Ejectment Civil Bill and County Court Possession in Northern Ireland

When You Need an Ejectment Civil Bill

A notice to quit in Northern Ireland ends the tenancy on paper. It does not end occupation. If the tenant does not vacate after the notice expires, the only lawful route to possession is through the County Court — and the vehicle for that is an Ejectment Civil Bill.

There is no online possession portal in Northern Ireland. No First-tier Tribunal handles residential evictions. No accelerated procedure exists for straightforward cases. Every possession claim goes through the County Court under the County Court Rules (Northern Ireland) 1981.

Drafting and Filing the Civil Bill

The Ejectment Civil Bill is a court document that cites overholding after the expiry of a valid notice to quit. It incorporates a Form 10 or Form 13 endorsement depending on the circumstances and is filed at the County Court Civil Processing Office for the judicial division where the property sits.

You file it with:

• A verified copy of the tenancy agreement.
• Your landlord registration certificate or registration number.
• The notice to quit you served, with proof of service (tracking receipt, witness statement, or signed acknowledgement).
• The Tenancy Information Notice you served at the start of the tenancy.
• Evidence that the deposit is protected in an approved scheme.

If you also want to claim rent arrears or mesne profits (compensation for the period the tenant stayed after the notice expired), that claim can be joined to the same civil bill.

Court Fees

County Court fees for ejectment proceedings are set by the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service. The County Court Rules Committee implemented a 23% increase in County Court Scale Costs, so check the current NICTS fee schedule before filing. Your solicitor will add these to the bill of costs if you succeed.

Beyond the court fee itself, budget for:

• Solicitor fees for drafting the civil bill and attending the hearing.
• Process server fees for formal service of the bill on the tenant.
• Any expert evidence costs if the tenant raises a defence.

Total legal costs for a contested possession case typically run into several hundred pounds at minimum. Uncontested cases — where the tenant does not file a defence — are faster and cheaper, but you still need the court process.

Service on the Tenant

The civil bill must be served on the tenant by an official County Court process server or a qualified solicitor. You cannot serve it yourself. Once served, the tenant has 21 days to file a Notice of Intention to Defend.

If the tenant does not respond within 21 days, you can apply for judgment in default. If they do file a defence, the case proceeds to a listed hearing.

The Hearing

At the hearing, a County Court judge or District Judge examines:

1. Was the notice to quit valid? Correct notice period, clear expiry date, addressed to all tenants, in writing, signed and dated.
2. Were compliance preconditions met? Active landlord registration; for deposits taken on or after 1 April 2023, protection within 28 days, Prescribed Information served within 35 days, and the deposit within the one-month rent cap; and the Tenancy Information Notice served within 28 days.
3. Was the notice properly served? Service method compliant with Section 24 of the Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954, with adequate proof.
4. Has the notice expired? The tenant remained in occupation past the expiry date.

If any of these checks fail, the judge dismisses the claim. A dismissed claim means the landlord must re-serve notice and start the timeline from scratch.

The Decree for Possession

If the judge is satisfied on all points, the court issues a Decree for Possession. This order directs the tenant to surrender vacant possession within a set period — usually 14 to 28 days.

The decree itself does not authorise the landlord to enter the property or change the locks. If the tenant does not leave by the decree date, the next step is the Enforcement of Judgments Office.

EJO Enforcement

The EJO at Laganside House, Belfast, is the sole enforcement body for possession decrees in Northern Ireland. The landlord applies for an Order for Delivery of Possession of Land under Article 53 of the Judgments Enforcement (Northern Ireland) Order 1981.

The EJO issues a formal notice to the property. If the tenant still does not vacate, EJO officers attend and physically execute the eviction. The landlord brings a locksmith and takes possession once the officers hand the property over.

Private bailiffs are not permitted to carry out residential evictions in Northern Ireland. Only the EJO has the authority.

For a complete walkthrough of the notice-to-court-to-enforcement sequence, the Northern Ireland Notice to Quit Guide maps out each stage with the documents you need at every step.

See more Northern Ireland guides →