Protection from Eviction Act 1977

Protection from Eviction Act 1977 (c 43) is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom protecting people renting accommodation from losing their homes without the involvement of a court.

The Act's aim is to protect tenants from being ejected from their homes by landlords, unless there has been a court order.

Section 5 states that everyone (whether they are classified as having a lease or a licence) is required to be given four weeks notice before they are evicted. Any "notice to quit" has no effect before this time.

Section 3A states that there are a number of exclusions. These are primarily when a landlord actually resides in the same property as the tenant, or the accommodation falls within the definition of a hostel or hotel.

Section 3 states that nobody can be forcibly evicted without a court order. The purpose of this section was to prevent aggressive landlords becoming violent.

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