Section 8 Eviction Cost Calculator

The core court cost is the £415 possession claim filing fee (Form N5 and N119), plus £152 for a warrant of possession if the tenant stays after the order. On top of that you pay either do-it-yourself document costs from about £19 or solicitor fees of typically £600 to £1,500. A realistic total budget is £600 to £2,500 depending on whether you instruct a solicitor.

The county court filing fee for a standard Section 8 possession claim (Form N5 with particulars on Form N119) is £415, from 13 July 2026. There is no separate lower online fee and no separate hearing fee for a possession claim: pages claiming either are wrong.

A county court warrant of possession (Form N325) costs £152. You only need it if the tenant has not left by the date in the possession order. The county court bailiff then executes the warrant, usually 2 to 6 weeks after you apply.

Yes. Many straightforward Section 8 claims are run by landlords themselves using the prescribed forms. A solicitor is worth the cost mainly where the claim is defended, high value, or unusual. Never attempt to remove a tenant without a court order and bailiff: self-help eviction is a criminal offence under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977.

After the notice period expires, the court typically lists a hearing 6 to 10 weeks later depending on the local backlog, and a warrant of possession is usually executed 2 to 6 weeks after the order. From issuing the claim to getting the property back is commonly around 3 to 5 months.

The court can order the tenant to pay fixed costs, and where you also claim rent arrears it can grant a money judgment for the arrears. Whether you actually recover the money depends on the tenant's means; a judgment can be enforced later by methods such as an attachment of earnings or a charging order.