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Rental & PropertyUnited Kingdom
Free Rent Arrears Letter Template
A professionally drafted rent arrears letter for landlords in England and Wales. Formally notify your tenant of overdue rent and request prompt payment.
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James Harrison
42 Oak Avenue, London EC1A 1BB
07700 900123
james.harrison@example.co.uk
1 April 2026
Sarah Collins
8 Bridge Road, Manchester M1 2AB
Re: Rent Arrears — 8 Bridge Road, Manchester M1 2AB
Total Outstanding: GBP 2,400.00
Dear Sarah Collins,
I am writing formally in respect of the tenancy of the property situated at 8 Bridge Road, Manchester M1 2AB (the "Property") under the Assured Shorthold Tenancy (Housing Act 1988). Rent payments due under that tenancy for the period from 1 February 2026 to 31 March 2026 remain outstanding. As at the date of this letter, the total sum owed is GBP 2,400.00. This letter is served as a formal demand for payment and should be treated as such.
I am writing formally in respect of the tenancy of the property situated at 8 Bridge Road, Manchester M1 2AB (the "Property") under the Assured Shorthold Tenancy (Housing Act 1988). Rent payments due under that tenancy for the period from 1 February 2026 to 31 March 2026 remain outstanding. As at the date of this letter, the total sum owed is GBP 2,400.00. This letter is served as a formal demand for payment and should be treated as such.
1.
OUTSTANDING RENT
As of 1 April 2026 the outstanding rent due under the tenancy totals GBP 2,400.00 covering the period 1 February 2026 to 31 March 2026. The contractual monthly rent is GBP 1,200.00. Non-payment of rent constitutes a breach of the tenancy and is actionable under the common law of contract and, where the tenancy is assured or assured shorthold, under Schedule 2 to the Housing Act 1988. In accordance with section 19 of the Limitation Act 1980, rent arrears may be recovered by action for a period of six years from the date each instalment became due.
2.
PAYMENT DEMAND AND DEADLINE
You are required to pay the full outstanding balance of GBP 2,400.00 to the Landlord on or before 21 April 2026. Payment must be made in cleared funds and clearly referenced to your name and the Property address. If payment is not received in full by the deadline, the Landlord reserves the right to take all such steps (whether at common law, under the tenancy agreement or under statute) as are available to recover the debt and/or possession of the Property, without further warning.
3.
TENANT'S OBLIGATIONS
You are reminded that, under the tenancy agreement and at common law, you are contractually obliged to pay rent punctually on the due date and to continue to do so throughout the term of the tenancy. Non-payment of rent, even where temporary, is a material breach of your tenancy and may give rise to: (a) a claim for the debt; (b) a claim for possession of the Property; (c) a County Court Judgment (CCJ) which will remain on the public Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines for six years and materially affect your credit record; and (d) liability for the Landlord's reasonable costs of recovery, including legal and court fees, to the extent provided by the tenancy agreement or the rules of court.
4.
REQUEST TO CONTACT THE LANDLORD
If you are experiencing financial difficulty, please contact the Landlord immediately on the details set out at the head of this letter. The Landlord is willing to discuss the position with you in good faith and, where appropriate, to agree a reasonable course of action. You are also encouraged to seek free, independent advice from Citizens Advice, Shelter, StepChange or a qualified debt adviser. Engaging with the Landlord at an early stage is the best way to avoid formal enforcement or possession proceedings.
5.
LATE PAYMENT INTEREST
Interest is payable on the outstanding sum at the rate of 4% per annum pursuant to the express rate of interest provided by the tenancy agreement; no statutory interest under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 arises on a residential tenancy, and any interest charged must be lawful under the contract and not amount to a penalty (Cavendish Square Holding BV v Makdessi [2015] UKSC 67). Interest will accrue on a daily basis from the date each instalment of rent became due until the date of actual payment, both before and after any judgment.
6.
REPAYMENT PLAN PROPOSAL
The Landlord is prepared to agree the following repayment terms, subject to your written acceptance: GBP 600 per month on the 1st of each month, beginning 1 May 2026, in addition to the ongoing contractual rent of GBP 1,200, until the full balance of GBP 2,400 is cleared.. Any repayment plan will be confirmed in writing and signed by both parties before taking effect. A repayment plan does not extinguish or waive the Landlord's rights: the full outstanding balance shall immediately become due and enforceable upon any breach of the plan. Agreement to a repayment schedule shall be without prejudice to the Landlord's rights under Schedule 2 to the Housing Act 1988 where applicable.
7.
