Wales Eviction Process Step by Step: Timeline for Landlords

"How long does eviction take in Wales?" is the first question most landlords ask. The honest answer: expect 9 to 14 months from the day you start preparing a no-fault section 173 notice to the day a bailiff enforces a possession order — and that's assuming nothing goes wrong. Here's the full timeline.

Step 1: Pre-Notice Compliance Audit (1–8 Weeks)

Before you can serve a valid notice, every item on the Schedule 9A checklist must be satisfied: written statement issued, deposit protected and prescribed information served, Rent Smart Wales registration and licensing active, gas safety record current, EICR valid, EPC in place, and mains-powered interconnected smoke and CO alarms installed.

If anything is missing, it takes time to fix. A gas safety inspection might take a week to book. If you haven't issued a written statement, providing it late triggers a six-month delay before you can serve the notice.

Best case: everything is already in order — you move straight to Step 2. Worst case: a missing written statement adds six months before you can even start.

Step 2: Serve the Notice (1 Day)

Complete Form RHW16 with the correct possession date (at least six calendar months from the day after service, using the clear days counting rule). Serve it by recorded delivery to get proof of service.

Step 3: Wait Out the Notice Period (6 Months)

The minimum notice period under section 173 is six calendar months. There's no way to shorten this. During this time, the contract-holder can continue living in the property and paying rent as normal.

Step 4: Contract-Holder Either Leaves or Stays

If they vacate by the possession date, you're done — change the locks, do the inventory, handle the deposit return. Total time: roughly 6.5 months from Step 2.

If they don't leave, proceed to Step 5.

Step 5: File a Court Claim (Within 2 Months of Notice Expiry)

File Form N5B Wales (accelerated possession) at the County Court, paying the £415 issue fee. For a no-fault section 173 claim, the accelerated route is a paper-based review with no hearing.

You must file within the two-month court claim window. Missing it kills the notice and triggers a six-month re-service bar.

Step 6: Court Makes a Possession Order (4–8 Weeks for Accelerated)

For an accelerated claim, the District Judge reviews the papers. If the notice was valid, the preconditions were met, and no valid defence is raised, a possession order is typically made within four to eight weeks.

For standard procedure claims (fault-based grounds), the court sets a hearing date — and current County Court waiting times run six to eight months.

Step 7: Possession Order Served (14–28 Days)

The order gives the contract-holder 14 or 28 days to leave. In cases of exceptional hardship, the court can extend this to six weeks.

Step 8: Apply for Warrant of Possession

If the contract-holder still won't leave, file Form N325 for a Warrant of Possession (£152 fee). The County Court bailiff schedules an execution date and serves a minimum 14-day notice on Form N54 before attending.

Step 9: Bailiff Enforcement (2–6 Weeks After Warrant)

The bailiff attends, ensures the property is vacated, and the locks are changed. Bailiff availability varies by court — some are backed up for weeks.

Realistic Total Timeline

The biggest time sinks are the mandatory six-month notice period, County Court waiting times (for standard procedure), and bailiff scheduling. None of these are within the landlord's control.

What You Can Control

You can control the compliance audit — do it thoroughly and fix issues before serving. You can control the notice itself — use the correct form with the correct dates. And you can control the court filing — don't let the two-month claim window expire.

Everything else is statutory timetable and court capacity.

For the complete process with printable checklists, timeline calculators, and form selection guidance, see our Ending an Occupation Contract in Wales guide.

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