- Price
- €9.95incl. VAT, 2 pages included
- Delivery time
- Next working dayusually, after posting
- Proof
- Recipient's signature+ tracking
- Handed to the post
- Upload by 14:00UK time on a working day, posted the same day
- Counts as
- Inland Royal Mail letterprinted and posted in United Kingdom
Does a Section 8 notice have to go by recorded delivery?
No. The notice must be on Form 3A, but the law does not fix how it reaches the tenant. If the tenancy agreement has a clause on serving notices, follow it. Otherwise you can hand it over, leave it at the property or post it.
If the tenant later says it never arrived, you have to prove service. A Signed For letter gives you the delivery date and a signature, which you attach to the certificate of service (form N215) when you go to court.
How much notice do you give?
| Ground | When it applies | Notice |
|---|---|---|
| Selling the property | Not in the first 12 months of the tenancy | 4 months |
| Moving in yourself or a family member | Not in the first 12 months of the tenancy | 4 months |
| Serious rent arrears | At least 3 months' rent owed on the day of the notice and the hearing | 4 weeks |
| Antisocial behaviour | Nuisance or a conviction | Court can be asked straight away |
Section 21 is gone for notices served from 1 May 2026, so every possession claim goes through Section 8 and a hearing. The notice period depends on the ground you rely on. Count it from the day the notice is served, not the day you post it.
How do you serve it by post?
- Complete and sign Form 3A and save every page as one PDF.
- Put the tenant's name and the property address in the window area of the first page.
- Upload the PDF and choose the United Kingdom.
- Fill in form N215 with the posting date and keep it with the delivery record.
What should the cover letter say?
Optional. A short cover page on top of Form 3A tells the tenant what the envelope holds.
[Tenant's full name]
[Property address]
[Date]
Dear [tenant's name],
Please find enclosed a notice seeking possession of [property address] on Form 3A, served under Section 8 of the Housing Act 1988.
The notice explains the ground I rely on and the earliest date on which I can apply to the court. Please read the notes on the form, which explain where you can get advice.
Yours sincerely,
[Landlord's name]
[Contact address and email]
What to check before you send
- Send the notice to the property, or to the address for notices in the tenancy agreement if it names another one. Address it to every tenant named on the agreement.
Frequently asked questions
Can I still use section 21 in England?
Not for notices served from 1 May 2026. A landlord who wants possession serves a Section 8 notice on Form 3A.
When does a posted notice count as served?
Where the statute allows post, on the day it would arrive in the ordinary course of post, unless the tenant proves otherwise. A clause in the tenancy agreement can set its own rule.
What if the tenant does not sign for it?
Royal Mail leaves a card and keeps the letter for collection. The record shows the attempt, and you can also hand a copy over or leave one at the property.
Does Signed For prove what was in the envelope?
It records the delivery. Keep the PDF you uploaded: your proof PDF carries a fingerprint of that file, so you can show which notice was sent.
Can I serve it while I live abroad?
Yes. You upload the notice from anywhere; it is printed and posted in the UK, so it carries a Royal Mail reference from the start.