I received a section 8 notice in January for rent arrears. It is my lease that expires on the 27th. I have been advised by shelter on the phone today the following...I summarized as I was taking notes whilst on phone. "Sect 8 valid for 12 month after served. If landlord applies for possession order I will receive information for possession within about 28 days.....Eg if it's applied for 27th June i get on about 27th July maybe sooner or after I am then given 14 days to submit defense. If possession is granted 14 days to leave but can be 6 weeks If I prove extreme hardship. If I still refuse to leave after the possession order date then court bailiffs will be ordered to remove me within 2 weeks.

Thank you I am new to the site so wasn't sure where to post this. Ben

Hi. I am new to this forum but at an absolute loss as to where to turn with my problem. Basically I signed an assured shorthold tenancy with a friend of mine in June 2012. My friend having never paid rent abandoned the property at the time and I had entered a period of depression. I was being hounded by the landlord about his arrears as they couldn't locate him. Neither could I. In January I had a friend who was eligible for DSS offer to move in. I contacted my landlord and at the time they would not change the lease to his name without us paying £250 which I couldn't afford. I was issued with a notice seeking possession of a property let on an assured tenancy on January 25th 2013. In the end after Citizens advice had tried to work out the situation of getting my friend on the lease and my landlord did not respond to their letters my friend had to leave the property due to my landlord telling me I was in breach him being here. I tried to reason with them saying my original co tenant was not returning and his rent would never be paid. Even if I paid my side of the rent which was £300 I was still gaining £300 a month arrears which if my friend was not found would have made me liable so I was advised as I am soon declaring bankruptcy to stop paying my rent as this would all be included in my bankruptcy. Come March 2013 I was suspended from work after becoming extremely stressed on shift and in April was officially fired from my job which is still under appeal. I am currently on ESA signed off with a Doctors note for depression and anxiety. I have been told by my landlord that on June 27th when my tenancy ends they will be here to collect my keys. Now I have been told by citizens advice and shelter I do not have to leave on this date as when my tenancy ends it automatically switches to I believe a periodic tenancy and the landlord must apply for eviction in the courts. Does anyone for sure know if this is accurate. Also how long would this procedure take. My landlord also now wants to start viewing the property with prospective new tenants and I informed them that due to my current medical condition this is not possible as I currently suffer anxiety attacks supported by a doctors note and I am on prescription Valium. After a heated email discussion with my landlord today I was informed they have the right to enter with tenants and will do. I informed them that a text at 2 pm today for a 12pm visit tomorrow is neither 24 hrs notice and also not written to which they informed me to stop being pedantic. Any advice would be much appreciated as in 9 days I fear I face homelessness and housing associations told me if I leave when the lease ends I am volunteering being homeless. My landlord is telling me I must leave. I feel its all making my medical condition worse. Thank you for any help and sorry for the long post but I wanted to include all the information.