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Residential property
We support private landlords who need to evict tenants from residential property and recover rent arrears.
We can act on your behalf to transfer your possession order to the High Court for fast and effective enforcement - often far more quickly than a County Court bailiff is able to act.
We also enforce County Court Judgments (CCJs) for the recovery of rent arrears, including after the tenant has left the property. If the tenant has absconded, we offer a tenant tracing service.
Residential tenant eviction
As a residential landlord wishing to repossess your property, your first step is to get an order for possession.
Rather than waiting, sometimes several months, for County Court Bailiffs, you can apply to the County Court for leave to transfer the order to the High Court for enforcement, under Section 42 of the County Courts Act 1984, at the same time as you apply for the possession order.
It is possible to apply for leave after you have received the possession order, but it is best to do so at the same time.
Under Section 42 of the County Court Act 1984, it is possible to request that a judge transfer the order to the High Court for enforcement by a High Court Enforcement Officer (HCEO) under a writ of possession.
It is important that the order is made correctly and the right wording used. If you are owed rent, you can also add a claim for money to the possession order.
The benefit of using The Sheriffs Office is that we can act very quickly to execute the writ and return your property to you, reducing the risk of damage and enabling you to re-let the property more quickly to re-establish your revenue stream.
Instruct us to evict residential tenants
Residential rent arrears
As CRAR (Commercial Rent Arrears Recovery) does not apply to residential property, you will need to obtain a County Court Judgment (CCJ) against your tenant, and then use our enforcement agents to recover your rent arrears.
You can issue your claim using the Government’s Money Claim Online service or your solicitor.
Once you have your judgment, for a court fee, we will transfer upyour judgment to the High Court for enforcement free of charge.
We will obtain a writ of control and then attend at the premises, or any other premises where the debtor is now based, to take control of goods to sell to recover the debt.
If you also need to repossess the property, you can apply for a combined writ of control and possession.
