Your landlord wants to move back in — what are your rights?

The short answer: a landlord can recover their property to live in themselves, or to house a close family member, using a possession ground called Ground 1. Since 1 May 2026 that means at least four months' written notice, and they cannot make you leave in your first twelve months. It's a mandatory ground if it's genuine and the notice is valid — but those two conditions matter, and you have time and options.

What is Ground 1?

Ground 1 is one of the seventeen grounds for possession under the Renters' Rights Act 2025, which amended the grounds in Schedule 2 of the Housing Act 1988. It applies where the landlord, or a close family member, wants to move into the property as their home. "Close family member" covers a spouse or civil partner, parent, child, sibling, grandparent or grandchild.

It sits alongside Ground 1A (sale of the property) as one of the two main "the landlord wants the property back" grounds — and the two are treated almost identically. The government's grounds for possession guidance sets out both, and confirms they are mandatory grounds — meaning that if the landlord proves the facts, the court must grant possession.

How much notice must you get?

Four months. The government's guidance is explicit: for Ground 1 the landlord "must give 4 months' notice before applying to court for a possession order." The notice has to be a Section 8 notice on the prescribed form, and it must name Ground 1 as the reason. A notice on the wrong form, with no ground named, or giving less than four months, is invalid and the clock doesn't start.

Can they make you leave in the first year?

No. The same guidance states that a landlord "cannot ask your tenant to leave for this reason within the first 12 months of a new tenancy." The landlord can serve notice during your first twelve months, but it cannot expire before the twelve months are up — so in practice the earliest a valid Ground 1 notice can take effect is your twelve-month anniversary. This is a new protection under the 2025 Act and didn't exist under the old Section 21 regime. You can read the wider picture in The Renters' Rights Act 2025 — a tenant's guide.

Is it the same as being evicted so they can sell?

Almost. Ground 1 (moving in) and Ground 1A (selling) share the same headline rules: four months' notice, no possession in the first twelve months, both mandatory, both served by Section 8. The only difference is the reason — your landlord living in the property, rather than selling it. If you've received a notice and aren't sure which ground it cites, check the form carefully; the ground must be stated on it.

What if you don't think they really intend to move in?

This is the most important practical point. Ground 1 is only available where the intention is genuine. To stop these grounds being used as a back-door "no reason" eviction, the Act stops a landlord re-letting or re-marketing the property for 12 months after the landlord uses the moving-in or selling ground to get possession — the same restriction applies to both. The government's Guide to the Renters' Rights Act confirms this. That restriction is the enforcement mechanism behind the honesty requirement — we explain how it shifts the picture in The twelve-month re-let ban.

So if your landlord serves a Ground 1 notice and then, soon after you leave, the property reappears on Rightmove or Zoopla as a rental, that's a serious red flag worth raising with Citizens Advice, Shelter, or your council. If you suspect the stated reason isn't genuine, you may have a defence to a possession claim — get advice promptly, because court timetables are tight.

Your options

You have the same broad choices as in any landlord-possession situation:

• Wait for valid notice, then move. Your tenancy continues normally through the notice period — you keep paying rent, your deposit stays protected, the landlord keeps their repairing obligations.
• Check the notice carefully. Wrong form, no ground stated, less than four months, or an expiry inside your first twelve months all make it invalid. Free advice is available from Citizens Advice and Shelter.
• Get advice if the reason looks doubtful. As above — the re-let restriction exists precisely because these grounds can be misused.
• Consider a co-operative exit. People assume being paid to co-operate only applies to sales, but a landlord who wants their property back for any reason has the same incentive to get a clean, agreed, on-time departure. If you're going to be moving on anyway, you can suggest agreeing a date in return for a reward, rather than absorbing the whole cost of the move yourself — see Cash for keys: getting paid to leave, the fair way. It's your suggestion to make and the landlord's choice to accept; raising it costs you nothing and changes none of your rights.

A landlord moving back in is one of the more understandable reasons to want a property back, and most of these situations are resolved amicably. Knowing the notice you're entitled to — and that the first twelve months are protected — is what lets you plan from a position of calm rather than alarm.

Common questions

How much notice does a landlord need to move back in?

Four months' written notice on the prescribed Section 8 form, naming Ground 1. Less than four months, the wrong form, or no ground stated all make the notice invalid.

Can my landlord make me leave in the first year to move in?

No. A landlord cannot use Ground 1 to take possession within the first twelve months of the tenancy. They can serve notice during that period, but it cannot expire before the twelve months are up.

What if my landlord doesn't actually move in?

The Act bars a landlord from re-letting or re-marketing the property for 12 months after they use the moving-in or selling ground to get possession. If the property is re-let soon after you go, that's a red flag — take free advice, as you may have had a defence to the claim.

Is "landlord moving in" the same as being evicted to sell?

The rules are almost identical — four months' notice, no possession in the first twelve months, both mandatory grounds. The only difference is the reason: occupation (Ground 1) versus sale (Ground 1A).

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