Bailiffs fees and costs. What can a bailiff charge?

What do bailiffs charge?

Once the bailiff has a warrant of control or writ of control, they can start adding their fees to your debt. They will charge for:

• Sending you letters about your debt
• Visiting your home
• Taking and selling your belongings

Ask them if they have a warrant or a ‘writ of control’ if they have not made that clear to you.

Bailiff fees and costs are the same for all types of debt. They cannot charge you more than the standard amounts.

High Court Enforcement Officers (HCEOs) can charge more because they are used for High Court writs. You can check if High Court bailiffs are collecting your debt by looking at the letters the bailiffs have sent you.

You can complain if you think a bailiff has broken the rules and is treating you unfairly.

Are you sure it is a bailiff who is contacting you? Find out about the differences between bailiff and debt collectors.

County Court bailiff fees

The bailiffs must follow a three-stage process. They will charge a fixed fee at each stage. They cannot keep adding more and more fees on top, making your situation worse.

If your debt is over £1,500 they can also charge an extra fee. This is only charged on the amount of debt you owe after £1,500.

Stage 1: Sending you a notice of enforcement before they visit

A fixed fee of £75.

Stage 2: Visiting your home, and for further visits

• A fixed fee of £235
• And an extra 7.5% for the debt owed at more than £1,500

Stage 3: Taking and selling your belongings

• A fixed fee of £110
• And an extra 7.5% for the debt owed at more than £1,500

High Court bailiff fees

The bailiffs must follow a four-stage process. They can charge you fees at any of these stages.

If you don’t make an agreement or don’t keep to the agreement you made with the High Court bailiffs, they can charge more fees.

If your debt is over £1,000 they can also charge an extra fee. This is only charged on the amount of debt you owe after £1,000.

Stage 1: Sending you a notice of enforcement before they visit

A fixed fee of £75.

Stage 2: The first visit to your home

• A fixed fee of £190
• And an extra 7.5% for the debt owed at more than £1,000

Stage 3: The second visit to your home

A fixed fee of £385 only if

• You have not agreed to sign the controlled goods agreement
• You have not paid what you owe in a payment arrangement

Stage 4: Taking and selling your belongings

• A fixed fee of £525
• And an extra 7.5% for the debt owed at more than £1,000

What other costs can bailiffs charge?

Bailiffs can claim expenses and other costs. They might call this ‘disbursement costs’ on any bills they give you.

They may charge you for:

• Advertising the sale of your goods
• Selling your goods in an online auction
• Using a locksmith if the bailiffs were allowed to use force to enter your home
• Putting your goods in safe storage after they are taken
• Court fees if the bailiffs had to apply to court to deal with your case

Bailiffs must give you a written list of all the fees they have added.

What happens if I do not pay a bailiff?

The belongings the bailiff added to the controlled goods agreement are removed and sold.

They can visit your home to collect the goods

They can only take the items they put on the agreement. They cannot add more items to the agreement.

Bailiffs can apply for a warrant to force entry to your home if you don’t let them in. They are not allowed to break down your door. They will usually use a locksmith to do force entry, and this can add extra costs to your debt.

They can remove and sell your goods

The bailiffs will usually store your belongings before being sold at a public auction. You usually have 10 days between removal and auction to try and sort out your debt.

The bailiffs will send you a letter explaining how much they think your belongings will sell for. Money raised from the sale will go towards your debt and the bailiff’s fees.

Any money left over will be refunded to you.

Your creditors can take further action

If the auction does not make enough money to clear your whole debt, the people you owe can take further action.

This could be:

• An attachment of earnings
• Applying for a charging order if you own your property
• Applying to make you bankrupt

Does a bailiff have to accept a payment plan?

Bailiff rules mean they must give your offer of payment to the person you owe money to. They might say no to your offer, but it has to be considered.

The bailiffs themselves must offer reasonable payment rates too. If you think they want to you to pay more than you can afford, you can complain.

Make a budget to clearly show the bailiff what you can and cannot afford to pay.

If they say no to your offer, you should carry on paying the debt anyway and get in touch with the person you owe money to directly.

If you need help making a budget, try our income and expenditure form to send to creditors.

Need advice on a bailiff debt? We can help

Dealing with bailiffs is a sign that you need help dealing with your debt. It can be a scary time, but we are here to help you through it.

Take two minutes to answer a few simple questions about your situation. We will guide you to the right support to deal with bailiff debt.

Our advice is free, impartial and tailored to your needs.