Tips for serving an accelerated possession order

Following advice here I served a S21 Notice 1 week before the 1 May deadline with all the documents etc. needed. We also returned the tenant’s deposit before serving just to be sure there would be no problems over it. The date we specified for our tenant to leave was July 1.

We obviously hope he will leave on or before then and will keep in touch without harassing him. However we understand that if he doesn’t we must apply correctly for an accelerated possession order before July 31. As the timing is quite tight we want to prepare so far as possible in advance so we are ready to act quickly if necessary. I would welcome tips on the best way to proceed.

I am happy to put together the N5B Form and paperwork and submit myself but wonder whether I should get it checked by a solicitor before doing this? If you advise getting professional advice, are twhat’s the best way to find a good solicitor? Does it make any difference where the solicitor is based (the property is a flat in Hammersmith, we live in Cheltenham ). How much is a reasonable fee for this service?

I have tried to establish which County Court has jurisdiction using the Gov. webpage but this just showed there were 2 different courts equidistant from property. I have emailed the one I believe to be correct to ask but am not sure if they will respond. Is there a definitive way to find out the answer? Obviously I don’t want to get this wrong!

Can an N5B plus supporting docs be submitted by email? Or should I personally deliver the application to the Court office (which I would do if it’s best)?

Is there any other advice you would give? (Happy to be redirected to an existing post if easier).

As always, thanks a lot.

@djemwestern

Try getting quotes for the advice you need from these

Might be premature to get advice before 1 july, but you can find out now what costs might be and their turnaround times for checking over your form and getting back to you

Phone up the court officers they should be able to te you if they are the correct court to apply to?

Bear in mind there will be a backlog

HCEOA report (oct 25) that the mean average eviction time after a judge has ruled tenants should be evicted is 8 months in london

Source: High Court Enforcement Officers Association https://share.google/EgeMNjZyBYvm1qKet

More recent reports suggest an average of 68 weeks

https://england.landlordsguild.com/article/eviction-court-delays-in-2026-what-landlords-need

Best