⚖ Bailiff Fees Check

The bailiff notice period: 14 clear days, how it is counted

Before an enforcement agent can take control of your goods, they must give you notice of enforcement — and the minimum notice period changed on 1 May 2026. We checked the Regulations directly at source on 2026-10-09, including the 2026 amendment.

The rule today

Notice must be given not less than 14 clear days before the enforcement agent takes control of your goods. This is set by regulation 6 of the Taking Control of Goods Regulations 2013, as amended by the Taking Control of Goods (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/366), in force 1 May 2026.

The 28-day extension on request

Since 1 May 2026 there is a second lever: where a debt advice provider submits a request on your behalf for a non-business debt, the minimum notice period becomes 28 clear days. In practice this means engaging a free debt adviser (Citizens Advice, StepChange, National Debtline) early — if they are already helping you when the notice window is running, they can extend it.

Which days do not count

"Clear days" excludes, where the period includes them:

So notice given late on a Friday before a bank-holiday Monday runs slower than the calendar suggests. Count only the days that are not protected days, and start the day after the notice was issued (the day of issue does not count).

Notices issued before 1 May 2026

The 2026 Regulations contain a saving provision: nothing in them affects enforcement action taken before they came into force. If the notice of enforcement was issued before 1 May 2026, the old 7 clear days minimum applies to that enforcement.

Can the notice period be shorter?

Yes — a court may order that a shorter period of notice applies (regulation 6(3)). This is not common, and if you are relying on the notice window you should check whether the enforcement agent claims a court order for shortened notice.

What to do with the window

The notice period is breathing room, not a formality:

  1. Check the notice against the fee tables with the fee checker.
  2. Contact a free debt adviser — Citizens Advice, StepChange or National Debtline — and ask about a payment arrangement or breathing space.
  3. If the debt is not yours or the notice went to a wrong address, see what happens if bailiffs go to a wrong address.
  4. If you are vulnerable, tell the creditor and the enforcement agent in writing — see vulnerability protections.

Can a bailiff visit on day 14? Only if 14 clear days have fully passed, none of them protected days, counting from the day after the notice was issued. If in doubt, count again — and note the date the notice was issued, because the whole clock starts there.

Information, not legal advice. Sources: SI 2013/1894 reg 6 (as amended by SI 2026/366); checked at legislation.gov.uk on 2026-10-09.

⚖ Source-checked 2026-10-09 at legislation.gov.uk · Independent information — not legal advice.