My landlord is threatening to evict me — is this legal?

Direct answer

Threats to evict you without going through court are harassment under PEA 1977 s.1, a criminal offence. The landlord must serve a valid Section 8 notice, apply to court, win a possession order, and use a court bailiff. Anything else is unlawful.

This page provides general legal information for renters in England. It is not legal advice. For advice on your specific situation, call Shelter on 0808 800 4444 or contact your local Citizens Advice.

Free checkers

Related guidance inside this topic

  • If your next step turns on legacy Section 21 notice rules, read Section 21 validity guides.
  • For the dates, forms, and evidence behind legacy Section 21 notice rules, see Section 21 checker before you respond.
  • If this issue overlaps with section 13 rent increase rules, check rent rise checker to compare the legal tests.
  • For a fuller breakdown of landlord repair duties, use landlord repairs checker for the underlying rule set.
  • If you need the route-specific rules on legacy Section 21 notice rules, start with Section 21 transition rules so you can check the dates and documents against your own case.

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Common questions

My landlord is threatening to evict me — is this legal?
Threats to evict you without going through court are harassment under PEA 1977 s.1, a criminal offence. The landlord must serve a valid Section 8 notice, apply to court, win a possession order, and use a court bailiff. Anything else is unlawful.

Use the interactive checker on getrentersrights.com for the full step-by-step result.