How to stop bailiffs evicting you
Eviction by bailiffs for rent arrears
You can ask a court to stop bailiffs from evicting you for rent arrears.
Ask the court as soon as you get a bailiff's notice.
Bailiffs evict you by changing the locks on the property and telling you to leave.
Your landlord can ask a court to send bailiffs to evict you if:
you stay past the date that a court told you to leave
Get free legal help to stop the bailiffs.
A legal adviser can help you ask the court to stop the bailiffs.
What a bailiff's notice looks like
The notice has the time and date the bailiffs will come.
The notice is addressed to:
anyone named on your court order
'any other occupiers'
The notice will be in a clear sealed envelope.
Bailiffs must give you at least 2 weeks' notice of the eviction date.
What to do
You need to take these 3 steps:
When the courts cannot stop an eviction for rent arrears
The court cannot usually stop:
A ground is the reason why your landlord is evicting you.
A mandatory ground means the judge must evict you. They cannot give you a second chance.
Last updated: 28 August 2025
