Form N325: Request for Warrant of Possession

What changed under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025

Section 21 was abolished from 1 May 2026 and every private tenancy became a periodic assured tenancy. Form N325 itself is unaffected — it is still the way you ask the County Court to send bailiffs once you already hold a possession order. What has changed is how that order was obtained: new claims now go through Section 8 grounds only, so most possession orders you enforce with Form N325 from now on will have been made that way. Orders obtained under the old accelerated Section 21 procedure (Form N5B) before 1 May 2026 remain enforceable under transitional arrangements. Read the full Renters' Rights Act guide.

Form N325 is the request for a warrant of possession of land — the form by which a successful claimant asks the County Court to instruct bailiffs to enforce a possession order against a tenant who has not vacated voluntarily. A possession order alone does not remove a tenant; where the tenant does not comply with the date in the order, Form N325 is the enforcement mechanism. The court fee is £152, up from £148 since 13 July 2026. Bailiff waiting times vary substantially — in London and parts of the South-East, waits of 6–12 months are not unusual — and transfer to the High Court for HCEO enforcement is faster but more expensive. This page covers when Form N325 can be used, section-by-section completion, what to file with it, what happens at the eviction, transfer to the High Court, suspended orders (Form N325A vs Form N244), and the confirmation deadline that catches out landlords who don't know it exists.

This page is legal information, not legal advice. It explains the general procedure for England and Wales and does not take account of your specific circumstances. Where a warrant is contested, suspended, or complicated by vulnerable occupiers, take advice on your particular facts before proceeding.

What Form N325 is

Form N325 is the request for a warrant of possession of land. It is the form by which a successful claimant in possession proceedings asks the County Court to instruct bailiffs to enforce the possession order against a tenant who has not vacated voluntarily. The warrant authorises County Court bailiffs to attend the property at an appointed date and physically recover possession.

A possession order alone does not remove a tenant. The order requires the tenant to vacate by a specified date — typically 14 days from the order, sometimes extended to 6 weeks where exceptional hardship is established under section 89 of the Housing Act 1980. Where the tenant complies, no further action is needed. Where the tenant does not comply, the landlord must enforce — and Form N325 is the enforcement mechanism.

Bailiff waiting times vary substantially. In some areas (notably London and parts of the South-East), waits of 6–12 months from warrant request to bailiff appointment are not unusual. The variation has driven some landlords to seek transfer of enforcement to the High Court (using High Court Enforcement Officers), which is faster but more expensive.

The current edition of Form N325 is on GOV.UK. Court fee: £152 (fee 8.6, "issue of a warrant of possession/warrant of delivery", on the EX50A civil and family court fees schedule, up from £148 with effect from 13 July 2026). Some simplified GOV.UK guidance pages update on a slower cycle than the EX50A schedule itself — if you see a different figure quoted elsewhere on GOV.UK, treat the EX50A schedule as the current authority and check GOV.UK before paying.

When Form N325 can be used

Form N325 is used where a possession order has been made by the County Court, the date for possession in the order has passed, the tenant has not vacated, the order has not been suspended, and the order is less than 6 years old.

Form N325 is NOT used before the date for possession has passed; where the order was suspended on terms and breached (see below for which form applies); or where the order is more than 6 years old — in that case you must first apply for the court's permission to enforce, using Form N244, before you can apply for the warrant itself.

Section-by-section completion

Court details and case identification

Court name, claim number, names of claimant and defendant. Must match the original possession order exactly.

Claimant address

Section 1: name and address of the claimant.

Address for warrant return

Section 2: usually "as above".

Defendant details

Section 3: full names of all defendants and the property address. Names must match the original order.

Warrant details (money element)

Section 4: where the original possession order included a money judgment, this section can be used to enforce the money element together with possession. For pure possession warrants, this section is typically marked "N/A" or struck through.

In practice, money enforcement against a tenant being evicted is often unproductive — the tenant typically has no goods of value beyond personal effects (which are exempt from execution).

Property details

Section 5: date of the possession order, date possession was due to be given up under the order, description of the property.

Statement of truth

Signed by the claimant or representative.

What to file with Form N325

• Court fee. £152. Check with your court how it wants payment taken — by cheque to "HM Courts and Tribunals Service", by card, or online, depending on the filing route.
• Bailiff risk assessment (Form EX97A). A separate form providing information for bailiff safety — known security issues, presence of dogs, vulnerable occupiers. The court may send this to you to complete once the warrant is issued rather than requiring it up front — check with your local court.
• Covering letter. Useful — confirms the request and references the original case.

How to file Form N325

Form N325 must be filed at the County Court that made the original possession order. Filing routes: postal (the standard route), in-person (some courts), email (some courts now accept). The Possession Claim Online service can also be used for outright and suspended orders that only involve rent arrears, provided you used it for the original possession claim.