WARNING — POSSESSION PROCEEDINGS (SECTION 8, HOUSING ACT 1988)
If the arrears are not paid by the deadline, the Landlord reserves the right to serve a formal Notice Seeking Possession (Form 3) under section 8 of the Housing Act 1988, relying on: Ground 8 (mandatory — at least three months' rent unpaid at service and at hearing), Ground 10 (discretionary — some rent lawfully due unpaid) and Ground 11 (discretionary — persistent delay in paying rent) under Schedule 2 to the Act, with a minimum statutory notice period of four weeks' notice. Where Ground 8 is established at the hearing the Court must order possession; Grounds 10 and 11 are discretionary and the Court will consider whether it is reasonable to order possession. If the Landlord is successful, the Court may also order you to pay the arrears, interest, and the Landlord's costs. Enforcement of a possession order is by warrant of possession executed by a County Court bailiff or, where transferred, a High Court enforcement officer. As your tenancy is governed by the post-1 May 2026 assured periodic tenancy regime (as amended by the Renters' Rights Act 2024), Ground 8 now requires at least three months' rent unpaid at the date of service and at the date of hearing (s.4 RRA 2024 amending Schedule 2 to the Housing Act 1988), and a minimum notice period of four weeks.
8.
HOW TO MAKE PAYMENT
Bank transfer: Sort Code 12-34-56, Account 12345678, Account Name "J Harrison Lettings". Use "COLLINS-BRIDGE-RD" as the payment reference. No cash or cheque payments accepted.
9.
PRE-ACTION PROTOCOL COMPLIANCE
This letter is given pursuant to the Pre-Action Protocol for Possession Claims Based on Rent Arrears (CPR PD55A). You are entitled, and encouraged, to: (a) provide full details of your income, expenditure and any benefit applications (including Universal Credit housing costs and Discretionary Housing Payments); (b) raise any counter-claim, set-off or defence you consider you may have (including any disrepair); (c) obtain independent advice from Citizens Advice, Shelter or a duty adviser at your local County Court. The Landlord will, for the Landlord's part, take all reasonable steps required by the Protocol, including providing an up-to-date rent statement on request and giving you a reasonable opportunity to clear the arrears or agree a sustainable payment plan before issuing proceedings.
10.
LEGAL ACTION
If the arrears are not paid in full by the deadline, the Landlord reserves the right, without further notice, to take any or all of the following steps: (a) issue a money claim in the County Court (or, in Scotland, a simple procedure claim) for the debt, interest and costs; (b) issue possession proceedings under section 8 and/or section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 (or, for non-housing tenancies, the common law); (c) seek judgment resulting in a County Court Judgment (CCJ), registered on the Register of Judgments for six years; (d) enforce any judgment by warrant of control, attachment of earnings, third-party debt order or charging order in accordance with CPR Parts 70-73. The Landlord hopes this course of action will not be necessary and urges you to make contact at the earliest opportunity.
11.
COMPLIANCE AND TENANT RIGHTS
The Landlord confirms that: (a) your personal data is processed lawfully, fairly and transparently in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018 (as amended by the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025), on the legal bases of contract and legitimate interests (debt recovery); (b) no step taken in pursuit of these arrears shall amount to harassment within the meaning of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, or harassment or unlawful eviction under sections 1 and 3 of the Protection from Eviction Act 1977; (c) no demand or enforcement step is made on any ground prohibited by the Equality Act 2010; and (d) any third-party debt collection agent instructed by the Landlord is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and complies with CONC 7 of the FCA Handbook. Rent arrears are not a regulated credit agreement for the purposes of the Consumer Credit Act 1974.
12.
BREATHING SPACE (DEBT RESPITE SCHEME) — YOUR PROTECTION
You may be entitled to apply for a Breathing Space moratorium under the Debt Respite Scheme (Breathing Space Moratorium and Mental Health Crisis Moratorium) (England and Wales) Regulations 2020 (in force 4 May 2021). A standard Breathing Space provides up to 60 days of legal protection during which most enforcement action is paused and most interest, fees and charges on qualifying debts (including residential rent arrears) cannot be added. A Mental Health Crisis Breathing Space lasts for the duration of your mental-health crisis treatment plus 30 days, and is available where you are receiving NHS mental-health crisis treatment. To apply you must engage with an FCA-authorised debt adviser (or, for Mental Health Crisis, an Approved Mental Health Professional). The Landlord will respect any Breathing Space registered on the Insolvency Service's register and will pause this demand accordingly.
13.
FCA CONSUMER DUTY — VULNERABLE-CUSTOMER SAFEGUARDS
Where this arrears action is taken by or on behalf of a firm authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority, the Landlord (or its appointed agent) will comply with the FCA Consumer Duty as set out in FCA Policy Statement PS22/9 and the Consumer Duty rules in PRIN 2A and FG22/5 (in force 31 July 2023 for new and existing products open to sale, and 31 July 2024 for closed-book products). This includes the cross-cutting obligations to act in good faith, avoid foreseeable harm and support customers in pursuit of their financial objectives, and the four Consumer Duty outcomes (products and services, price and value, consumer understanding, consumer support). In particular, the Landlord will take reasonable steps to identify and meet the needs of customers in vulnerable circumstances (FG21/1), including offering appropriate forbearance, signposting to free independent advice (Citizens Advice, StepChange, MoneyHelper, Shelter) and adapting communications where reasonably required.
14.
