The Taking Control of Goods Regulations 2013 say an enforcement agent may enter premises only by any door, or any usual means by which entry is gained to the premises. That phrase is the boundary between what is allowed and what is not.
What the regulations say about doors
Walking in through an unlocked door — front, back or side — is peaceful entry and is permitted. Being let in by an adult at the property is also peaceful entry. The rules cover what bailiffs can and cannot do in more detail, but on entry the test is simple: was it a door, or a usual means of entry to that property?
A closed door is a different matter. For most debts — council tax, parking penalties, county court judgments, High Court writs — an enforcement agent has no power to force a locked door to a home on a first visit. 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.
Windows: open or shut, not a lawful route in
Climbing through a window is not entry by a door or usual means. This applies whether the window is open, ajar or shut. An agent who climbs in through a window has not entered peacefully and has acted outside the rules, regardless of the type of debt being collected.
An open window is not an invitation to enter
The regulations give no power to enter through a window. An open window does not change that.
Pushing past someone or a foot in the door
The law is explicit that any power to use force is a power to get into premises, never to use force against a person. Pushing past the person who answers, or wedging a foot in the door to prevent it being shut, is force against a person. Both are outside the rules for any type of debt. 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.
An agent may ask to come in, and may have a conversation through a closed door, through a window or by telephone. Asking is permitted. Forcing the issue by physical contact with a person is not.
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What counts as a usual means of entry
Lawful entry
- Walking through an unlocked front, back or side door.
- Being invited in by an adult at the property.
- Entering an attached garage or outbuilding through its door.
Not lawful entry
- Climbing in through a window, open or not.
- Pushing past someone who has opened the door.
- Wedging a foot in the door to stop it being closed.
- Climbing over a locked gate.
- Breaking a lock or forcing a door (except in the narrow situations where force is expressly allowed).
How the position changes once an agent has been inside
Once an enforcement agent has been inside the property and a controlled goods agreement has been signed, the rules shift. If the payments in that agreement are missed, the agent can return and use reasonable force to get in — meaning a locksmith opening the door. They must first give at least 2 clear days’ written notice of their intention to re-enter. This is the one situation where a closed door at a home can be opened by force for most civil debts. The controlled goods agreement page covers what that document means and what happens if it is broken.
There are also narrow situations — unpaid magistrates’ court criminal fines, and HMRC debts where a court has issued a warrant — where force to enter can be used on a first visit. The full rules on forced entry set those out by debt type.
What still applies when the door stays shut
Keeping the door closed stops entry for most debts. It does not stop the fees, and it does not protect anything kept outside. With a car or without one, for most debts £79 is added when the notice is sent and £247 on the first visit. On the standard scale the fixed fees are £79 at the notice, £326 once an agent has visited and £442 if goods are removed for sale, before any percentage fee on a larger debt.
Goods are taken away in a small share of cases: 2,624 of almost 3.7 million in January to June 2025, most often a clamped vehicle. What happens far more often, with a car or without one, is cost. Of the cases that ended in payment in that period, 64% were paid at the enforcement stage or later, after an agent’s first visit had added the larger fee. The average fee collected on a case paid in full was £201, on the lower fees then in force.
If the agent’s visit produces no payment and no entry, the agent can return. The power to take control of goods lasts 12 months from the date of the notice. The debt itself is not cancelled. It goes back to the creditor, who has other ways to collect it.
Can a bailiff walk in if the front door is unlocked?
Yes. The Taking Control of Goods Regulations 2013 allow entry through any door or usual means of entry, and an unlocked door is peaceful entry. The £247 enforcement stage fee applies from that first visit.
Can bailiffs climb through a window?
No. A window is not a door or a usual means of entry to premises. An agent who enters through a window, open or shut, is acting outside the rules.
Can a bailiff push past me if I open the door?
No. Any power to use force is a power to get into premises, never to use force against a person. Pushing past the person who answers is not permitted for any type of debt. The £247 enforcement stage fee is added on that visit all the same, and a vehicle outside can still be clamped.
What if I open the door a crack — can they force it wider?
No. Wedging a foot in the door or forcing it wider is not permitted. Any power to use force is a power to get into premises, never to use force against a person. The £247 enforcement stage fee is added on that visit all the same, and a vehicle outside can still be clamped.
Does keeping the door shut stop everything?
It prevents entry for most debts on a first visit. It does not prevent the £247 enforcement stage fee from being added, and a vehicle parked outside can still be clamped. If the agent has previously been inside and a controlled goods agreement was later broken, they can return with at least 2 clear days’ written notice and use a locksmith to re-enter. The debt itself is not cancelled. It goes back to the creditor, who has other ways to collect it.
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