Taking Control of Goods (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2026
Important changes to notice periods, timing, fees and case progression.
Since 1 May 2026, the taking-control-of-goods procedure has operated under several important amendments. For landlords, creditors, managing agents, insolvency professionals and other instructing clients, the practical effect is a longer minimum notice period, updated notice content, revised fees and tighter controls on progression in specified High Court writ cases.
What Has Changed?
The Taking Control of Goods (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2026 do not remove enforcement action. They change how the process starts and progresses, with more emphasis on notice, debtor engagement and procedural control before attendance and escalation.
For instructing clients, the main point is simple: expect a longer lead-in, tighter paperwork requirements and a stronger compliance focus from the outset. For commercial landlords, see the CRAR legal guide for how the amended notice period fits into the wider statutory process.
The previous minimum notice period of 7 clear days is replaced by a minimum of 14 clear days. In some qualifying cases, that period may be extended to 28 clear days.
Longer lead-in
Attendance may not happen as quickly as under the previous timetable, so instructions should be given promptly where recovery action is intended.
Updated notices
Notices now need clearer wording around debt advice and possible extensions to the response period.
Controlled escalation
For enforcement under a High Court writ, where no initial contact is established at the first attendance, progression to the second enforcement stage is restricted until the debtor has been given another opportunity to pay in full or enter into a repayment arrangement or controlled goods agreement, subject to the statutory exceptions.
Revised fees
Recoverable fee levels and percentage-fee thresholds changed on 1 May 2026, which matters for cost expectations and internal guidance.
What did not change
The 2026 amendments change notice, timing, wording and fee mechanics; they do not remove the underlying statutory requirements that must exist before an enforcement power can be used.
CRAR still has its own eligibility rules
The commercial lease, qualifying rent, occupation and statutory threshold still need to be checked before CRAR begins.
Excluded sums remain excluded
Service charges, insurance and other ancillary sums do not become CRAR rent merely because the lease labels them as rent.
Insolvency can still restrict enforcement
Administration, liquidation, moratoriums and other insolvency events can still affect whether enforcement can start or continue.
Controlled goods remain a separate stage
The amended notice period does not itself take control of goods. Attendance, control, agreement and any later removal remain separate enforcement stages.
What Clients Need To Know About Timing
Since 1 May 2026, the minimum Notice of Enforcement period has been 14 clear days. That is the current general baseline before an enforcement agent may take control of goods, subject to the statutory exceptions.
Where, before the notice period expires, a debt advice provider submits a qualifying request on behalf of the debtor, the minimum period is extended to 28 clear days. The extension does not apply where the debt is a “non-eligible business debt” within the Regulations.
The practical effect is straightforward: if timing matters, instructions should not be left until the last moment. The earlier a recoverable case is placed into the process, the better positioned the client will usually be.
Recommended Client Approach
1. Instruct earlier
If you know a matter may need enforcement action, build in extra lead time rather than relying on the old timetable.
2. Update internal expectations
Teams still referring to a 7-day notice framework should revise any internal guides, recovery notes or client communications.
3. Focus on compliance
The route remains available, but the value now sits even more clearly in correct paperwork, controlled progression and defensible process.
Fees & Timing
The Regulations also revise the recoverable fee structure. That matters for creditors, legal teams, insolvency practitioners, landlords and managing agents assessing both recovery options and likely enforcement costs.
Shown for completeness when explaining the amended statutory fee structure. UK Bailiffs is not a High Court Enforcement Officer and does not present this table as a UK Bailiffs High Court enforcement service.
Do these non-High-Court fees apply to CRAR?
Yes. CRAR uses the non-High-Court taking-control-of-goods fee scale shown above. The rent, lease, commercial use, tenant occupation and statutory threshold must still qualify before a Notice of Enforcement is issued. See the main CRAR service page for the operational route.
Alongside the fee changes, the thresholds above which percentage fees apply have also been revised. Any client summaries, public guidance, fee sheets or internal models referring to older figures should be reviewed.
Why This Matters For Instructing Clients
A strong enforcement outcome does not begin at the point of attendance. It begins with choosing the correct route, issuing compliant notices, managing the timetable properly and ensuring the process stands up if later scrutinised.
These amendments reinforce that position. They favour clients who instruct early, prepare properly and understand that speed alone is no longer the only measure of an effective case.
In simple terms, enforcement remains available, but the quality of preparation matters more. A properly instructed case is still capable of moving forward effectively. A poorly timed one is more likely to lose momentum before attendance ever takes place.
Commercial Rent and CRAR Guidance
Use the service page where commercial rent remains unpaid. Use the supporting guides where the instruction involves eligibility, controlled goods or tenant insolvency.
Primary Sources
This update is based on the legislation as made and the Ministry of Justice explanatory material. The Regulations were made on 24 March 2026, laid before Parliament on 26 March 2026 and came into force on 1 May 2026.
2026 Regulations
Taking Control of Goods (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/366) — the operative amendments to notice periods, notice content, enforcement-stage progression, fees and the prescribed Notice of Enforcement.
Ministry of Justice explanation
Explanatory Memorandum to SI 2026/366 — explains the policy purpose, territorial extent and practical effect of the amendments.
Reviewed by Craig Whinray
Craig Whinray is Director of UK Bailiff Services Ltd and a Certificated Enforcement Agent with more than 20 years' frontline enforcement experience.
This 2026 amendments page is reviewed against the current taking-control-of-goods framework and UK Bailiffs' operational enforcement procedures. It is intended as general guidance and does not replace legal advice on a disputed or unusual instruction.
Editorial owner: UK Bailiff Services Ltd · Last reviewed 4 October 2026 · Review following material legal or operational change and at least annually.