It started with a missed payment. Then another. By the time the landlord looked properly, the tenant was close to three months behind. Then, every so often, a payment arrived. Not the rent. Sometimes just 25p.
Those small payments did one job: they kept the arrears just under the level that lets a court order possession without a debate. The landlord's claim failed. Then it failed again. In the end it took 13 months of unpaid rent before they had the house back.
The landlord shared the story in one of the big UK landlord groups, and the replies were full of people who had seen the same thing. It is one of the most talked-about arrears stories we found.
Why 25p can matter so much
In England, the main rent arrears ground is Ground 8. It is a mandatory ground: if the arrears are over the line, the judge must make an order, whatever the reason for the debt.
Since 1 May 2026 that line is higher. For a monthly tenancy, the tenant must owe at least three months' rent (it used to be two). And the arrears must be over the line on two days: the day you serve notice, and the day of the hearing.
So a tenant who pays just enough to drop below three months, at the right moment, can push the case onto the discretionary grounds (10 and 11). There, the judge weighs the whole picture and may not order possession at all.
The rule in 30 seconds
- Ground 8: at least 3 months' rent owed (monthly tenancy), both when notice is served and at the hearing.
- Notice: at least 4 weeks before you can go to court.
- Ground 10: some rent owed. Ground 11: persistent late payment. Both are discretionary.
- Rent unpaid only because a Universal Credit award hasn't been paid yet may be left out of the count.
What went wrong (and it wasn't the landlord's fault)
Nobody can stop a tenant choosing to pay 25p. But three things made it harder than it needed to be:
- The landlord found out late. Without a running total, two months of arrears can feel like "a bit behind".
- The numbers weren't in one place. Bank app, texts, a spreadsheet. Working out the exact arrears on a given date took hours.
- Nothing was in writing early. A polite letter after the first missed month gives the tenant a chance to fix it and gives you a paper trail.
How to avoid it
Your arrears routine
- Log every payment the day it lands, with the date and the amount. Small amounts too.
- Keep a running balance so you always know how many months are owed.
- Write on day 1 of a missed payment. Friendly, factual, in writing. Offer to talk.
- Diary the dates. Know when the arrears would reach 3 months, and when a notice would end.
- Get advice before serving notice if part-payments are coming in. A solicitor or the NRLA can check timing.
- Keep a rent schedule ready to print: date due, amount due, amount paid, balance. Courts ask for one.
Most arrears never get near court. The landlords who come out best are simply the ones who noticed first and kept the record clean.
How Lordease helps
Every tenant has a rent countdown and a one-tap "Rent paid", with polite reminders by WhatsApp or email. Coming soon: a full rent ledger that shows where you stand against the 3-month line and exports a dated rent schedule.