N5B — Accelerated possession claim form

N5B is the court form historically used by landlords in England to start an accelerated possession claim following a valid Section 21 notice. Reference page explaining its post-Renters' Rights Act 2025 status, sourced from GOV.UK and legislation.gov.uk.

What it is: N5B is the county court claim form historically used by landlords in England to start an accelerated possession claim against a tenant of an assured shorthold tenancy, following a valid Section 21 notice. The accelerated procedure decides the claim on the papers, without a hearing, where the paperwork is complete.

Statutory authority: Civil Procedure Rules Part 55 Section II (accelerated possession of property let on an assured shorthold tenancy). N5B is the prescribed claim form published by HM Courts & Tribunals Service.

RRA 2025 status: transitional — The Renters' Rights Act 2025 abolishes Section 21 and the assured shorthold tenancy regime. The accelerated procedure on N5B can only be used where a valid Section 21 notice was served before the relevant commencement date — afterwards, landlords must rely on Section 8 (Form 3A) and the standard N5 claim form instead.

When to use

• Starting a county court possession claim that relies wholly on a Section 21 notice served validly before the Renters' Rights Act 2025 abolition of Section 21.
• Where the deposit was protected and prescribed information served on time, the property has any required licence, and the tenant was served with a valid EPC, gas safety certificate and the How to Rent guide that was in force at the time of service (the HTR guide itself was withdrawn by GOV.UK on 1 May 2026 and has been replaced by the RRA tenancy information sheet — for pre-1-May tenancies the historic HTR service is still the relevant evidence).
• Where the landlord is not also claiming rent arrears as part of the same proceedings — N5B is paper-decided and cannot determine a money claim.

When NOT to use

• On a tenancy that has become periodic under the Renters' Rights Act 2025 conversion — Section 21 is unavailable, so N5B is unavailable.
• Where the landlord wants to recover rent arrears in the same claim — use the standard N5 + Particulars of Claim (N119) route instead.
• Where the deposit was not protected on time, prescribed information was not served, or any required licence was not held — Section 21 will not have been validly served and the N5B claim will fail.
• Where the property is in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.

Common mistakes that invalidate it

• Filing N5B after Section 21 has been abolished for the tenancy — courts will reject or dismiss the claim.
• Filing without the required supporting documents (tenancy agreement, Section 21 notice, deposit protection certificate, prescribed information, EPC, gas safety, How to Rent receipt for the version in force at the time of service).
• Missing the 2-month notice expiry before issuing — N5B can only be filed after the Section 21 notice period has run out.
• Including a money claim for arrears on N5B — the accelerated procedure cannot determine a money claim.
• Using the wrong claim form altogether: standard possession claims use N5 + N119, not N5B.

Procedure

1. Confirm the accelerated route is available — Check that a Section 21 notice was validly served before the Renters' Rights Act 2025 abolished Section 21. New tenancies and tenancies converted to periodic under the Act cannot use N5B and must use Section 8 (Form 3A) instead. (https://www.gov.uk/evicting-tenants) 2. Gather the required documents — Collect the tenancy agreement, the Section 21 notice with proof of service, the deposit protection certificate and Prescribed Information, the EPC, the gas safety certificate, evidence the How to Rent guide that was in force at the time of service was provided, and any required licence. (https://www.gov.uk/evicting-tenants) 3. Complete Form N5B — Fill in the current Form N5B from GOV.UK with the tenancy and notice details. Missing or incorrect information is the most common reason claims fail. (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/make-an-accelerated-claim-for-possession-of-a-property-located-wholly-in-england-form-n5b) 4. File at the county court with the fee — File the completed N5B and supporting documents at the relevant county court hearing centre and pay the issue fee published on GOV.UK. (https://www.gov.uk/court-fees-what-they-are) 5. Wait for the order — Where the paperwork is complete and the tenant does not file a defence, the court can make a possession order on the papers — typically within a few weeks. Where the tenant disputes the claim, the court may list a hearing. (https://www.gov.uk/evicting-tenants)

FAQ

Can I still file an N5B in 2026? Only on tenancies where a Section 21 notice was validly served before the Renters' Rights Act 2025 abolished Section 21. New tenancies and tenancies converted to periodic under the Act cannot use N5B; landlords must use Section 8 (Form 3A) and the standard county court possession route instead.

What documents must I file with N5B? The tenancy agreement, the Section 21 notice with proof of service, the deposit protection certificate and prescribed information, the EPC, the gas safety certificate, evidence the How to Rent guide that was in force at the time of service was provided, and any required licence. Missing documents are the most common reason N5B claims fail.

Can I claim rent arrears on N5B? No. The accelerated procedure decides possession on the papers and cannot determine a money claim. A landlord wanting to recover rent arrears in the same proceedings must use the standard N5 claim form with Particulars of Claim (N119) instead.

How long does an N5B claim take? Where the paperwork is complete and the tenant does not file a defence, the court can make a possession order on the papers — typically within a few weeks of issue. Where the tenant disputes the claim or the court asks for a hearing, timescales lengthen significantly.

Sources: - Civil Procedure Rules Part 55 (justice.gov.uk) — https://www.justice.gov.uk/courts/procedure-rules/civil/rules/part55 - GOV.UK — Evicting tenants in England — https://www.gov.uk/evicting-tenants - GOV.UK — Make an accelerated claim for possession (Form N5B, England) — https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/make-an-accelerated-claim-for-possession-of-a-property-located-wholly-in-england-form-n5b - Renters' Rights Act 2025 (legislation.gov.uk) — https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2025/26/contents - Housing Act 1988, Section 21 (legislation.gov.uk) — https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/50/section/21

Last reviewed: 2026-09-13. Next review: 2027-09-13.