Residential landlords and property owners
Possession order solicitors for residential landlords
Getting the notice right, the claim issued and the order enforced — for landlords recovering a residential property.
Recovering a residential property lawfully is a sequence: a valid notice, a properly constituted claim, a hearing that survives whatever the tenant raises, and enforcement if the tenant still does not leave. A mistake at any stage sends you back to the beginning, months later and with costs against you.
We act for landlords only. Before anything is served we check the documents a tenant's adviser will attack — deposit protection and prescribed information, gas safety, energy performance, how-to-rent, licensing and the arrears schedule.
Who this service is for
- Landlords recovering a property let on an assured shorthold tenancy
- Landlords facing serious rent arrears or anti-social behaviour by an occupier
- Portfolio landlords needing possession claims run consistently across several properties
- Owners who need a property back for sale, redevelopment or their own occupation
- Agents instructing on behalf of a landlord client
What we handle
- Pre-notice compliance audit
- Deposit and prescribed information, certificates, licensing and tenancy documentation checked and, where possible, corrected.
- Notices
- Selecting the right notice and grounds, drafting, serving and evidencing service correctly.
- Possession claims
- Issuing the claim, particulars of claim, arrears schedules and the court's directions.
- Contested hearings
- Responding to defences on notice validity, compliance and disrepair counterclaims, with representation at the hearing.
- Rent arrears judgment
- Money judgment alongside possession where it is worth pursuing, and advice when it is not.
- Enforcement
- County court warrant, or transfer up for a High Court writ of possession where that is faster and permitted.
How Resolve can help
- Tell you before you spend anything whether the paperwork supports a claim
- Choose the route with the best chance of an outright order for your grounds
- Deal with tenant counterclaims rather than letting them derail the possession claim
- Represent you at possession hearings and applications
- Manage enforcement to the point where the property is actually back in your hands
The possession timetable
1. Audit
Tenancy file and compliance review, with a written view on the grounds available.
2. Notice period
Notice drafted, served and evidenced; expiry diarised; any negotiated departure explored.
3. Claim and hearing
Claim issued at the correct hearing centre, defences answered, hearing attended.
4. Enforcement
Order enforced by warrant or writ if the tenant does not leave by the date ordered.
Why landlords instruct us
- The compliance audit happens first, which is where most claims are won or lost
- Landlord-side only, with no tenant defence work
- Enforcement is planned from the outset rather than treated as an afterthought
- Acting for landlords with property in London, Watford and Hertfordshire
Where we act
We conduct residential possession claims in the county court hearing centre for the property, throughout London, Hertfordshire and England & Wales.
Frequently asked questions
Which notice should a landlord serve to recover possession?
That depends on the tenancy type, the grounds available and what has gone wrong. A defective or badly timed notice is the most common reason a possession claim fails or has to be started again.
We review the tenancy paperwork and the compliance history before any notice is served.
How long do residential possession proceedings take?
After the notice period expires, the claim must be issued, listed and heard, and any possession order then has to be enforced if the tenant does not leave. Local court listing times vary widely.
We give a realistic timetable for the court that will hear your claim, and we keep the enforcement stage in view from the start.
What do tenants most often raise in response to a possession claim?
Common responses include challenges to the validity of the notice, deposit protection and prescribed information failures, gas safety, energy performance and how-to-rent documentation, licensing breaches, and counterclaims for disrepair.
We audit those points before issuing so that they are answered in the claim rather than at the hearing.
What happens after a possession order is made?
If the tenant does not leave by the date in the order, possession is enforced by a county court warrant or, with permission, by transfer to the High Court for a writ of possession.
We advise on which enforcement route is likely to be quicker and proportionate for your property.
Can I change the locks if my tenant will not leave?
No. Removing a residential occupier without a court order and, where required, enforcement by county court bailiffs or High Court enforcement officers exposes a landlord to criminal and civil liability.
Take advice before taking any step to recover the property yourself.
Start Your Enquiry
Tell us briefly what has happened and what you need. Email and telephone are both required so we can respond in the way that suits you.