Commercial Rent Arrears Recovery (CRAR) is a statutory procedure introduced in April 2014 which replaced the former common law remedy of distress for rent. It allows qualifying commercial rent arrears to be recovered by taking control of goods without first applying to the court for permission.

Do I need a court order to instruct enforcement agents under CRAR?

In general, CRAR does not require a court order to be obtained first. It may only be used where the statutory conditions are met and the instruction is suitable on review.

Under what circumstances can CRAR be used?

CRAR requires a lease of purely commercial premises evidenced in writing. It generally recovers principal rent, VAT and contractual interest. At least seven days’ net unpaid rent must be due and payable; it need not have been overdue for seven days.

What does taking control of goods mean?

Taking control of goods is the legal process by which an enforcement agent secures qualifying goods belonging to the debtor. If payment is not made, controlled goods may ultimately be removed and sold in accordance with the applicable regulations.

Are you required to give the tenant notice?

Yes. The current general minimum is 14 clear days’ written notice before an enforcement agent may take control of goods. Sundays, bank holidays, Good Friday and Christmas Day do not count when calculating that period.

Can anyone take control of goods under CRAR?

No. CRAR must be exercised through an appropriately authorised enforcement agent, and the attending agent must hold the certification required by the statutory procedure.

Can I forfeit the lease if CRAR is unsuccessful?

CRAR and forfeiture are separate remedies. Steps that treat the lease as continuing may affect the landlord’s right to forfeit for an existing breach. A landlord considering both remedies should obtain advice before proceeding.

When will I receive funds?

Where payment is recovered and cleared, remittance is normally made to the client’s nominated bank account within two working days, subject to reconciliation and compliance checks.

Do you set your own enforcement fees?

CRAR enforcement fees are prescribed by regulation. Where applicable, statutory fees are generally recoverable from the tenant or debtor in accordance with the regulations.

What happens if I cancel the instruction?

If an instruction is cancelled or withdrawn after compliance or enforcement steps have been taken, statutory fees and reasonable costs may remain payable under the regulations and the agreed terms of instruction. The position depends on the stage reached.

Commercial rent enforcement · England and Wales

CRAR Bailiffs for Commercial Rent Arrears

Recover qualifying commercial rent through certificated enforcement agents without first obtaining a court judgment. We review the lease and rent statement, issue the statutory notice and manage enforcement through to payment, controlled goods or lawful removal.

Send your lease and rent statement Call 0330 133 1818

Complete qualifying instructions normally move to Notice of Enforcement on the next working day.

Approx. £1.2m Commercial rent recovered through CRAR during 2025

Next working day Target for issuing qualifying notices after complete instruction

14 clear days Current general notice period before goods may be taken into control

England & Wales Nationwide deployment of experienced certificated enforcement agents

First decision

Can CRAR be used for your arrears?

Commercial Rent Arrears Recovery is a statutory rent-recovery procedure. It is powerful when its conditions are met, but it is not available for every commercial-property debt.

CRAR is generally available where there is a written lease of wholly commercial premises, the tenant remains in occupation and at least seven days’ net rent is outstanding. Recoverable rent may include applicable VAT and contractual interest.

Unsure whether the debt qualifies?
Send the signed lease and current rent statement. We will identify any apparent eligibility issue before statutory action begins.

Request a CRAR document review Check initial eligibility

What you appoint us to do

From arrears review to documented enforcement

The objective is to recover qualifying rent while maintaining a controlled, compliant and properly recorded process.

Review the instruction

We examine the lease, parties, premises, occupation and rent statement before accepting the matter into the statutory process.

Issue compliant notice

Once accepted, the Notice of Enforcement is issued with the prescribed information and the statutory compliance period begins.

Manage engagement

Payment and meaningful engagement are considered during compliance before attendance and further statutory fees.

Attend commercially

If the arrears remain enforceable, a certificated enforcement agent attends the commercial premises and assesses available goods.

Secure the outcome

The outcome may be payment, an arrangement, goods taken into control or lawful removal and sale where necessary.

Report and remit

You receive a clear attendance report. Cleared recovered funds are reconciled and remitted to the nominated account.

Commercial premises reviewed for Commercial Rent Arrears Recovery

Recorded CRAR outcome

£85,000 restaurant rent arrears recovered in full

A restaurant in Lancashire owed approximately £85,000 in qualifying commercial rent. Following instruction and statutory enforcement action, UK Bailiffs managed the recovery through to full payment over six weeks.

£85,000 Qualifying rent arrears

6 weeks Recovery period

Paid in full Recorded outcome

Why this matters: CRAR is not limited to demanding immediate payment on attendance. A controlled statutory process can secure full recovery over an appropriate period where the circumstances support it.

Case information has been anonymised. Individual outcomes depend on the tenant, available goods, engagement and the facts of the instruction. Past recovery does not guarantee a future result.

The statutory route

How CRAR progresses

A complete instruction allows us to begin promptly, but the statutory notice period must be observed before goods may ordinarily be taken into control.

Documents received

Lease, rent statement, authority and tenant details supplied.

Eligibility reviewed

Rent, occupation, use and apparent statutory conditions checked.

Notice issued

Qualifying notices targeted for the next working day.

Compliance period

The current general minimum is 14 clear days.

Enforcement

Attendance, control of goods, payment or lawful escalation.

Current statutory charges

CRAR enforcement fees from 1 May 2026

These are the prescribed non-High Court taking-control-of-goods fees for new instructions falling under the amended framework from 1 May 2026.

