What Is Section 8 Ground 10?
Section 8 Ground 10 is a discretionary possession ground contained in Schedule 2 of the Housing Act 1988. It applies where some rent lawfully due from the tenant is unpaid at the date the Section 8 notice is served, and remains unpaid at the date of the court hearing.
The defining characteristic of Ground 10 is that it has no minimum arrears threshold. Any amount of rent that is lawfully due and genuinely unpaid satisfies the ground — whether that is one week's rent or six months' arrears. This distinguishes it from Ground 8, which requires at least two months' arrears, and from Ground 8A (introduced May 2026), which requires three months.
Because Ground 10 is discretionary, the court is not obliged to grant possession if it is proved. The judge weighs all the circumstances — the amount of arrears, how long they have been outstanding, the tenant's personal situation, and the landlord's conduct — to decide whether granting possession is reasonable. This is the key practical difference from mandatory Ground 8, where the court has no discretion once the ground is proved.
⚖️ Legal basis
Ground 10 is set out in Schedule 2 of the Housing Act 1988: “Some rent lawfully due from the tenant — (a) is unpaid on the date on which the proceedings for possession are begun; and (b) except where subsection (1)(b) of section 8 of this Act applies, was in arrears at the date of the service of the notice under that section relating to those proceedings.” The ground applies to all assured and assured shorthold tenancies in England only. Wales uses separate legislation under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016.
⚠ Why Ground 10 matters more than ever in 2026
Section 21 “no-fault” eviction was abolished across England from 1 May 2026 under the Renters' Rights Act 2025. Landlords can no longer use Section 21 to recover possession without a legal reason. Every possession claim now requires a valid Section 8 ground — making Ground 10 one of the most important tools available to landlords facing non-payment of rent at any level.