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What is Accelerated possession?
Last verified 31 October 2026
Accelerated possession was a court procedure that let a landlord get a possession order without a hearing, using form N5B. GOV.UK says you cannot usually apply for one now, even with a valid section 21 notice given before 1 May 2026.
Why it matters to landlords
You can only apply if you gave a valid possession notice before 1 May 2026 that was still valid at 11:59pm on 30 April 2026, and either made a court application before the notice expired or before 1 August 2026, whichever was earlier, or served a section 8 rent arrears notice and could not apply because of a breathing space arrangement. In that case you have 8 weeks from the end of the arrangement to issue the claim.
Under the procedure the court sent the tenant a copy and the tenant had 14 days to challenge it. A judge usually issued a possession order without a hearing, and the tenant normally had 14 days to leave, or up to 42 days if that caused exceptional hardship. If they did not leave, the landlord applied for a warrant. For new cases, landlords now use a section 8 notice and a standard possession claim.
Example
Rosa served a section 21 notice in February 2026 and applied to court in June 2026, before 1 August 2026, so her accelerated claim was issued. Had she served notice in July 2026, she would have needed a section 8 ground and a standard possession claim.