AI / AUTOMATED COLLECTION — TRANSPARENCY
Where the Landlord uses AI or automated tools (including automated arrears triage, generative-AI letter drafting or risk scoring) in connection with this arrears action, the Landlord confirms that: (a) no decision producing legal or similarly significant effects on you (such as initiation of possession proceedings) has been taken solely by automated processing, save where Article 22(2) UK GDPR permits and appropriate safeguards have been applied; (b) the Landlord has provided (or will provide on request) meaningful information about the logic involved and the significance and envisaged consequences of any such processing under Articles 13(2)(f), 14(2)(g) and 15(1)(h) UK GDPR; and (c) you may request human review of any automated decision under Article 22(3) UK GDPR. The Landlord has had regard to the ICO's guidance on AI and data protection (2024) in designing any such tooling.
15.
GOVERNING LAW AND JURISDICTION
This letter and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with it (including non-contractual disputes or claims) are governed by and construed in accordance with the law of England and Wales. The parties submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales in respect of any such dispute.
YOURS SINCERELY,
James Harrison
Landlord
Date: ____________________
LANDLORD
1 April 2026
James Harrison
Date: ____________________
Available as a print-ready PDF or an editable Microsoft Word (.docx) file.
What Is a Rent Arrears Letter?
A rent arrears letter is a formal written notice from a landlord to a tenant advising that rent payments are overdue and requesting that the outstanding balance be paid. It is the standard first step in addressing non-payment of rent before escalating to formal possession proceedings.
The letter serves several important purposes: it creates a written record that the landlord notified the tenant of the arrears, it gives the tenant an opportunity to pay or make arrangements before legal action is taken, and it demonstrates to any court that the landlord acted reasonably by attempting to resolve the matter before seeking possession.
UK landlords should send a rent arrears letter promptly when rent becomes overdue. Early intervention in England and Wales is more likely to result in payment and helps prevent arrears from accumulating to the point where they become unmanageable for the British tenant.
What's Covered in This Template
Doxuno's rent arrears letter template provides a clear, professional format for notifying tenants of outstanding rent.
Tenant and Property Details
Full name and address of the tenant and the rental property to which the arrears relate.
Arrears Summary
A clear breakdown of the amount outstanding, including which payment periods are overdue.
Payment History
Reference to the last payment received and the dates of missed payments.
Total Amount Due
The total arrears balance including any applicable late payment charges specified in the tenancy agreement.
Payment Deadline
A specific date by which the outstanding balance should be paid.
Payment Methods
Acceptable methods for making payment, including bank details or online payment instructions.
Offer to Discuss
An invitation for the tenant to contact the landlord to discuss the situation or arrange a payment plan.
Consequences of Non-Payment
A clear statement of the actions the landlord may take if the arrears are not resolved, including possession proceedings.
Pre-Action Protocol Reference
Reference to the Pre-Action Protocol for Possession Claims based on rent arrears.
Landlord Contact Details
Full contact information for the landlord or agent to facilitate communication.
How to Create Your Rent Arrears Letter
Follow these steps to create a professional rent arrears letter that protects your position while treating the tenant fairly.
- 1
Calculate the arrears
Determine the exact amount outstanding, noting which payment periods have been missed and any partial payments received. UK courts expect British landlords to provide an accurate arrears schedule in any possession claim in England and Wales.
- 2
Enter the details
Provide the tenant name, property address, arrears breakdown, total amount due, and the deadline for payment.
- 3
Include contact and payment information
Add your contact details and clear payment instructions so the tenant can respond or make payment easily.
- 4
State the consequences clearly
Explain what steps you may take if the arrears are not resolved, such as serving a UK Section 8 notice or commencing possession proceedings in England and Wales.
- 5
Send and keep records
Send the UK letter by post and email, and keep copies of both. Record the date of sending as evidence that notice was given, which is important for any subsequent British court proceedings in England and Wales.
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Legal Considerations
Handling rent arrears involves following specific legal procedures. Acting correctly from the outset protects the landlord position in any subsequent proceedings.
This template is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Consult a qualified solicitor for advice specific to your situation.
Reviewed for England & Wales law
Pre-Action Protocol
The UK Pre-Action Protocol for Possession Claims based on Rent Arrears requires British landlords to write to the tenant setting out the arrears, discuss the situation, and consider reasonable proposals for payment before issuing court proceedings in England and Wales. Failure to follow the protocol may affect the court approach to costs and timing under English law.
Section 8 Grounds for Possession
If the arrears are not resolved, the UK landlord may serve a Section 8 notice relying on Ground 8 (mandatory ground under English law where at least two months rent is owed at both the date of the notice and the date of the hearing), Ground 10 (discretionary ground for any rent arrears), or Ground 11 (persistent delay in paying rent) in England and Wales.
Late Payment Charges
Under the UK Tenant Fees Act 2019, a British landlord may only charge interest on late rent payments if the tenancy agreement provides for this. The interest rate must not exceed 3% above the Bank of England base rate in England and Wales, and it can only be charged on rent that is more than 14 days overdue.
Harassment and Illegal Eviction
UK landlords must not harass British tenants or attempt to force them out because of rent arrears. The UK Protection from Eviction Act 1977 makes it a criminal offence to unlawfully evict or harass a residential tenant in England and Wales. All arrears action must follow the proper legal process under English law.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Generate a professional rent arrears letter for your tenant in England and Wales. Document the outstanding balance and download your PDF in minutes.
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