Unlawful eviction and harassment prohibition — landlord obligations in England
The Protection from Eviction Act 1977 prohibits you from unlawfully depriving a tenant of their home, doing acts intended to make them leave (like interfering with peace or comfort), persistently withdrawing essential services, or physically retaking the property or ending the tenancy without a court order. You must also only recover possession after a tenancy ends through a court order. These rules apply to all landlords and agents. This is a continuous obligation — you must never do these things.
The law that creates this obligation
Your obligations as a landlord
- Who this applies to: All landlords and agents of landlords in England, including those who may have a limited exception where they had genuine reason to believe the tenant had left.
- When it applies: Continuously throughout the tenancy — applies from the start of the tenancy and continues until possession is lawfully recovered.
- What you must do: No positive action or evidence required — simply do not engage in the prohibited acts.
What good evidence looks like
Your compliance file should contain
- Written record or document confirming this obligation has been met
- Date of compliance — email timestamp, signed receipt, or platform log
No action required — this is a prohibition with no evidence to upload or attest.
Record this obligation in your LettingsLedger workspace
Upload evidence, set reminders, and build a timestamped compliance record — all in one place.
Consequences of non-compliance
If you unlawfully deprive a tenant of their home or harass them, you face a fine and/or up to 6 months in prison on summary conviction, or a fine and/or up to 2 years if tried in the Crown Court, plus civil liability for damages. A local housing authority may also impose a financial penalty of up to £40,000 as an alternative to prosecution for unlawful eviction or harassment (RRA 2025 s.58 inserting PfEA 1977 s.1A). Physically re-entering the property without a court order is a criminal offence. Recovering possession without a court order after the tenancy ends gives rise to civil proceedings.
Further reading for landlords
LettingsLedger is a compliance evidence governance platform. It is not a legal services provider and does not provide legal advice. Content is derived from UK primary legislation at legislation.gov.uk and official GOV.UK sources. Reflects the position as at June 2026. A GovProtocol product by Pertheo Limited.