Claim For Possession Of A Property: Updated Form N5B
Updated court form for landlords seeking possession of a property under the accelerated possession scheme; Form N5B (for properties in Wales, use N5B Wales)
Landlords seeking possession of their property following service of a Section 21 notice now face a more comprehensive checklist when completing Form N5B. The update implements the changes made to Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 by the Deregulation Act 2015, which came into force on 1st October 2015.
The updates include requirements for:
- More information regarding the deposit, including details of any repayment;
- Details of any relevant notices in relation to the condition of the property to confirm that it is not a retaliatory eviction;
- Confirmation that, where necessary, the gas safety record has been provided;
- Confirmation that a valid energy performance certificate (EPC) has been given;
- Proof that the ‘How to Rent: the checklist for renting in England’ booklet has been provided to the tenant;
- A new document checklist for documents attached in support of the claim.
The tenant’s defence Form N11B has also been updated to reflect the changes and asks the tenant to confirm whether they agree with each of the requirements above and, if not, why they disagree.
Operative date
- Now
Recommendation
- Ensure all new claims use the updated Form N5B, even for tenancies granted before 1st October 2015
On 28 October 2025 the long awaited Renters Rights Act 2025 (‘the Act’) received Royal Assent meaning it is now law. This includes very significant changes for landlords and tenants including changes to tenant rights, deposits, notices and eviction processes amongst others. At present the Act has not yet come into force however this is anticipated fairly soon. For the current position on this see our blog here. When the Act is fully implemented it will no longer be possible to pursue possession claims via the accelerated possession route as this will no longer exist. The claim forms are also anticipated to change as part of the comprehensive changes that are anticipated. For now this makes it all the more important that landlords promptly issue claims wherever possible, before the Act is implemented.
