# Rent arrears letter template (UK): three letters, from reminder to final notice > Make a rent arrears letter with the figures filled in: a friendly reminder, a formal arrears letter, and a final letter before a Section 8 notice. - Page to cite: https://aeolookup.com/letting-agents/rent-arrears-letter-template/ - Publisher: AEO Lookup (https://aeolookup.com/) - Section: Letting agents, Notices and arrears - Published 1 October 2026 - Key fact: We built the letters on the post-May 2026 rules; the final letter only mentions Ground 8 when the arrears reach 3 months' rent, so on our £1,250-a-month example it switches wording at £3,750 owed, not the old £2,500. - Sources: GOV.UK "Grounds for possession: guidance for landlords and letting agents", read 2026-10-01. Support routes (Citizens Advice, Shelter, local council, Universal Credit managed payments) as published by each, read 2026-10-01. "Rent arrears letter template" is one of the most searched phrases in lettings, and most of the templates that come up are either American, out of date, or written as threats. The letter maker below produces three letters for England with the figures filled in. Each one is a step in a sequence: pick the right one for where you are. **Free tool on the page:** Rent arrears letter maker. It runs in the browser at https://aeolookup.com/letting-agents/rent-arrears-letter-template/#tool and asks for no sign-up. ## The three letters **1. Friendly reminder.** Sent within a few days of a missed payment. Short, assumes an oversight, gives a date seven days out, and offers to talk. **2. Formal arrears letter.** Sent when the reminder has not worked, usually around two weeks after the due date. It states the arrears in pounds and in months of rent, sets a date fourteen days out, and asks the tenant to pay in full or agree a repayment plan in writing. **3. Final letter before notice.** Sent when the formal letter has not worked. It says what happens next: that the landlord may serve a Section 8 notice. Since 1 May 2026, the letter only refers to Ground 8 when at least 3 months' rent is owed (the new threshold), and otherwise to the discretionary grounds for unpaid or persistently late rent. Either way the notice period is 4 weeks. Every letter includes where the tenant can get free advice. That is not only good practice. If the case ever goes to court on a discretionary ground, the judge looks at whether the landlord acted reasonably, and letters that offered a repayment plan and pointed to help are evidence that you did. ## What to put in, and what to leave out Put in: - the exact amount owed and how it is made up; - the property address and tenant names as on the tenancy; - a clear date to pay by; - how to pay, with the account details; - an offer to agree a repayment plan. Leave out: - threats you cannot carry out, such as changing the locks. Evicting a tenant without a court order is a criminal offence; - charges the Tenant Fees Act does not allow. Late rent interest is only permitted where the tenancy says so, once rent has gone unpaid for 14 days counting from the day it was due, at no more than 3% above Bank of England base rate; - anything about the tenant's benefits that would read as discrimination. Since 1 May 2026 it is unlawful to treat renters worse because they receive benefits. ## Universal Credit If the tenant claims Universal Credit and has fallen behind, the landlord can ask for the housing element to be paid directly, through a managed payment. The letters mention this. Also note the Ground 8 exception: if the arrears exist only because Universal Credit has not been received, Ground 8 cannot be used. ## Keep a record of every letter Each letter is evidence. If the claim reaches court on Ground 10 or 11, the judge decides whether possession is reasonable, and a file showing that the tenant was told the balance, offered a plan and pointed to help carries weight. Keep: - a copy of each letter with the date it was sent and how (post, email, by hand); - the rent statement attached to each one, so the figure in the letter can be checked; - any reply, and notes of calls, with dates; - the repayment plan if one was agreed, and whether each instalment was paid. A plan the tenant keeps to is the best outcome for everyone. A plan they break, recorded properly, is the strongest evidence you will have. ## When letters do not work Check where you stand with the [Ground 8 rent arrears checker](https://aeolookup.com/letting-agents/ground-8-rent-arrears-checker/), then read our guide to [Section 8 notices after the Renters' Rights Act](https://aeolookup.com/letting-agents/section-8-notice-after-renters-rights-act/) before serving anything. A notice with the wrong ground or the wrong date usually means starting again, and that costs more weeks of rent than any letter. This is general information for England, not legal advice. ## Short answers from this page **What should a rent arrears letter say after May 2026?** The amount owed, the dates it fell due, how to pay and who to talk to, and where to get free debt advice. A final letter should mention Ground 8 only once arrears reach three months' rent: on £1,250 a month that is £3,750, not the old £2,500. A letter that threatens a ground the tenant has not reached undermines the notice later. --- ![](https://aeolookup.com/img/d/owner-line.png) General information for UK small firms, not legal, tax or financial advice.