Enforcement stage	Fixed fee	Additional percentage fee	When it applies
Compliance	£79	None	Instruction, notice and compliance-stage activity.
Enforcement	£247	7.5% of the sum above £1,900	First enforcement attendance at the commercial premises.
Sale or disposal	£116	7.5% of the sum above £1,900	Where controlled goods proceed to the sale or disposal stage.

Who normally pays? Statutory fees are normally recoverable from the tenant as part of the enforcement process. If an instruction is withdrawn at any stage, or materially inaccurate or incomplete information is supplied—for example, service charges are presented as qualifying rent—UK Bailiffs reserves the right, subject to its terms of instruction, to recover outstanding statutory fees and reasonable costs from the instructing client.

Read the 2026 fee amendments Open the fee calculator Read CRAR terms

Free commercial-landlord resource

Download the Commercial Rent Arrears Recovery Guide

A practical eight-page guide for landlords, managing agents and property professionals covering eligibility, recoverable rent, notice, enforcement attendance and the choice between CRAR and forfeiture.

Download the eight-page guide Read the detailed legal guide

Choose the right commercial objective

Recover the rent—or recover the premises?

CRAR and lease forfeiture produce different outcomes. The landlord should decide whether payment or possession is the priority before taking action that may affect the lease.

Choose CRAR when payment is the objective

Recover qualifying commercial rent.
The tenant normally remains in occupation.
The lease is treated as continuing.
Goods may be taken into control if payment is not made.

Start a CRAR instruction

Consider forfeiture when possession is the objective

Bring a qualifying commercial lease to an end.
Recover possession of the premises.
Check the lease, breach, waiver and occupation.
Consider insolvency, relief and goods left behind.

View lease forfeiture

Considering both remedies? Demanding or accepting rent and other conduct treating the lease as continuing may affect a landlord’s ability to forfeit for the relevant breach. Obtain appropriate advice before proceeding where forfeiture is under consideration.

Focused supporting guidance

Commercial rent and enforcement resources

Use the service page to instruct CRAR. Use these guides where the legal or commercial position requires closer examination.

CRAR legislation and rules Detailed 2026 landlord guidance Tenant insolvency Moratoriums and warning signs Service-charge arrears Recovery outside the CRAR procedure

Commercial landlord questions

CRAR bailiffs: frequently asked questions

Every proposed instruction is assessed against the lease, premises, occupation, arrears and any insolvency or dispute concerns.

Do I need a court judgment before using CRAR?

No court judgment is ordinarily required before CRAR begins where all statutory conditions are satisfied. The lease, premises, tenant’s occupation and arrears must still be reviewed before notice is issued.

How much rent must be outstanding?

At least seven days’ net rent must remain unpaid both when the Notice of Enforcement is given and immediately before goods are taken into control. This is a value threshold; it does not necessarily mean waiting seven days after a missed payment.

Can CRAR recover service charges and insurance?

No. Service charges, insurance, business rates, repairs and other non-rent liabilities cannot simply be included because the lease labels them as rent. They may require a separate contractual debt-recovery route.

How much notice must the tenant receive?

For new instructions falling under the framework effective from 1 May 2026, the current general minimum is 14 clear days before goods may be taken into control. The calculation excludes Sundays, bank holidays, Good Friday and Christmas Day.

What happens when an enforcement agent attends?

The agent seeks payment or an appropriate resolution. If the rent remains unpaid and CRAR continues to be available, tenant-owned goods may be identified and taken into control. Lawful removal and sale may follow if the matter is not resolved.

Can CRAR be used after the tenant leaves?

CRAR generally requires the tenant to remain in occupation of the demised premises. Tell us immediately if the tenant has vacated, ceased trading, entered insolvency or transferred occupation to another party.

Who pays the enforcement fees?

Statutory fees are normally recovered from the tenant. The instructing client may become responsible for outstanding fees and reasonable costs if the instruction is withdrawn or materially inaccurate or incomplete information has been supplied, subject to the CRAR terms of instruction.

What if the tenant company is insolvent?

Administration, liquidation, restructuring moratoriums and other insolvency procedures can restrict enforcement or require consent. Supply any insolvency information before instruction and notify us immediately if the position changes.

Can I use CRAR and then forfeit the lease?

The remedies are distinct. CRAR treats the lease as continuing, while forfeiture seeks to end it. Using CRAR, demanding rent or accepting payment may affect the right to forfeit for the relevant breach, so obtain advice where possession is also being considered.

How quickly will UK Bailiffs begin?

Where a qualifying instruction is complete and accepted, our operational target is to issue the Notice of Enforcement on the next working day. This does not shorten the statutory compliance period or guarantee the timing or outcome of later enforcement.

Secure online instruction

Send the documents for CRAR review

Provide the documents and information already available. We review the proposed instruction and identify any apparent gap before enforcement begins.

Signed commercial lease

Any lease variations

Current rent statement

Landlord’s authority

Tenant and premises details

Known dispute or insolvency information

Need to discuss eligibility before submitting documents? Call 0330 133 1818 or email help@ukbailiffs.org .

Ready to submit the CRAR instruction?

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Important: This page provides general information about Commercial Rent Arrears Recovery in England and Wales and is not legal advice. CRAR depends on the lease, use and occupation of the premises, the sums claimed and the tenant’s circumstances. UK Bailiffs assesses operational and apparent procedural suitability but does not replace advice from a solicitor where entitlement, waiver, insolvency, dispute or another legal issue is uncertain. Instructions are subject to the CRAR Terms and Conditions of Instruction.

Commercial rent remains unpaid?

Send the lease and rent statement or speak directly with the UK Bailiffs team.

Request a CRAR review 0330 133 1818