Why an enforcement agent may be at your door
If council tax arrears have built up, the council can apply to the magistrates' court for a liability order. Once that order is granted, one of the council's recovery options is to instruct certified enforcement agents (often still called bailiffs) to collect the debt.
According to GOV.UK, enforcement agents must follow the rules set out in the Taking Control of Goods Regulations 2013, which came into force on 6 April 2014. These rules apply regardless of which firm the council has instructed.
What an enforcement agent can and cannot do
Entry to your home
For council tax debts, enforcement agents do not have the right to force entry into a home on a first visit. They can only enter through a door that has been opened to them — this is known as peaceful entry. They cannot push past, climb through windows, or break in.
If they have been peacefully inside the property on a previous visit and taken control of goods, the rules around re-entry change. GOV.UK explains that forced re-entry may then be possible with a court warrant, but only in limited circumstances.
Goods they cannot take
The regulations protect certain items as exempt. These include:
- Items needed for basic domestic needs such as a cooker, fridge and beds
- Goods belonging to other people, including children's belongings
- Tools, books or equipment needed for work, up to a value set in the regulations
- A vehicle displaying a valid Blue Badge
Times they can visit
Enforcement agents can only visit between 6am and 9pm, and not on days that would cause significant disruption to a religious festival the debtor observes.
The fees that apply
Enforcement agent fees are fixed by law. According to GOV.UK, the standard fees for collecting most debts including council tax are:
- Compliance stage: £75 — added when the case is passed to the enforcement agent
- Enforcement stage: £235 — added when they visit the property (plus 7.5% of the debt above £1,500)
- Sale or disposal stage: £110 — added if goods are removed for sale (plus 7.5% of the debt above £1,500)
Vulnerability and the rules
The National Standards on Enforcement, published on GOV.UK, state that enforcement agents must withdraw and refer the case back to the creditor if the only person present is vulnerable. Vulnerability can include serious illness, disability, mental health conditions, recent bereavement, pregnancy, or being a single parent with young children.
If a vulnerable person lives at the property, telling the enforcement agent — ideally in writing to the firm — creates a record that the council and the agent are required to consider.
Practical steps at the door
The information below sets out what the rules permit a person to do when an enforcement agent calls. It is not personal advice.
- The door does not have to be opened. Communication can take place through a closed door, a window, or by phone.
- Asking to see the agent's identification and certificate is permitted — every enforcement agent must be certificated by the County Court.
- Asking for a breakdown of the debt and fees in writing is permitted.
- Anyone who has not already had a Notice of Enforcement can challenge whether the visit is lawful.
- Vehicles parked on the street may be clamped or taken if they are not exempt, so where a car is parked can be relevant.
Options for dealing with the arrears
Once enforcement has started, options are more limited than at the earlier stages, but they still exist. According to GOV.UK these can include:
- Paying the balance in full to stop further fees
- Asking the enforcement firm to agree a controlled goods agreement — a payment arrangement that pauses removal of goods
- Applying to the magistrates' court if there is a dispute about the liability order itself
- Asking the council to take the debt back from the enforcement agents, although the council is not obliged to agree
Council tax arrears can also be addressed alongside other debts through formal solutions such as a Debt Relief Order, an IVA, or bankruptcy — each has its own eligibility rules set out on GOV.UK.