My landlord is threatening to evict me — what do I do?

Don't panic — a threat is not a legal eviction. Your landlord cannot remove you from your home without following a strict legal process, and that process takes months.

To legally evict you, your landlord must: serve a valid Section 8 notice on the correct form (Form 3A) citing a legal ground; wait for the notice period to expire (usually four months); apply to court for a possession order; and only then, if you still haven't left, obtain a warrant for court bailiffs.

Verbal threats, WhatsApp messages, knocking on the door and asking you to leave, or turning up with a locksmith — none of these are legal eviction. If your landlord tries to remove you by any means other than the court process, that is an illegal eviction, which is a criminal offence.

Keep a written record of every threat or incident — dates, times, what was said, any messages. This evidence matters if things escalate.

Contact Shelter England (shelter.org.uk) or Citizens Advice (citizensadvice.org.uk) and describe exactly what's happening. They can tell you whether there's a legitimate eviction process underway or whether your landlord is simply trying to pressure you out.