What happens after filing

Once Form N325 is filed:

• The court issues the warrant — typically within 1–2 weeks.
• You are sent a warrant number and an EX96 "notice of appointment" form giving the date the bailiffs will attend, and you may be sent a risk assessment questionnaire (Form EX97A).
• You must return any required forms to the court at least 3 working days before the eviction date to confirm you still want it to proceed. Missing this deadline can result in the appointment being cancelled — sending you back to the end of the queue in areas where waits already run to months. This is one of the most common and most costly mistakes landlords make at this stage.
• The warrant is sent to the County Court bailiffs serving the area, who schedule the appointment — waiting times become significant here.
• The bailiffs notify the tenant of the appointment date (typically by letter posted to the property).
• On the appointment date, the bailiffs attend (typically with the landlord or agent present) and recover possession.

What happens at the eviction

On the day of the bailiff appointment:

• Bailiffs attend at the appointed time (usually morning).
• The landlord (or representative) attends with a locksmith engaged in advance.
• Bailiffs identify themselves to any occupiers and require them to leave.
• Where occupiers refuse, bailiffs may use reasonable force.
• Once the property is vacant, bailiffs hand the property back to the landlord. The locksmith changes the locks immediately.
• The tenant's belongings remaining in the property are dealt with under the Torts (Interference with Goods) Act 1977 framework — see our abandonment guide.

Bailiff fees are included in the £152 court fee. The locksmith is the landlord's separate cost (typically £80–£200, and not a court fee — check current local rates).

Transfer to High Court for enforcement

Where County Court bailiff waiting times are unacceptably long, a landlord can apply to transfer enforcement to the High Court. High Court Enforcement Officers (HCEOs) operate commercially, often attend within days or a few weeks rather than months, but cost substantially more.

Transfer requires the court's permission, sought on Form N244 (general application notice), accompanied by a witness statement explaining why transfer is justified — bailiff waits in the area, financial impact of delay, ongoing nuisance, etc. Once permission is granted, the certificate of judgment and request for the writ of control or writ of possession is made on Form N293A under CPR 83.13 — your solicitor or the HCEO firm you instruct will usually prepare this as part of the transfer.

Court fee for the N244 application: £321 on notice, or £126 without notice (up from £313/£123 with effect from 13 July 2026). HCEO fees are set commercially by the enforcement firm, not by HMCTS — budget roughly £600–£1,500 depending on the firm and case, meaning a total cost in the region of £950–£1,800. Get a written quote from your chosen HCEO provider before instructing, as these are not fixed statutory fees.

Many landlords apply for transfer at the original possession hearing — judges can grant permission to transfer at that stage, avoiding the need for a separate application.

Suspended possession orders: Form N325A or Form N244?

Some possession orders are made on suspended terms — the tenant is given the chance to comply with conditions (typically paying arrears in instalments alongside ongoing rent) and stays in the property provided they keep to those conditions. Where the tenant breaches a suspended order, which form you use depends on what was breached:

• Form N325A — where the breach relates to rent arrears or another payment of money. This is the more common scenario and, for most residential landlords, the form that applies.
• Form N244 (general application notice) — where the breach relates to something other than money, for example a behavioural condition attached to the order.

The court fee for issuing the warrant on Form N325A is the same £152 as Form N325 (they are both fee 8.6 on the EX50A schedule). The court will usually list a hearing before deciding whether to issue a warrant on a suspended order, since the tenant can ask the judge to suspend it again if their circumstances have genuinely changed in a way connected to the reason the order was made.

Common errors

1. Filing too early. Form N325 cannot be filed until the date for possession has passed.

2. Wrong form for a suspended order. Using Form N325A when the breach was not about money (or vice versa) leads to delay or rejection — check which form applies before you file.

3. Missing the 3-working-day confirmation deadline. Once the warrant is issued and an eviction date set, failing to confirm to the court at least 3 working days beforehand can see the appointment cancelled, with a fresh wait behind it.

4. Missing risk assessment. The bailiff risk assessment (EX97A) is increasingly enforced — return it promptly if the court requests it.

5. Wrong court. Form N325 must go to the same court that made the possession order.

6. Treating the 6-year permission step as optional. If more than 6 years have passed since the possession order, you need the court's permission (Form N244) before you can apply for the warrant — you cannot go straight to Form N325.

Authoritative sources

• Form N325 (GOV.UK).
• Form N325A (GOV.UK).
• Form N244: application notice (GOV.UK).
• Evicting tenants in England: if tenants do not follow a possession order (GOV.UK).
• Fees in the civil and family courts – full list, EX50A, July 2026 (GOV.UK).
• Court and tribunal fees: updates from July 2026 (GOV.UK).
• Our court forms hub.
• Our eviction procedure guide.
• Our abandonment guide (Torts Act framework for left belongings).