Generate a Professional Rent Demand Letter for Unpaid Arrears
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This free version is not court-ready and is provided for general informational use only. It is not legal advice. For legally validated, court-ready documents, upgrade to the paid version.
Use our Rent Arrears Calculator to generate a detailed breakdown with interest calculations, then come back here to create the formal demand letter.
Open Arrears CalculatorIf the tenant doesn't pay after receiving your demand letter, you may need to take court action. Our Complete Money Claims Pack includes everything you need.
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A rent demand letter (also called an arrears demand letter or formal rent demand) is a written notice to your tenant requesting payment of overdue rent. It's an important first step before taking legal action.
You should send a demand letter:
💡 Tip: Always keep proof of service (recorded delivery receipt, email confirmation, or witness statement if hand-delivered). This evidence may be crucial in court.
Proper service is crucial. The tenant must actually receive the letter for it to be effective. Here are the recommended methods:
Send the letter by first class post or, better yet, recorded delivery. Keep the proof of postage receipt. The letter is deemed served 2 days after posting (if first class). Recorded delivery gives you proof of delivery.
Check if your tenancy agreement specifies that notices can be served by email. If so, send the letter as a PDF attachment and keep a copy of the sent email. Consider requesting a read receipt.
You can hand-deliver the letter to the tenant personally or through the letterbox. If possible, take a witness with you who can sign a statement confirming delivery. Take a dated photo of the letter going through the letterbox if hand-delivering.
⚠️ Important: Always keep copies of the demand letter and proof of service. You may need these as evidence if you proceed to Section 8 notice or money claim proceedings.
A demand letter is not strictly legally required before serving a Section 8 notice, but it's strongly recommended. However, if you're planning to pursue a money claim through the courts, the Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims requires you to give the debtor (tenant) notice and an opportunity to pay before starting proceedings. Failing to follow the protocol can result in cost penalties.
14 days is standard and reasonable for a rent demand letter. This gives the tenant time to arrange payment or contact you to discuss the situation. If you're following the Pre-Action Protocol for a money claim, you should give at least 30 days before starting court proceedings, but your initial demand can be 14 days.
If the tenant doesn't respond or pay by the deadline, you have several options: (1) Serve a Section 8 notice seeking possession based on rent arrears grounds 8, 10, or 11. (2) Start a money claim through the courts to recover the debt (without seeking possession). (3) Continue to pursue payment informally while considering your options. Our Complete Eviction Pack (£149.99) includes Section 8 notices with compliance checks.
Only if your tenancy agreement specifically includes a clause allowing you to charge interest on late rent payments. Check your AST carefully. Even if your agreement includes an interest clause, the rate must be reasonable (typically 3-5% above Bank of England base rate). If there's no interest clause in your tenancy agreement, you cannot charge interest unless and until you obtain a county court judgment (CCJ).
Yes, it's good practice to send a demand letter before serving a Section 8 notice. Here's why: (1) It gives the tenant a chance to pay and avoid eviction proceedings. (2) It shows the court you tried to resolve the matter reasonably. (3) The tenant may have a genuine reason for non-payment (e.g., benefits delay) and may be able to pay quickly once reminded. (4) It strengthens your case if you proceed to court. Many judges look favorably on landlords who've tried to work with tenants before legal action.