Warrant of Possession Wales: Bailiff Enforcement After the Court Order

A possession order does not end the process. The court tells the contract-holder to leave by a specific date — usually 14 or 28 days after the hearing, or up to six weeks in cases of exceptional hardship. If they stay past that date, you cannot change the locks yourself or remove their belongings. Doing so is a criminal offence under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977.

The next step is applying for a warrant of possession so a County Court bailiff physically enforces the order.

How to Apply for a Warrant

You submit Form N325 (Request for Warrant of Possession of Land) to the County Court that made the possession order, together with the £152 warrant fee. The form asks for the case number, the possession date the judge set, and confirmation that the occupier has not vacated.

Once the court processes the application, a bailiff is assigned to your case.

What the Bailiff Does

The County Court bailiff delivers a Form N54 (Notice of Eviction) at the property at least 14 days before the eviction date, unless the court dispenses with or shortens that period. On the scheduled day, the bailiff attends the property, removes any remaining occupiers, and hands the keys to you or your authorised agent.

You should be present — or have a keyed locksmith ready — because the bailiff will not secure the property for you. Once the occupier is out and the locks are changed, the warrant is spent.

Bailiff scheduling depends on the County Court's workload. In busy courts like Cardiff or Swansea, expect several weeks between filing the N325 and the execution date.

When a High Court Transfer Makes Sense

County Court bailiffs handle their caseload in order, and delays are common. If speed matters, you can apply under Section 42 of the County Courts Act 1984 to transfer enforcement to the High Court.

You file a Form N244 general application (£321 fee for an application on notice) asking the judge for permission to transfer. If granted, the court issues a Writ of Possession, and a High Court Enforcement Officer (HCEO) carries out the eviction. HCEOs are private officers who typically schedule faster than County Court bailiffs.

The trade-off is cost. Between the N244 fee and the HCEO's own charges, the High Court route costs significantly more than the £152 bailiff warrant. It is usually worth considering only when the property is accumulating substantial losses from continued occupation.

Abandoned Belongings After Enforcement

After an eviction, the four-week safeguarding duty under the Renting Homes (Safeguarding Property in Abandoned Dwellings) (Wales) Regulations 2022 does not apply; those Regulations cover the Act's abandonment procedure. Goods left after a court eviction are dealt with under the Torts (Interference with Goods) Act 1977, which requires written notice and a reasonable opportunity to collect before sale, rather than a fixed 28-day period.

Avoiding the Warrant Stage Entirely

Most possession claims never reach enforcement. Contract-holders often leave voluntarily once the court makes the possession order. But when they do not, the warrant route is the only lawful path.

The whole sequence — notice, claim, hearing, order, and enforcement — can take eight to twelve months from start to finish. If the contract-holder does not leave, use court-authorized enforcement through a County Court warrant or a transferred High Court writ. A procedural error at any stage resets the clock and costs you another round of fees.

Our Ending an Occupation Contract in Wales guide covers the full process from pre-service compliance through to court forms, so you get each step right the first time.

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