offence, as can a former tenant for this one (Housing and Planning Act 2016, section 41). GOV.UK says up to two years' rent for offences from 1 May 2026.
What is not settled yet?
- Existing tenancies. Section 147 of the Renters' Rights Act treats a fixed term and the periodic tenancy that follows it as one tenancy that began when the fixed term did. A renewed fixed term or a change of tenant may count differently, so ask an adviser how your year runs.
- The landlord register. Section 90 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 would stop possession orders while a landlord breaches the register duty, but is in force only for specified purposes. Draft regulations would start the London register on 15 July 2027.
Where can I find another rented home?
See your rights as a tenant. If you need another rented home, you can register your search with our Edmonton office.
Questions readers ask
Can my landlord evict me to sell the house?
Only through the court, and only on a legal ground. Since 1 May 2026 a landlord who intends to sell uses Ground 1A in a Section 8 notice, with at least four months' notice and a date at least a year after your tenancy began. If you do not leave, the landlord must apply to court and, if an order is made, use bailiffs.
How much notice does a landlord have to give if they are selling?
At least four months, counted from the day the notice is served (Housing Act 1988, section 8(4AA)). The notice is on Form 3A and names the earliest date the landlord can start court proceedings. If your tenancy is under a year old, that date cannot fall inside the first 12 months, so the notice can be longer than four months.
Do I have to leave on the date in the notice?
No. The date is the earliest day the landlord can apply to court. You do not have to go on that day. Only a court order, followed if necessary by bailiffs, can end the tenancy. Get free advice as soon as you receive the notice, and do not ignore any court papers that follow, because a defence form has to be returned within 14 days.
Do I have to allow viewings and valuations if my landlord is selling?
The sources we read do not mention valuations, photographs or buyers' viewings. GOV.UK says a landlord has to give at least 24 hours' notice and visit at a reasonable time, and says you should allow access for inspections and repairs. Check your tenancy agreement, ask for times in writing and agree ones that suit you.
Will my landlord have to pay my moving costs if they sell?
None of the GOV.UK pages we read says a tenant is owed moving costs or compensation because the landlord is selling. A landlord who breaks the rules, for example by evicting without a court order, can face penalties and a rent repayment order. If a landlord offers you money to leave early, get advice before you agree.
Sources
- GOV.UK, Notices of possession from 1 May 2026: a guide for tenants, 7 April 2026.
- GOV.UK, Assured periodic tenancies: a guide for tenants, 7 April 2026, and Repossessing your privately rented property, 13 July 2026.
- GOV.UK, Rules your landlord must follow, Harassment and illegal evictions and Your rights and responsibilities, read on 17 October 2026.
- GOV.UK, Rent repayment orders, 1 May 2026, and offences, 7 April 2026.
- Enfield Council, Landlord asks you to leave, and the Deposit Protection Service, Quick answers, read on 17 October 2026.
- legislation.gov.uk, read on 17 October 2026: Housing Act 1988 5, 7, 8, 16E, 16M; Renters' Rights Act 2025 Schedule 1, section 147 and section 90; S.I. 2026/421; Housing Act 1980, section 89; Housing Act 1996, section 175; Landlord and Tenant Act 1985; Housing and Planning Act 2016, section 41.
