Check your bailiff fees
Enter the date on your Notice of Enforcement, how many separate debts the bailiff is collecting, the total debt and how far enforcement has gone. The checker adds up the fixed and percentage fees the regulations set for that stage. It does not ask for your name or contact details and does not store what you enter.
The legal fee scale
| Stage | Enforcement started on or after 1 May 2026 | Started before 1 May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Compliance stage (from when the bailiff firm gets the case, including the Notice of Enforcement) | £79 for each debt or liability order | £75 for each debt or liability order |
| Enforcement stage (from the first visit) | £247, plus 7.5% of the total debt over £1,900 | £235, plus 7.5% of the total debt over £1,500 |
| Sale or disposal stage (from when the bailiff first comes to take goods away, even if nothing is taken) | £116, plus 7.5% of the total debt over £1,900 | £110, plus 7.5% of the total debt over £1,500 |
Source: Taking Control of Goods (Fees) Regulations 2014, regulations 5, 7 and 11 and the Schedule, as amended by SI 2026/366. If one visit covers several debts, a compliance fee can be charged for each debt, but the enforcement and sale fees are charged once, on the combined total. Costs such as storage, locksmiths and auction costs can be added on top (regulations 8 to 10), and VAT may apply. These fees apply to council tax, parking and magistrates' court debts; High Court Enforcement Officers use a different scale. If you disagree with the fees, you can ask the county court to decide (regulation 16).
Worked examples
- New scale, one debt of £1,000, one visit: £79 + £247 = £326.
- New scale, one debt of £3,000, one visit: £79 + £247 + 7.5% of £1,100 (£82.50) = £408.50.
- New scale, two liability orders totalling £3,000, one visit: £79 x 2 + £247 + £82.50 = £487.50.
- Old scale, one debt of £3,000, one visit: £75 + £235 + 7.5% of £1,500 (£112.50) = £422.50.
Which scale applies
The new fees apply to enforcement action started on or after 1 May 2026 (SI 2026/366, regulation 1(3)). The checker uses the date on your Notice of Enforcement to choose, but the firm may have received your case earlier, so an earlier step could mean the old scale applies. If your notice is dated close to 1 May 2026, the checker shows both.
If the fees look too high
There can be lawful reasons for a higher total, such as more than one debt, VAT, or storage, locksmith or auction costs. Ask the firm for a written breakdown of every fee. If you still think it is wrong, complain to the firm and to the council or creditor, and you can ask the county court to decide (Taking Control of Goods (Fees) Regulations 2014, regulation 16). GOV.UK explains the steps: How to complain about a bailiff.
This checker gives general information based on what you enter. It is not legal advice.
Free, confidential help
Do not ignore a Notice of Enforcement. Contact the council or creditor as soon as you can: it can agree a payment arrangement and can ask the bailiff to pause.
You can get free debt advice from:
If a debt adviser asks for more time before your notice period ends, the bailiff must wait at least 28 clear days before taking control of your goods (Taking Control of Goods Regulations 2013, regulation 6(1A), for cases started on or after 1 May 2026). A debt adviser can also check whether you can get Breathing Space (the Debt Respite Scheme), which pauses most enforcement action while it lasts.
If you are disabled, seriously ill or finding it hard to cope, tell the bailiff and the council. The enforcement-stage fees cannot be charged to a vulnerable person unless they were given a proper chance to get help and advice before goods were removed (Taking Control of Goods (Fees) Regulations 2014, regulation 12). If you are struggling to cope, you can call Samaritans free on 116 123.
Published by Deposit Recovery Claims Ltd, which runs The Tenants Voice and a tenancy deposit service. We do not give debt advice and are not paid by any enforcement firm, council or advice service named here.