Form N119 is the particulars of claim form that accompanies Form N5 in standard procedure possession claims for rented residential premises. Where Form N5 identifies the parties and grounds in summary, Form N119 contains the detailed factual case. A defective or incomplete Form N119 is one of the most common causes of possession-claim difficulty: courts increasingly insist on full completion with proper detail. This page covers section-by-section completion (parties, tenancy, grounds, arrears, tenant's circumstances, ASB conduct, deposit, pre-action steps), common drafting issues, and what happens at the hearing.
What Form N119 is
Form N119 is the particulars of claim form that accompanies Form N5 in standard procedure possession claims for rented residential premises. Where Form N5 is the brief "claim form" identifying the parties and grounds in summary, Form N119 contains the detailed factual case the landlord asks the court to find in their favour. The court relies on Form N119 to understand the substance of the claim; the tenant relies on it to know the case they have to meet; the witness statements at trial elaborate on the facts set out in the particulars.
A defective or incomplete Form N119 is one of the most common causes of possession-claim difficulty. Courts increasingly insist that the form be fully completed with proper detail; vague or summary completions produce adjournments for clarification, with weeks of delay added to the case.
The current edition of Form N119 is published by HMCTS and is available at gov.uk.
Section-by-section completion
Form N119 is structured around the elements of a possession claim. Each section requires specific information.
1. The property and the parties
Section 1 requires:
- The address of the property the subject of the claim, including postcode.
- The full names of the claimant (landlord) and any joint claimants.
- The full names of the defendant (tenant) and any joint defendants.
- The names of any other persons known to be living in the property who are not defendants (e.g. children, lodgers, partners not on the tenancy).
Where the property is in joint names, all owners must be listed as claimants. Where the tenancy is in joint names, all tenants must be listed as defendants.
2. The tenancy
Section 2 requires details of the tenancy:
- The date the tenancy started.
- The type of tenancy (assured shorthold, assured, regulated, contractual).
- The current rent and how it is paid (weekly, monthly, etc.).
- Whether there have been any changes to the rent during the tenancy.
- Whether there has been a renewal or extension of the tenancy.
3. The grounds for possession
Section 3 sets out the grounds being relied on. For Section 8 claims:
- Identification of each ground in Schedule 2 of the Housing Act 1988 being relied on.
- For each ground, the specific facts that engage the ground.
- Reference to the Section 8 notice that was served and the dates relevant to that notice.
The grounds in the particulars must match the grounds in the Section 8 notice. A ground in the notice can be dropped at the particulars stage. But a ground not in the notice cannot be added. See our Section 8 guide.
4. Rent arrears (where applicable)
Where the claim relies on Grounds 8, 10, and/or 11 (the rent arrears grounds), Form N119 requires detailed arrears information:
- The amount of arrears at the date of the Section 8 notice.
- The amount of arrears at the date of the claim.
- A schedule of payments and arrears showing how the arrears accrued.
- The daily rate of rent.
- Steps taken to recover the arrears before issuing proceedings.
A rent statement attached to Form N119 is best practice. The arrears figures must reconcile across the form, the schedule, and the witness statement at hearing.
5. Tenant's circumstances
Section 5 requires the landlord to provide what is known about the defendant's circumstances — benefits, dependents, disability, vulnerability. This requirement reflects the Pre-Action Protocol expectation that landlords engage with the tenant's situation before bringing proceedings. Where the landlord has limited information, "unknown" is acceptable.
6. Conduct of the tenant (for ASB grounds)
Where the claim relies on Ground 14 or related ASB grounds, the particulars must set out the specific conduct alleged: incidents with dates, times, descriptions; pattern over time; impact on neighbours; police/environmental health involvement; steps taken before issuing proceedings.
Vague allegations ("the tenants are noisy") will not survive scrutiny. Specific particulars form the basis of a defensible case.
7. Deposit information
Section 7 requires confirmation of deposit protection: scheme, amount, dates of protection and prescribed information provision. Critical for Ground 8 claims.
8. Pre-action steps
Section 8 sets out what the landlord did to engage with the tenant before issuing proceedings. Courts increasingly expect this engagement.
9. Statement of truth
Same as Form N5: false statements expose the signatory to contempt proceedings.
Common drafting issues
Insufficient detail. "The tenant is in arrears of £3,500" is inadequate. The court (and the tenant) need to know which specific months of rent are unpaid, when each instalment fell due, and what payments were made when.
Inconsistencies. Discrepancies between the Section 8 notice, Form N5, Form N119, the rent statement, and any witness statement at hearing produce difficulty.
Adding grounds not in the notice. A claim cannot rely on grounds that were not in the underlying Section 8 notice.
Failing to address obvious defences. Where the landlord knows the tenant will raise a defence, the particulars should address it rather than ignore it.
What happens at the hearing
At the possession hearing, the court considers the particulars together with the witness statements and oral evidence. Where the particulars are well-drafted and the supporting evidence is in order, the hearing is brief — often less than 10 minutes for an undefended Section 8 case. Where the particulars are weak or the evidence is incomplete, the hearing extends, may be adjourned for further evidence, or the case may be dismissed.