If your landlord wants you to leave your home, you should always get advice on your legal rights.

Your legal rights will depend on the type of tenancy that you have and the reason that your landlord wants you to leave. 

It is a crime for your landlord to evict you from your home without following the correct legal procedures. This means that your landlord is not allowed to:

  • Change the locks on your property or force you to hand over your keys
  • Remove your belongings from the property
  • Move into a part of the property which you rent and which only you occupy.

If your landlord is trying to evict you unlawfully from your home, you should get advice. You can contact Shelter – the housing law charity – on 0344 515 1540, or contact us on 020 8610 3539. You can also for more information around eviction procedures and your rights to stay in your home.

Information on eviction in the Private Rented Sector

If you are renting from a landlord and do not live with them or are not a member of their family, then your landlord must provide you with a written notice telling you that they would like to end the tenancy agreement.

The length of the notice period will depend on:

  • When the tenancy began
  • The type of tenancy or licence that you hold
  • The reason why the landlord wants the property back

Unless you decide to leave voluntarily at the end of the notice period, your landlord will then need to go to court to get possession of the property.

If your landlord is trying to evict you unlawfully from your home, you should get advice. You can contact Shelter – the housing law charity – on 0344 515 1540, or contact us on 020 8610 3539.

Special rules apply if you are sharing a property with your landlord or a member of their family.

If you are living with your landlord or a member of their family then special rules will apply, and your landlord may not need to go to court to evict you. However, they will still need to give you reasonable notice to leave the property.

You should always seek advice on your tenancy rights if you have a resident landlord. You can contact Shelter – the housing law charity – on 0344 515 1540, or contact us on 020 8610 3539.

If your landlord is evicting you from your home, you will need to think about your housing options and how to find a new home. To read more about your housing options, click here.

Where to get advice about your rights to your home

You can get independent legal advice on your rights to stay in your home by contacting:

Shelter

National charity which provides free and independent housing advice.

http://england.shelter.org.uk

Tel: 0808 800 4444 (Calls are free from UK landlines and main mobile networks (Vodafone, O2, EE and Virgin Mobile).

Barnet Citizens Advice Bureau

Provides free and independent advice on a wide variety of issues, including problems with housing.

http://www.barnetcab.org.uk/

Tel: 0808 250 5708