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You often hear of horror stories about landlords being caught up in lengthy eviction battles, while simultaneously accumulating a mountain of rent arrears.
I’m not going to say that doesn’t happen. It does.
However, tenant evictions aren’t always the stuff nightmares are made of! Actually, from my experience, as long as the proper procedures are followed, they can be straightforward affairs that are over relatively quickly…
This blog post is going to be based on my own experience, having dealt with several evictions in England over the past decade. I’ve also reached out to Legalforlandlords (a UK based professional tenant eviction company) for their feedback – because they deal with tenant evictions on a daily basis!
To clarify, when I use the word “eviction”, I don’t necessarily mean getting rid of nightmare tenants, because broadly speaking, ‘eviction’ can also mean repossessing a property from perfectly good tenants, too.
Page contents
- Quick Overview: The Short Answer
- The Steps To Eviction
- What Happens After Serving a Section 8 Notice?
- If Your Eviction or Possession Notice Is Ignored
- If a Possession Order Is Ignored
- So, How Long Does an Eviction Take?
- What If You Want to Evict Tenants Quickly?
- How to Avoid Delays in the Eviction Process
- Dealing With a Difficult Tenant? Free Advice and Guidance
Quick Overview: The Short Answer
For those that want to smash ‘n grab a quick answer to the question, I’m not going to deprive you: I’ve had tenants vacate as quickly as 14 days (after receiving notice), and I’ve also had tenants drag things out for a painstaking 6 months. In reality, the eviction process can take anywhere from around 14 days to 6-8 months, depending on the circumstances.
Yes, it’s a “how long is a piece of string” question, I’m afraid.
I know – not the most satisfying answer. Don’t shoot the messenger!
The reality is that eviction timelines vary significantly depending on individual circumstances. In most cases, it comes down to how compliant the tenant is. External factors can also play a role, such as how busy the courts are (if the case reaches that stage — hopefully it won’t).
The Steps To Eviction
Generally, there are three steps to evict a tenant. Progressing through all of these steps is not always required, but if an earlier step fails, you may need to proceed to the next, which will inevitably increase the timeframe.
- Step 1: Serving Legal Notice: Section 8 is the only option since the Renters’ Rights Act was introduced on 1 May 2026, as it ended Section 21 “no-fault” notices.
- Step 2: Court Proceedings: Issuing a claim for possession through the courts if the tenant does not leave
- Step 3: Warrant of Possession (Bailiffs): Enforcement of the eviction if the tenant still refuses to vacate
What Happens After Serving a Section 8 Notice?
Assuming your tenant is prepared to play ball and voluntarily vacates after receiving the required notice, they will leave the property on the date specified in the notice without any issues. This can take anywhere between 14 days and 4 months from the date the notice is received, depending on the ground used to evict the tenant.
In many cases, serving notice is enough to encourage tenants to vacate. However…
If Your Eviction or Possession Notice Is Ignored
LegalforLandlords has stated that, statistically, tenants are less likely to voluntarily vacate after being served a Section 8 notice where the eviction is based on rent arrears. This is often because tenants in arrears may struggle to afford the upfront costs of securing a new rental property, such as a deposit and rent in advance. Landlords generally have better success when possession proceedings are based on grounds other than rent arrears.
If your tenant ignores the notice and does not vacate by the specified date, the next step is to apply to the court for a possession order. You can use the Possession Claim Online service through the GOV.UK website, which allows landlords to complete court forms online and track the progress of the claim. The current court fee is £325.
Generally speaking, it can take around 6–8 weeks for the court to grant a possession order under Section 8, although timeframes can vary depending on court delays and whether the claim is defended.
If a Possession Order Is Ignored
It is not unusual for tenants to ignore a possession order granted by the court, which is normally a 14-day order. In these cases, the landlord will usually need to proceed to the final stage of the eviction process by applying for a warrant of possession through the County Court Bailiff.
Obtaining a bailiff appointment can typically take between 5-10 weeks, although waiting times vary depending on the court and the resources available in that area.
According to LegalforLandlords, around 75% of landlords serving a Section 8 notice ultimately require court action. In many cases, the overall eviction process can take between 5–7 months, and sometimes longer depending on the court dealing with the claim.
Historically, courts such as Central London, Clerkenwell & Shoreditch, and Birmingham have experienced longer delays than average.
So, How Long Does an Eviction Take?
As mentioned, it really depends on the circumstances and, frustratingly, much of the process is outside the landlord’s control. An eviction can take anywhere from 14 days to several months, depending on the grounds used, whether the tenant leaves voluntarily, and how quickly the courts process the case.
What If You Want to Evict Tenants Quickly?
There’s no magic pill, unfortunately.
Unless the tenant agrees to voluntarily vacate, there is generally no quick way to remove them from the property. I am not aware of any formal legal process that guarantees a fast-track eviction, even in situations such as:
- Where the tenant is allegedly carrying out illegal activity or operating a business from the property without permission
- Where the landlord wishes to sell the buy-to-let property
- Where rent arrears have caused the landlord to fall behind on mortgage payments
In practice, many landlords try to persuade tenants to leave voluntarily by offering financial incentives – commonly referred to as “cash for keys”. This may involve paying the tenant directly, reducing rent arrears, or agreeing to write off arrears entirely.
Many tenants do agree to leave under those circumstances, but for landlords it can be a very bitter pill to swallow, particularly when tenants begin negotiating the terms (which, unsurprisingly, often happens).
For obvious reasons, I will not make any recommendations.
How to Avoid Delays in the Eviction Process
Just a word of caution before I sign off and sail off into the sunset.
While tenant evictions can typically take anywhere from 14 days to several months, I have heard of many cases where the process dragged on far longer than necessary because the correct procedures were not followed.
For the smoothest and most efficient eviction process possible, it is essential for landlords to remain legally compliant and ensure everything is done properly from the outset.
Dealing With a Difficult Tenant? Free Advice and Guidance
I got you!
If you would like some free legal advice or professional assistance with evicting your tenants, you can book a free case review with Legalforlandlords.co.uk. They’ll be able to assess your case and guide you in the right direction, and also suggest some optional services (at exclusive rates) to help remedy your situation the right way.
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Best of luck!
Landlord out xo
Disclaimer: I'm just a landlord blogger; I'm 100% not qualified to give legal or financial advice. I'm a doofus. Any information I share is my unqualified opinion, and should never be construed as professional legal or financial advice. You should definitely get advice from a qualified professional for any legal or financial matters. For more information, please read my full disclaimer.
Rented out former home for 12 years. Use Managing Agents and have insurance to cover rent arrears and eviction process. Reliant on rent as retired and it's my pension. Your page has helped regarding possible time scale.