Renters' Rights Act 2025, Phase 1 commencement
Transition readiness pack
England

Warrant of Possession: Form N325 to County Court After Possession Order — County Court Bailiff (7-Day Notice) — High Court Transfer (N293A) for Faster HCEO Enforcement Where Arrears Over £600 — Tenant Suspension Application (N244) — Suspended Possession Order Breach — Goods Left Behind: Torts Act 1977

Landlord Warrant of Possession UK 2026 — Applying for Bailiff After Court Order, High Court Transfer and Suspension

Warrant of possession guide 2026: when tenant does not vacate after possession order, apply for warrant on Form N325; county court bailiff serves Form N54 (7-day notice); waiting time typically 6-8 weeks; High Court transfer (Form N293A) where arrears/costs exceed £600 — HCEOs typically 2-4 weeks; tenant suspension application Form N244; court powers on suspension: HA 1988 s.9(2) (discretionary grounds; wide powers); HA 1980 s.89 (mandatory grounds; maximum 6 weeks); suspended possession order breach: re-activate warrant; goods left behind: Torts (Interference with Goods) Act 1977 s.12 notice. Scotland: Sheriff Officers. NI: Enforcement of Judgments Office.

10 min readUpdated 7 June 2026Last reviewed: 17 May 2026possessionwarrantbailiffhigh-court-enforcement

Form N325, county court bailiff and tenant goods

Apply Form N325 to county court after possession order; fee £143; bailiff serves Form N54 (7+ days' notice); typical waiting time 6-8 weeks; attend eviction with landlord; change locks immediately after. Goods left behind: s.12 Torts (Interference with Goods) Act 1977 notice (28-day minimum); document with photos; account to tenant for sale proceeds.

Suspended possession orders, tenant N244 applications and court powers

SPO breach: apply N325 to re-activate warrant. Tenant can apply N244 to suspend warrant: attend hearing; bring full arrears history. Court powers: HA 1988 s.9(2) — wide discretion (discretionary grounds); HA 1980 s.89 — maximum 6 weeks postponement (mandatory grounds; no extension beyond 6 weeks total).

High Court transfer, Scotland and NI

High Court transfer (N293A): apply where arrears/costs exceed £600; HCEOs typically 2-4 weeks from instruction; writ of possession Form N293; HCEO fees typically £200-£500 plus VAT. Scotland: Sheriff Officers enforce decrees from Sheriff Court. NI: Enforcement of Judgments Office (EJO); different procedures.

Templates recommended in this guide

ComplianceLS-E-020

Landlord Annual Compliance Checklist

Annual walk-through of every compliance touchpoint: gas, electrical, EPC, smoke/CO, Right-to-Rent, deposit, licensing, database registration.

£19
Live now

Found a gap or disagree with something?

Reply to any LetSafe email or write to Richard@letsafeuk.co.uk. We rewrite guides when we get something wrong, the sooner we hear, the sooner we fix it.

Related landlord guides

Hand-picked by topic overlap with this guide.

Possession & Eviction
Possession Order Enforcement UK — Warrant of Possession, High Court Writ, and HCEO Eviction
Covers the county court warrant of possession (Form N325; county court bailiff; 4-12 weeks), transfer to the High Court for HCEO enforcement (CPR 83.13; 2-7 working days), tenant applications to suspend the warrant (HA 1988 s.9; mandatory grounds limit; 14-day postponement), and the practical landlord eviction checklist.
County Court Possession Hearing
Possession Hearing County Court UK 2026 — Evidence Bundle, Suspended vs Outright Order, RRA 2025 and Tenant Defences
A county court possession hearing is the hearing at which a landlord asks a judge to grant a possession order. Covers: directions hearing (case management) vs possession hearing (final — evidence given; judge decides); evidence bundle preparation (tenancy agreement; all notices; deposit protection; gas safety; EICR; How to Rent; EPC; correspondence; rent arrears schedule); accelerated possession procedure removed (RRA 2025 England — all claims now in open court); outright possession order (14 days; 6 weeks exceptional hardship); suspended possession order (SPO — conditions; breach triggers warrant without new hearing); tenant defences (deposit; gas safety; EICR; How to Rent; disrepair counterclaim); reserved judgment; costs; warrant of possession.
PCOL · s.8 Grounds · Possession Order · Warrant of Possession · HCEO · RRA 2025
Possession Claim Online (PCOL) — Landlord Guide 2026
How to issue a possession claim online via PCOL in 2026 after the abolition of Section 21 under the Renters' Rights Act 2025; Section 8 mandatory grounds (Ground 8, 8a, 1, 6); N5 form; court fees; hearing process; outright and suspended possession orders; warrant of possession; county court bailiff and High Court Enforcement Officer enforcement.
England · Eviction · Section 8 · Possession · Court Process
Landlord Eviction Process UK 2026, Step-by-Step Guide
How the landlord eviction process works in England after the Renters' Rights Act 2025: serving a Section 8 notice, issuing possession proceedings in the county court, attending a hearing, obtaining a possession order, and enforcing possession.
Ground 10: Some Arrears at Notice Date AND Hearing Date — Discretionary Possession — Any Amount Qualifies — No Minimum Unlike Ground 8 — 2-Week Section 8 Notice — Plead with Grounds 8 and 11
Landlord Ground 10 Rent Arrears UK 2026 — Discretionary Possession for Some Arrears at Notice and Hearing Dates
Ground 10 HA 1988 Schedule 2: discretionary possession ground where some rent is lawfully due and in arrears at both the Section 8 notice date and the court hearing date. Unlike mandatory Ground 8 (requires 8+ weeks/2 months and court must grant possession), Ground 10 applies to any arrears amount and is discretionary. Best practice: plead Grounds 8, 10 and 11 together for belt-and-braces coverage of all arrears scenarios. RRA 2025: Ground 10 retained as discretionary.
Ground 7: Tenancy Devolved Under Will or Intestacy — MANDATORY Possession — Critical 12-Month Window from Death — Does NOT Apply to s.17 Statutory Succession (Spouse/Civil Partner/Cohabitant Who Was Living in Property)
Landlord Ground 7 Inherited Tenancy UK 2026 — Mandatory Possession Where Tenancy Devolved Under Will or Intestacy
Ground 7 HA 1988 Schedule 2 (mandatory): possession available where tenancy devolved under the deceased tenant's will or intestacy. Proceedings must be issued within 12 months of death (or 12 months of landlord's knowledge of death). Does NOT apply where statutory succession under HA 1988 s.17 occurs (surviving spouse/civil partner/cohabitant living in property as only/main home succeeds automatically as new tenant). MANDATORY: court must grant possession if conditions met within time limit. RRA 2025: Ground 7 retained.