Landlord and Tenant Act 1954
1954 Act notice deadlines
In shortThe deadlines that decide a 1954 Act renewal are: six to twelve months for a section 25 notice or section 26 request, two months for a landlord's counter-notice to a section 26 request, and a court application before the termination date specified — a date that can be extended only by written agreement.
Key facts
- Section 25 notice
- 6–12 months before the termination date
- Section 26 request
- 6–12 months before the new tenancy is to begin
- Landlord's counter-notice
- Within 2 months of a section 26 request
- Court application
- Before the termination or commencement date
- Extensions
- Only by written agreement before the deadline passes
- After a court order
- Section 64 — 3 months after proceedings are finally disposed of
Deadline calculator
Enter the date the notice is served and the calculator works out the statutory six to twelve month window, the response deadlines and the court application cut-off. Estimates only — deadlines turn on proof of service.
Estimate only — not legal adviceThis calculator gives general information about how the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 periods are counted. It is not legal advice, it does not create a solicitor-client relationship, and it cannot confirm that any notice is valid — validity turns on the form used, the parties named and proof of service. Dates missed under this Act are usually fatal and cannot be put right, so take advice on your own facts before relying on any date shown here.
Add a service date to see the key dates.
The notice window
Both statutory notices use the same window. A landlord's section 25 notice must specify a termination date not less than six nor more than twelve months after the notice is given, and not earlier than the contractual term date. A tenant's section 26 request must specify a date for the new tenancy to begin within the same six to twelve month range.
Time is calculated from service, so the method and date of service must be capable of proof. Section 23 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1927 applies: recorded delivery to the last known place of abode or business is the safe route.
The response deadlines
If the tenant serves a section 26 request, the landlord has two months to serve a counter-notice stating the grounds of opposition. Miss that deadline and the landlord cannot oppose the renewal at all — only the terms remain in issue. There is no discretion to extend it.
Under the post-2004 regime a tenant no longer serves a counter-notice to a section 25 notice. The tenant's protection lies in applying to court in time.
The court application cut-off
An application for a new tenancy under section 24 must be made before the termination date in the section 25 notice, or before the date specified in the section 26 request. A landlord may apply for renewal or, if opposing, for termination under section 29(2).
The deadline can be extended, but only by written agreement made before it expires, and agreements are usually rolled over more than once while negotiations continue. If nobody applies and no extension is agreed, the tenancy ends on the specified date and the right to a new lease is lost outright.
- Diary the termination date the day the notice arrives
- Agree any extension in writing, signed, before the current deadline
- Do not rely on negotiations as a substitute for an application
- Section 64 keeps the old tenancy alive until three months after the proceedings are finally disposed of — and proceedings are not finally disposed of until the time for appealing has expired
Common questions
How long is a section 25 notice?
It must give not less than six and not more than twelve months before the termination date it specifies.
What is the deadline to apply to court?
Before the termination date in the section 25 notice, or the commencement date in the section 26 request, unless the parties have agreed an extension in writing beforehand.
Can a missed deadline be corrected?
Generally no. The 1954 Act timetable is strict and the court has no power to extend it once it has passed.
The provisions behind this guide
Related guides
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General information on business lease renewal under Part II of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 in England and Wales. It is not legal advice, and deadlines under the Act are unforgiving — take advice on your own notices and dates before acting.