How Long Does It Take For Bailiffs To Evict Tenants?

The eviction timeline splits into seven clear phases, each with its own typical wait‑times and legal triggers.

1. Serve the correct notice - Landlords must issue a Section 21 notice of at least two months, or a Section 8 notice whose period ranges from two weeks to two months depending on the ground (e.g., rent arrears may need only two weeks). The clock starts the day the tenant receives the notice.
2. Apply for a possession order - If the tenant does not leave, the landlord files a claim at the County Court. The court usually schedules a hearing within three to six weeks of the application, though urgent cases can be heard sooner.
3. Obtain the court's judgment - After the hearing, the judge issues a possession order. For uncontested claims, judgment often arrives within a few days; contested claims may take longer, especially if evidence is lengthy.
4. Request a bailiff warrant - The landlord submits a warrant request immediately after the possession order. Courts typically issue the warrant within days to a couple of weeks, not months.
5. Schedule the enforcement visit - Once the warrant is in hand, bailiffs add the case to their workload. Average scheduling takes six to twelve weeks, with regional backlogs sometimes extending the gap beyond three months (as we covered above about variable wait‑times).
6. Bailiff enforcement day - Bailiffs serve a notice of eviction giving the tenant 24 - 48 hours to vacate. If the property remains occupied, they return to change the locks and remove belongings, completing the physical eviction.
7. Post‑eviction steps - Landlords retrieve keys, change locks, and arrange any necessary repairs before re‑letting. Tenants receive a final account of any outstanding rent or charges.

Each stage flows into the next; any delay - appeal, holiday, or court backlog - pushes the entire timeline forward. Understanding these intervals helps set realistic expectations before the bailiffs even arrive.

Bailiffs step in only after a court issues a warrant of possession and they serve a notice of enforcement that gives the tenant at least 7 working days before the scheduled enforcement date (Civil Procedure Rules - notice of enforcement).

Following that notice, bailiffs typically attend within a few days to a couple of weeks, with exact timing dependent on regional workload and any court delays; this aligns with the step‑by‑step timeline discussed earlier and leads directly into the next section on average bailiff wait times across UK courts.

• England & Wales (County Court) - typically 14‑21 days after the possession order is granted (court‑ordered bailiff timeline).
• London - average 10‑14 days, faster because of higher bailiff density (London bailiff wait times).
• Greater Manchester - 16‑22 days, reflecting regional workload pressures (Manchester bailiff schedule).
• Scotland (Sheriff Court) - 21‑28 days, longer due to separate enforcement process (Scottish sheriff court enforcement).
• Northern Ireland (County Court) - around 18‑24 days, modest delays from limited bailiff squads (Northern Ireland bailiff timelines).

Bailiff enforcement slows whenever procedural hiccups or external pressures intervene, as we covered in the timeline breakdown above.

• Missing or inaccurate possession paperwork forces a restart of the warrant.
• Late filing of the County Court Judgment adds days to the court's docket.
• Court backlogs, especially in busy jurisdictions, push the next available hearing further out.
• Holiday periods and weekend closures halt bailiff dispatch until the next working day.
• Incorrect service of notice leaves the tenant able to challenge the process.
• Locked doors or unsafe entry conditions require additional safety checks before entry.
• Unpaid bailiff fees stall the hand‑over of enforcement authority.
• Formal appeals lodged by the tenant trigger a mandatory pause.
• Multiple occupants with separate tenancy agreements complicate the notice chain.
• Erroneous property details in the court roll generate verification delays.

These obstacles explain why the eviction timeline can stretch beyond the averages shown earlier, and the next section offers seven ways to shave time off the process.

• Confirm the bailiff has a valid warrant or tenant consent - as covered in the 'when do bailiffs enter' section - otherwise any entry attempt stalls the timeline.
• Serve a compliant Section 21 notice only after the fixed term ends and all statutory criteria are met, preventing procedural setbacks.
• Keep rent‑arrears records tidy and attach a brief statement of debt to the court order, so the bailiff can verify the claim without extra inquiries.
• Schedule the bailiff visit for a slot when the tenant is likely to be home; an empty property forces a reschedule and adds weeks.
• Offer a clear, written hand‑over plan for the tenant's belongings, enabling the bailiff to seal the premises in one operation.
• Request police accompaniment when a forced‑entry warrant is required; their presence removes the 'cannot force entry' obstacle.
• Monitor the court docket daily and file any missing paperwork immediately, stopping the waiting game before it starts.

