Form N5B (Accelerated Possession Claim)
Quick answer
The court form historically used to start an accelerated possession claim after a valid Section 21 notice. The accelerated route allowed possession on paper without a hearing in straightforward cases. From 1 May 2026 the form is no longer usable for new claims because Section 21 has been abolished by the Renters Rights Act 2025; possession claims now start under Section 8 / Form N5 instead.
At a glance
- Status
- Obsolete for new claims from 1 May 2026
- Replaced by
- A standard Section 8 possession claim, with a hearing
- Why it went
- It existed only to support Section 21, which was abolished
- Still relevant to
- Section 21 claims issued before 1 May 2026
Full guide
Read the complete landlord guide on Form N5B (Accelerated Possession Claim)
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Open full guideWhy Form N5B (Accelerated Possession Claim) matters for landlords
N5B mattered because it was the paper-only route: a landlord with a valid Section 21 notice could obtain possession without anyone attending court. That shortcut is gone. Every possession claim now runs on a ground, and you should plan for a hearing, a defence window and the possibility of a disrepair counterclaim. Landlords who budgeted time and money against the accelerated route consistently underestimate the post-2026 timetable, which realistically runs three to six months from the expiry of the notice.
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Official sources
LetCompliance editorial reviews this entry every quarter against the sources above. Always confirm specific duties with a qualified solicitor or your local council.
Related terms
Possession Warrant (Warrant of Possession)
The court instruction authorising a county court bailiff to physically evict the tenant after a Possession Order has expired without the tenant leaving. Applied for on form N325, currently runs at a £152 court fee plus the bailiff’s scheduling waiting list (often 6–12 weeks in busy regions). Higher-value claims (over £600) can be transferred to the High Court for enforcement by a High Court Enforcement Officer (Writ of Possession), which is significantly faster but more expensive.
Fixed-Term Tenancy
A tenancy granted for a set period, such as 6 or 12 months, historically the standard form of assured shorthold tenancy. The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 abolished fixed terms for most residential tenancies from 1 May 2026: new tenancies are periodic from the start and a tenant can end them with two months’ notice at any time.
Form 3A (Notice of Seeking Possession, Section 8)
The prescribed form a private landlord uses to start a Section 8 possession claim under the Housing Act 1988. GOV.UK publishes two versions: Form 3A for the private rented sector and Form 3 for social housing, so a private landlord who serves Form 3 has used the wrong form. It identifies the tenancy, the grounds being relied on (from Schedule 2 to the Housing Act 1988) and the date by which the tenant must give up possession. Notice periods vary by ground: no minimum notice for grounds 7A and 14 (anti-social behaviour), 4 weeks for ground 8 (rent arrears), 4 months for ground 1A (landlord sale) post-RRA 2025. A defective notice — wrong form, wrong ground, wrong notice period, missing prescribed wording — is the most common reason possession claims fail at first hearing.
Form 6A (Section 21 Notice)
The prescribed form landlords used to serve a Section 21 “no-fault” possession notice in England, until Section 21 was abolished on 1 May 2026 by the Renters Rights Act 2025. Two months’ minimum notice; it was void if any of the prerequisites (deposit protected within 30 days, valid Gas Safety record, current EPC, How to Rent guide given) was missing. Since 1 May 2026 Form 6A is no longer issuable for new notices and possession is pursued under Section 8 / Form 3A only.
AST (Assured Shorthold Tenancy)
The most common form of private tenancy in England. From 1 May 2026 all existing ASTs converted to assured periodic tenancies under the Renters Rights Act 2025, and new fixed-term ASTs can no longer be created for most residential lets.
Disrepair
A property condition falling below the landlord’s repairing obligations under Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 or the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018. Tenants can sue for damages and specific performance. Disrepair is not in itself a defence to a possession claim, but a damages counterclaim can be set off against rent arrears — which can drop the arrears below the Ground 8 threshold — and it weighs against the landlord on the reasonableness test for discretionary grounds.