My landlord says they want to move back in — can they evict me?

Yes, but only under specific conditions — and you have strong protections. Your landlord can evict you if they genuinely need to move back in themselves or if a close family member needs to live there. This is called Ground 1 under Section 8.

The key protections are these: your landlord must give you at least four months' notice. They cannot use Ground 1 during the first 12 months of your tenancy — so if you've been in the property less than a year, this notice is not valid. And the person moving in must actually be the landlord or an immediate family member (spouse, parent, child, sibling).

After evicting you under Ground 1, your landlord is banned from re-letting the property for 12 months. If they evict you and then put it back on the rental market, they've broken the law and you may be entitled to compensation.

Courts take "intention to occupy" claims seriously. If a landlord serves a Ground 1 notice but never actually moves in, tenants can pursue a Rent Repayment Order.

If you receive this type of notice, check your tenancy start date first. If it's less than 12 months ago, the notice is invalid. Otherwise, you cannot be legally forced out until the notice period expires and a court grants a possession order.