Eviction day begins when the bailiff arrives at the address listed on the possession order and knocks on the door.

The bailiff shows the court‑issued order, tells the tenant to leave immediately, and notes the time. If the tenant steps out voluntarily, the officer changes the locks on the spot and hands the new keys to the landlord or their agent. Should the tenant refuse to vacate, the bailiff may still change the locks after the court‑mandated deadline passes and then secures the property for the landlord. No inventory of personal belongings occurs; any removal of goods requires a separate warrant of execution.

Key actions on the day:

• Present the possession order and request exit.
• Change the locks once the premises are empty or the tenant is removed.
• Transfer keys to the landlord/agent.
• If items are left behind, store them securely and issue a 28‑day notice before disposal, per UK government eviction guidance.

The property is now under the landlord's control, setting the stage for the post‑eviction steps detailed in the tenant stories section.

• Real eviction timelines span four to thirteen weeks, shaped by court processing speed and bailiff availability.
• A Manchester landlord served a Section 21 notice, secured a standard possession order at week 3, bailiffs enforced at week 6, and completed removal by week 8.
• In Liverpool, a residential assured‑shorthold tenancy qualified for accelerated possession; the court issued the order at week 2, bailiffs acted at week 4, and the tenant exited by week 5 (accelerated possession applies only to residential tenancies).
• A Birmingham case faced a two‑week court backlog; the order arrived week 5, bailiffs notified week 8, executed at week 10, and the property cleared by week 12.
• A Glasgow landlord obtained a warrant of possession after a disputed tenancy; court approval came week 3, holiday‑induced delays pushed bailiff action to week 7, and the final handover occurred week 9.
• A London landlord pursued eviction of a commercial lease; only a regular possession order was permissible, the court took five weeks, bailiffs scheduled at week 9, and the tenant vacated by week 13 (guidance on possession orders for commercial leases).

Bailiffs rarely swing the door shut the same day a warrant lands; the process usually stretches over weeks.

The myth persists because headlines spotlight dramatic lock‑outs, yet the reality includes court‑issued possession orders, statutory notice periods, and scheduling queues that stretch the eviction timeline. As we covered in the step‑by‑step timeline, a court must first issue a possession order, then a warrant, before bailiffs can act.

Back‑loged magistrates' courts, limited bailiff resources, and mandatory holidays pause the clock, often adding a fortnight or more. The upcoming 'handle tenant appeals' section will illustrate how objections further extend the timeline, proving swift evictions are the exception, not the rule.

Bailiffs can be stopped if the tenant applies to the County Court for a suspension of the warrant under CPR 83.26. The request must reach the court before the enforcement officer arrives, typically by filing form N244, paying the modest fee, and outlining a reasonable ground such as an offer to clear arrears.

A judge's order pauses the eviction timeline for up to 28 days, buying the tenant time to settle the dispute; otherwise the warrant remains in force and bailiffs continue as scheduled, as we covered above. An expedited hearing can be requested, with most decisions delivered within a week, preventing the delays discussed later. Detailed guidance is available from court guidance on bailiff suspensions.

Holiday and weekend closures add anywhere from two to five working days to the eviction timeline because bailiffs, court clerks, and magistrates' offices pause operations (as we covered above).

To sidestep the lag, submit the enforcement request at least a week before any public holiday, flag the case as urgent on the court's online portal, and confirm the scheduled warrant date with the bailiff firm.

When a warrant lands on a Saturday or bank holiday, bailiffs wait for the next official working day before knocking, shifting the actual eviction day forward and giving tenants a brief breathing room; landlords should build this buffer into their planning, consulting the court operating days schedule for precise cut‑offs.