High Court enforcement officers for evictions

A High Court enforcement eviction means the eviction is carried out by High Court enforcement officers (HCEOs) under a writ of possession, rather than by county court bailiffs under a warrant. For a tenant's possession order, you first apply to the county court to transfer the case to the High Court for enforcement, then apply for the writ. The court fees from 13 July 2026 are £126 or £321 for the transfer application and £82 for the writ, plus the officers' own fees.

When High Court enforcement is worth considering

You already have a possession order and the tenant hasn't left. You now have two ways to enforce it:

• a county court warrant of possession (£152), carried out by county court bailiffs; or
• a transfer to the High Court and a writ of possession, carried out by an HCEO.

GOV.UK says only: "You might get a faster eviction this way." There are no official statistics for HCEO timescales, and firms set their own prices. What is known is that county court bailiffs took a median 8.7 weeks from warrant to repossession for private landlords in April to June 2026 (provisional Ministry of Justice figures). If a delay is costing you more than the extra fees, get written quotes and timescales from HCEO firms and compare.

How the transfer route works

For an ordinary possession order against a tenant, the route is:

1. Apply to the county court for a transfer order under section 42 of the County Courts Act 1984, transferring the proceedings to the High Court for enforcement. You apply on form N244. The fee is £126 without notice or by consent, or £321 on notice.
2. Once transferred, apply for the writ of possession on form PF92 (where no permission is needed), with the writ itself in Form 66 or 66A.
3. Pay the writ sealing fee of £82.
4. Certify that the land has not been vacated (CPR 83.13(6)).
5. The HCEO gives the tenant at least 14 days' notice of the eviction (CPR 83.8A applies to writs as well as warrants), then carries it out.

Watch out: the GOV.UK evicting-tenants guide still said the transfer application "costs £123" in October 2026. That was the fee before 13 July 2026. It is now £126 without notice or £321 on notice.

Why N293A is not the route for tenants

You may come across form N293A, the "combined certificate of judgment and request for writ". Under CPR 83.19, the certificate itself acts as the transfer order, but only for enforcing money judgments against goods, or for possession orders against trespassers. For a possession order against a tenant, use the section 42 transfer application above. N293A is still useful later if you want a writ of control to recover a money judgment of £600 or more.

Does the writ need permission?

Under the current CPR 83.13, permission for a writ of possession is needed only in Immigration Act section 33D cases and for orders against trespassers more than 3 months old. A general permission requirement for residential writs isn't in the current rules.

What High Court enforcement costs

Item	Paid to	Amount from 13 July 2026
N244 application to transfer to the High Court	The court	£126 without notice or by consent; £321 on notice
Writ of possession, sealing fee	The court	£82
HCEO fees	The enforcement firm	Quoted by the firm
For comparison: county court warrant of possession	The court	£152

There is a fee scale for HCEOs in the High Court Enforcement Officers Regulations 2004, but in practice firms quote their own fees. Agree the fee, and what happens if the first attempt fails, in writing before you instruct anyone. The full court fee list is on possession claim court fees.

County court bailiffs and HCEOs compared

	County court bailiffs	High Court enforcement officers
Authority	Warrant of possession	Writ of possession
Extra step first	None	Transfer order from the county court
Court fees	£152	£126 or £321, plus £82
Other fees	None	The HCEO's fees
Notice to the tenant	At least 14 days (N54)	At least 14 days
Official timescale	Median 8.7 weeks from warrant to repossession	None published

For what happens on the day, see bailiff evictions.

Breathing Space and High Court enforcement

If the tenant enters a debt respite Breathing Space that covers the arrears, enforcement stops and the court won't issue writs. You must tell the court in writing and tell any HCEO you've instructed. HMCTS guidance says a landlord who doesn't tell the HCEO may be liable for losses. See Breathing Space and rent arrears.

Common mistakes

• Using N293A for a tenant possession order. It only transfers money judgments and trespasser possession orders.
• Quoting the old fees from the GOV.UK guide (£123, or £313 on notice).
• Not agreeing HCEO fees in writing before instructing a firm.
• Assuming no notice is needed. HCEOs must also give at least 14 days' notice.
• Forgetting a Breathing Space, which you must report to the court and the HCEO.

What to do next

If you're still at the claim stage, the possession court pack prepares N5, N119 and the rent schedule from your answers, for you to sign and file. Once you have an order, compare this route with a county court warrant of possession. For the wider process, see possession claims and how to evict a tenant quickly.