- Notice before a first visit
- 14 clear days7 before 1 May 2026
- Hours a visit is allowed
- 6am to 9pmany day of the week
- Work tools and equipment protected
- up to £1,350combined value
- Time limit to take control of goods
- 12 monthsfrom the date of the notice
Who counts as a bailiff
“Bailiff” is the everyday word. The law calls them enforcement agents, and there are four kinds. Which kind is involved decides some of the rules that follow.
- Certificated enforcement agents work for private firms and hold a certificate from the county court. They collect council tax, business rates, parking and traffic penalties, child maintenance arrears and commercial rent.
- High Court enforcement officers are appointed to enforce High Court writs, including county court judgments that have been moved up to the High Court.
- County court bailiffs are employed by the court service and enforce county court judgments under a warrant of control.
- Civilian enforcement officers and Approved Enforcement Agents collect unpaid magistrates’ court fines.
Debt collectors are not bailiffs and have none of these powers. The difference between a bailiff and a debt collector is set out separately, along with how to check that a bailiff is genuine.
Before any visit: the notice
An enforcement agent cannot take control of anyone’s goods without first giving a written Notice of Enforcement. Since 1 May 2026 that notice must give at least 14 clear days before a visit. Sundays, bank holidays, Good Friday and Christmas Day do not count towards the total.
If a debt advice provider asks for more time on someone’s behalf before the notice period runs out, the minimum becomes 28 clear days. That extension does not apply to business debts.
What a Notice of Enforcement must contain and how the days are counted
At the door
The rules allow an enforcement agent to
- Visit between 6am and 9pm on any day of the week, Sundays included.
- Come in through a door, or another usual way into the property, if it is unlocked or someone lets them in.
- Take control of goods found outside, such as a vehicle on the drive or on a public road.
- Add the fixed fees set by law to the debt.
- Return and use reasonable force to get back in when a controlled goods agreement has been broken and written notice has been given.
The rules do not allow an enforcement agent to
- Force their way into a home on a first visit for council tax, parking penalties or most court judgments.
- Come in through a window, or by any route that is not a usual means of entry.
- Enter, or take control of goods, when the only person present is a child under 16 or a vulnerable person.
- Visit a home before 6am or after 9pm without a court order.
- Use force against a person. Any power to use force is a power to get into premises, never to touch someone.
- Refuse to show identification and their authority to enter when asked.
What the rules say when a bailiff is at the door goes through a visit step by step.
When force can be used to get in
For most debts an enforcement agent has no power to force entry to a home at all.
A closed door does not stop the costs. For most debts the £247 enforcement stage fee is added from the first visit whether or not anyone answers, and a vehicle outside can still be clamped.
The exceptions to the rule on entry are narrow:
- Unpaid magistrates’ court fines. Agents collecting criminal fines may use reasonable force to enter. GOV.UK describes this as a last resort.
- HM Revenue and Customs debts, where a court has issued a warrant allowing force.
- Business premises, when a High Court or county court judgment is being enforced.
- Going back in after a controlled goods agreement is broken, once at least 2 clear days’ written notice has been given.
- Premises that goods have been deliberately moved to so that they cannot be taken, where a court issues a warrant.
What can and cannot be taken
Only goods that belong to the person who owes the debt can be taken, and some of those are protected. Protected items include a cooker or microwave, a fridge, a washing machine, beds and bedding, a phone, medical equipment, anything needed to care for a child or an older person, pets and assistance dogs, and work or study equipment worth up to £1,350 in total. A vehicle showing a valid Blue Badge is also protected.
Check what bailiffs can take, item by item or read the rules on vehicles.
Rather talk it through with someone? Request a call
What it costs
The fees are fixed by law and went up on 1 May 2026. For most debts they are £79 when the case is passed to the enforcement firm, £247 when an agent first attends, and £116 if goods are removed for sale. On debts above £1,900 a further 7.5% of the amount over £1,900 is added at the visit stage and again at the sale stage. High Court enforcement has its own, higher scale.
Bailiff fees explained or work out the fees on a debt.
How long the power lasts
An enforcement agent has 12 months from the date of the Notice of Enforcement to take control of goods. If a payment arrangement is agreed and then broken, the 12 months start again from the date it was broken. A court can extend the period once, by a further 12 months, if the agent or the creditor applies.
How long bailiffs can pursue a debt
If the rules are not followed
A complaint can go to the enforcement firm, to the creditor that instructed it, and then to the Enforcement Conduct Board if the firm is accredited. A court can also order goods to be returned or damages to be paid where an agent has broken the rules.
How to complain about a bailiff
The rules bind both sides
It is a criminal offence to intentionally obstruct an enforcement agent who is acting lawfully, or to interfere with goods they have taken control of.
Scotland and Northern Ireland
Everything above applies to England and Wales. Scotland uses sheriff officers and a different set of procedures. In Northern Ireland, court judgments are enforced by the Enforcement of Judgments Office.
Common questions
Can a bailiff come in if the door is unlocked?
Yes. The rules allow entry through any door or usual means of entry, and an unlocked door counts. That is peaceful entry. What the rules do not allow for most debts is forcing a locked door.
Can bailiffs visit on a Sunday or a bank holiday?
Yes. Visits are allowed on any day of the week between 6am and 9pm. Sundays and bank holidays are left out when the notice period is counted, but they are not days on which visits are banned.
Do bailiffs need a warrant to come in?
Not always in the way people expect. For council tax the authority is a liability order from the magistrates’ court. For court judgments it is a warrant or writ of control. An agent must show evidence of their identity and their authority to enter when asked.
What happens if nobody is in when they call?
The visit still counts. The £247 enforcement stage fee becomes payable from the first attendance at the property, whether or not anyone answers.
Want to talk it through with someone?
Tell us where things are up to and one of our team will call to talk it through. A debt adviser then explains the options. There is no obligation to go any further.
Speak to someone now on 0161 660 0876
We do not charge for speaking to you. If you choose a debt solution, you are referred to one of our trusted debt solution providers, and we receive a fee if you enter into an agreement with one of them. A debt solution may have fees, which are explained before anything is agreed.
Free debt advice is available
These organisations give free, impartial debt advice and are independent of Bailiff Support Team. Nobody has to use a paid or commercial service to get help with their debts, and using one of the free services does not reduce the options available. Their advisers can also ask an enforcement firm to extend a notice period or apply for Breathing Space where it fits.
- MoneyHelperGovernment-backed. Finds a free debt adviser nearby or online.
- StepChange Debt CharityFree debt advice online and by phone.
- Citizens AdviceDetailed help with bailiffs, online and in person.
- National DebtlineFree advice and sample letters, run by the Money Advice Trust.
Sources
- Taking Control of Goods Regulations 2013 (as amended)
- Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007, Schedule 12
- Taking Control of Goods (Fees) Regulations 2014 (as amended)
- Taking Control of Goods (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/366)
- GOV.UK: Bailiff powers when they visit your home
- House of Commons Library: Enforcement agents and High Court enforcement officers (SN04103, April 2026)