Form N119: particulars of claim for rented property

The N119 form is the "particulars of claim for possession (rented residential premises)": the document that sets out the facts of your possession claim. You file it with Form N5, and for rent arrears it must come with a schedule of every payment due and made over the last 2 years. You complete and sign it yourself; only you, a litigation friend or your legal representative can sign its statement of truth.

What the N119 form is for

N5 tells the court you want possession. N119 explains why, in a fixed order the judge can check quickly: what the tenancy is, what rent is due, what notice you served, what the tenant owes, and what you want the court to order. If the particulars are thin or wrong, the judge may adjourn or dismiss the claim.

The current version is 05.26, reissued on 1 May 2026 for the Renters' Rights Act (file N119_ENGLAND_0526v3_save.pdf). Don't reuse an older copy. The guidance notes, form N119A, are still the 2010 version, so their paragraph numbers don't match the new form. Follow the headings on N119 itself.

How to fill in the N119 form, section by section

Section	What it asks	What to put
1	The property	The full address, as it appears on your notice
2	Persons in possession	Every tenant and anyone else you know lives there
3	The tenancy	Type of tenancy, start date, rent and how often it is due, and the daily rate of rent
4	Reason for possession	The reason you ticked in N5 section 3.1, with the details, including the grounds you rely on
5	Steps taken to recover arrears	Letters, calls, payment plans offered and any earlier court action
6	Notice served	The type of notice (for a Section 8 claim, the notice seeking possession) and the date it was served
7	Defendant's circumstances	What you know of the tenant's situation, especially benefits and any payments made direct to you
8	Claimant's circumstances	Your own situation, for example the effect of the arrears on your mortgage
9	Forfeiture	Usually not relevant to an assured periodic tenancy
10	Orders sought	Possession, unpaid rent and use and occupation charges to the date of the order, ongoing charges until possession, and costs
11–14	Demotion and right to buy	Social landlords only

The form ends with a statement of truth, which you sign.

Section 4: state the grounds

The rules say that if you rely on a statutory ground, the particulars must specify it. Name each ground you used in your Form 3A, for example "Ground 8, Ground 10 and Ground 11, Schedule 2, Housing Act 1988", and set out the facts for each. You can't rely on a ground that wasn't in your notice unless the court gives permission to add it.

Section 5: show what you've tried

Under Practice Direction 55A you must give details of previous steps taken to recover the arrears. List the dates of reminders, your rent arrears letter, any payment plan and whether it was kept. On discretionary grounds such as Ground 10, this helps the judge decide whether an order is reasonable.

Section 7: the tenant's benefits

Say whether the tenant gets benefits and whether any are paid straight to you. This matters for Ground 8: since 1 May 2026, arrears that are unpaid only because a Universal Credit housing payment hadn't yet reached the tenant are ignored. See Universal Credit and rent arrears.

What the rent schedule must show

For a rent arrears claim, Practice Direction 55A requires:

• the amount due when the claim is issued;
• a schedule of all payments due and made in the 2 years before issue, or from the first missed payment if that is more recent, with a running total of the arrears;
• the daily rate of rent and any interest;
• previous steps taken to recover the arrears, including any court proceedings;
• the tenant's circumstances, in particular benefits and any direct payments to you.

A simple schedule has five columns: date due, amount due, date paid, amount paid, and running balance. Use your bank statements, not memory. Check the Ground 8 figures with the rent arrears calculator before you file, because for Ground 8 the arrears must be at least 3 months' rent (monthly) or 13 weeks' rent (weekly or fortnightly) both when you served the notice and at the hearing. A worked schedule is on claiming rent arrears in your possession claim.

Watch out: rent only counts if it is "lawfully due". Rent is treated as not due until you have given the tenant an address in England and Wales for serving notices (Landlord and Tenant Act 1987, section 48). Rent from an unlawful rent increase may not count either.

Who signs N119 and what to attach

The same rule applies as for N5: the statement of truth is signed by you (a senior officer for a company landlord), a litigation friend, or your legal representative. A letting agent or a document service can't sign it. Our court pack drafts N119 from your answers; you read it, correct anything that's wrong, sign it and file it yourself.

Landlords commonly attach:

• the tenancy agreement;
• the Form 3A notice and proof of service, such as an N215 certificate of service;
• the deposit protection certificate and prescribed information, if you took a deposit;
• the rent schedule.

The rules don't make all of these compulsory for paper claims, but you will need them at the hearing.

Common N119 mistakes

1. Using the 2010 N119A paragraph numbers to fill in the 05.26 form.
2. A schedule that stops short of 2 years or has no running total.
3. Arrears not updated to the hearing date.
4. Grounds missing from section 4, or different from the notice.
5. No detail of steps taken to recover the arrears.
6. Leaving out occupiers in section 2.
7. Forgetting section 10: if you don't ask for the arrears and ongoing charges, you may leave money on the table.

For how all of this fits into the court process, see the possession claim hub.

What to do next

The possession court pack prepares N5, N119 and the 2-year rent schedule from your answers, with a filing guide. You sign and file the claim yourself. Next, read what happens at a possession hearing so you know what to bring.