Protection from Eviction Act 1977
(PEA 1977)
The statute making unlawful eviction and harassment of residential tenants criminal offences. Section 1 creates the offences; section 3 requires court order before eviction of a residential occupier. Underpins all tenant security from forcible eviction in the UK.
The Act has been the legal cornerstone of tenant protection for nearly 50 years. Section 1(2) makes unlawful eviction (removal without court order) a criminal offence. Section 1(3) makes harassment (acts likely to make a residential occupier give up their occupation, or persistent withdrawal of services) a criminal offence. Section 3 requires a court order before evicting any 'residential occupier' (broader than 'tenant'). Police can prosecute or refer to council Tenancy Relations Officers. Civil remedies (damages, injunctions) run in parallel.