Section 21 (Form 6A) notice checklist

Read the notice to make sure it meets your needs. Check that you have met all the requirements before you serve a section 21 notice. Check that:

• the property address and postcode in the notice are correct
• the property and tenant is located in England only
• the tenant's, landlord's or landlord's agent's name is spelled correctly
• the tenancy is an assured shorthold tenancy (AST)
• the tenant's deposit is in an approved government tenant deposit scheme
• the tenant has received the prescribed information relating to their deposit
• the tenant has received a copy of an up-to-date gas safety certificate, Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) and the government's 'How to Rent' guide
• the expiry date in the notice is after the last day of the tenancy (ie it isn't the same as the end date of the fixed-term or periodic term)
• the rented property is properly licensed if required by a local authority
• there are no improvement notices served on the rented property by a local authority
• you have read the accompanying notes for Form 6A

If you have any questions you can Ask a lawyer.

1. Print out the notice.

2. Either the landlord or the landlord's agent must sign where appropriate and include their address and telephone number.

You must wait at least four months from the start of the tenant's original tenancy before you give a section 21 notice.

The notice must be delivered to the tenant two calendar months before the date for repossession stated in the notice, but the date cannot be the same as the last day of the tenancy. A longer notice period may be required if the rental period is more than two months, eg if rent is paid quarterly (every 3 months). It's important to get this right. If you have any questions, Ask a lawyer.

You must get proof that the notice has been served.

The notice is only served when the tenant is deemed to have received it. The time the notice takes to get to the tenant is not included in the two month period. You may need to allow extra time for delivery.

• By post: Allow at least three working days for delivery when you use Royal Mail to post your notice.
• By hand: Posting the notice into the postbox of the rented property yourself gives you the security of knowing when the notice gets to the tenant and removes the uncertainty about the method of posting. You can take someone with you to witness you've done this.

Keep a copy of the notice and proof of service.

• By post: Use a recorded delivery service if you are posting the notice by mail, which allows your letter to be tracked and gives you proof of postage.
• By hand: If you have posted the notice through the letterbox, you can ask your witness to sign a note of the time and date of posting. The witness must not be related to you, must have mental capacity and must not be under the age of 18.