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What is Ground 8 (rent arrears)?
Last verified 31 October 2026
Ground 8 is the mandatory possession ground for serious rent arrears under a section 8 notice in England. The court must grant possession if the ground is proved.
Why it matters to landlords
The threshold is at least 3 months' rent if rent is paid monthly, or at least 13 weeks' rent if paid weekly or fortnightly. The arrears must exist on the day you give the notice and again at the hearing. If the tenant pays down the arrears below the threshold before the hearing, you cannot use the ground.
Notice is 4 weeks. Arrears caused by delayed Universal Credit do not count, so check the tenant's benefit position. If arrears are smaller, consider Ground 10 or Ground 11, which are discretionary. Keep a rent statement. In Scotland, the equivalent ground for a private residential tenancy is Ground 12, which needs at least 3 months of consecutive arrears and 28 days' notice.
Example
Dina's tenant pays £800 a month and owes £2,400 on 5 December 2026, which is 3 months' rent. Dina serves a Ground 8 notice with 4 weeks' notice. At the hearing in February 2027 the tenant has paid £1,000, leaving £1,400. That is below the threshold, so Ground 8 fails.
Related terms
- Rent arrears
- Mandatory grounds for possession
- Discretionary grounds for possession
- Section 8 notice
- Possession order