Mygov Scotland Notice to Leave Form: How to Fill It In

The only notice to leave form that works in Scotland is the one prescribed by secondary legislation. Right now, that's the form in Schedule 5 of SSI 2017/297. From 1 April 2027, it switches to Schedule 4 of SSI 2026/279. Use any other template — a downloaded PDF from a forum, an old letting agency version, a generic UK notice — and your notice is void.

The Upper Tribunal confirmed this in McAnally v Boyle [2025] UT 53: a notice to leave that doesn't match the prescribed form is a legal nullity. The tribunal can't fix it, and you have to start over.

Where to Get the Form

The Scottish Government runs an official notice to leave generator on mygov.scot. It walks you through the required fields and produces a notice in the correct prescribed format. This is the safest route.

You can also download the blank prescribed form directly from the Scottish Government website. But the generator is easier — it formats the notice correctly and includes all the mandatory statutory notes.

What You'll Need to Fill In

The notice to leave has four main parts:

Part 1 — Tenant and property details. The full legal names of all tenants on the PRT, and the full postal address of the property. Every tenant must be named individually. Missing a joint tenant's name can create problems at the tribunal stage.

Part 2 — The eviction ground(s). Select one or more of the 18 grounds from Schedule 3 of the 2016 Act.

Part 3 — Details and evidence of the eviction ground(s). Explain how each ground has arisen, including relevant dates and facts (for example, the steps taken to prepare a sale), and list the evidence you hold. You can attach supporting documents.

Part 4 — The notice period end date. This is the critical field. Calculate the correct expiry date using clear days plus any delivery allowance, and write it here. If this date is even one day too early, the notice is invalid.

Common Mistakes on the Form

Vague facts in Part 3. Writing "the landlord intends to sell" isn't enough. Write the specific facts: which agent, when instructed, what steps you've taken. The tribunal uses this to assess whether the ground is genuinely established.

Wrong expiry date in Part 4. The most common invalidating error. For an 84-day notice sent by post: add 2 days for deemed delivery, then 84 clear days. Day 87 from posting is the earliest valid date.

Outdated form. If you downloaded a template months ago, check it's still the current version. Forms change — SSI 2026/279 replaces the current form on 1 April 2027. Using the mygov.scot generator avoids this problem because it always uses the live form.

Missing tenant names. If two people are on the PRT, both must be named. A notice addressed to only one joint tenant may not be valid.

After You've Generated the Form

Print it, sign it, and serve it by one of the permitted methods:

• Recorded delivery post — the standard option; keep the Royal Mail tracking receipt
• Personal delivery — hand it directly to the tenant and get a signed receipt or bring a witness
• Email — only if the PRT agreement contains explicit written consent for electronic service

The served copy and your proof of service are part of your tribunal application package if the tenant doesn't leave.

The 2027 Form Change

SSI 2026/279 comes into force on 1 April 2027. The new form moves from Schedule 5 to Schedule 4 and includes updated statutory notes about local authority homelessness duties and adjusted provisions for joint tenancies. If you serve a notice on or after 1 April 2027, you must use the new form.

If you serve before that date, the current form (SSI 2017/297) is correct.

The Notice to Leave in Scotland guide includes worked examples for filling in the form for each common ground, with the day-counting done for you.

See more Scotland guides →