Landlords are increasing their use of Section 8 notices, following the Renters Rights Act’s abolition of Section 21 evictions.
A Section 8 notice allows a landlord to seek possession of a property where specific legal grounds exist, such as rent arrears, anti-social behaviour, damage to the property, or other breaches of the tenancy agreement.
LegalforLandlords has found Section 8 activity is on course to increase by 6.1% this year.
This trend has seen 87 letting agent brands sign up for Section 8 support with LegalforLandlords in the weeks since the Renters Rights Act came into force.
The latest figures from the Ministry of Justice show that Section 8 possession claims from private landlords reached 7,629 in Q1 2026, marking a quarterly increase of 11.1% compared to Q4 2025 and an annual rise of 4%.
Based on historic trends up to and including Q1 2026, LegalforLandlords forecasts that private landlord possession claims could reach approximately 30,516 across 2026, representing an annual increase of 6.1%.
“When a tenancy breaks down, landlords don't want uncertainty,” said Sim Sekhon, group CEO at LegalforLandlords.
“Section 8 is no longer just a notice — it has become a core part of landlord protection, and agents are putting the right support in place because they know the old market has gone."
