Do Bailiffs Work on the Weekends? When Can They Visit?

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Unsure about when a bailiff can visit and whether your weekends are safe from their knock? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Each month, over 12,000 people visit this site looking for guidance on topics just like this one.

In this brief guide, we’ll help you understand:

What a bailiff is and how they work
Whether you need to pay them directly
When and how often they can visit, including on weekends
How to deal with them if you can’t afford to pay
Ways you can lower your repayments and stop bailiffs

We understand your concerns because we’ve been in your shoes. Our team is here to share our knowledge and experience, to help you navigate your way through dealing with bailiffs.

Let’s get started!

What is a bailiff?

An enforcement agent, commonly known as a bailiff, is a professional who is given authority by the court to collect debts that haven’t been paid after a court order to pay.

They can collect money, or they can seize debtor possessions to then sell them at an auction and use the funds to pay off the debt. They charge fees for this service, which get added to the total debt.

Enforcement agents don’t have an automatic right to come to your home and collect a debt. They are only given this right when in possession of an order or warrant from the courts.

There are even bailiffs that work for the County Court, and High Court Enforcement Officers that work for the High Court to collect debts worth at least £500.

Do you have to pay?

There are ways to have debt written off in the UK.

If you genuinely can’t afford your debt repayments then looking into whether you could have your payments lowered or written off might be just what you need.

If you want to find out whether you qualify for having debt written off or payments lowered then fill out the short form below.

Bailiffs vs debt collection agents

Before I go on to discuss if bailiffs work weekends and the times they can visit, I need to bust a big misunderstanding. And that is…

Debt collectors are NOT bailiffs!

Companies chasing debts will often outsource the debt collection process to debt collection agencies, such as Global Debt Recovery or Lowell Debt Collection.

These businesses have no more rights than the original company wanting to collect the debt. They can only ask you to pay, and threaten legal action when it’s a genuine possibility.

They cannot claim to be able to take your goods and shouldn’t be coming onto your property without your permission.

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How do bailiffs collect a debt?

Bailiffs must follow a strict process when collecting a debt. They must first contact you in writing to let you know they want you to pay, otherwise, they will visit you at home.

This letter is called a Notice of Enforcement and must be sent at least seven days before they visit, giving you enough time to pay and avoid them coming to your door. A fee of £75 is added at this early stage.

If you don’t pay, the bailiffs can then visit you at home multiple times to try and get you to pay in full or agree on a payment plan where your possessions are used as security, known as a Controlled Goods Agreement.

Or the bailiff could choose to take your possessions and sell them to clear the debt. Multiple large fees can be added in the process if goods are taken, stored and sold at an auction.

Can you lower your repayments?

If you’re struggling to pay back your debt, then you might qualify for a debt solution.

Some solutions lower your monthly payments while others write off a portion of your debt.

To find out whether they could work in your situation, hit the button below.

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What times can bailiffs visit you?

Bailiffs can usually only come to your home between 6am and 9pm. There can be exceptions to this rule in limited cases.

Bailiffs usually try to come to your home really early in the morning to try and catch you at home before you leave the house, possibly to go to work. There are multiple bailiff TV programmes that back this up, which you may have seen on Channel 4 or even Netflix.

Do bailiffs work weekends?

The quick answer is yes, bailiffs might work weekends and try to visit you on a weekend.

This is something many people have experienced, just like this forum user posting for a friend:

Source: https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5841641/bailiff-coming-back-this-weekend

But there is more to it than this. There are times when bailiffs cannot come knocking on a weekend. I’ll be explaining this further in the sections below…

Can a bailiff visit on Saturday?

In the majority of cases, if a bailiff is working on a weekend they will typically visit you on a Saturday.

There are no restrictions stopping bailiffs from visiting most debtors on a Saturday. But they cannot come on Christmas Day if Christmas happens to fall on a Saturday.

The weekend can be a good time for bailiffs to come to your home because there is a greater chance that they will be able to speak with you, especially if you work during the week.

Can bailiffs visit on a Sunday?

In most cases, bailiffs cannot come to your property on a Sunday. They also have to be aware of religious and cultural festivals, which also stop them from calling.

This is why they shouldn’t attend your home on Christmas, and it’s also why they shouldn’t come to your home on Good Friday as well.

But again, there can be limited cases where the bailiff is given permission by the court to attend on a Sunday. So the situation can be different to some debtors.

Do debt collectors work weekends?

Many debt collection agencies work weekends by employing staff to call debtors or even visit debtors at home.

But remember, a debt collection field worker is not a bailiff and has no right to try and enter your home or take your goods.

You can simply ask these field agents to leave your property, and if they don’t, you could report them to the police for trespassing and complain to the Financial Ombudsman for harassment.

How many times can a bailiff visit in a week?

Bailiffs must leave seven days between each visit, so they can only visit you once per week. Additionally, a bailiff can only visit you three times in total.

But don’t assume that ignoring a bailiff three times is a good way to deal with your debt problem. Bailiffs charge eye-watering fees every time they visit your home, so your debt will keep increasing the more visits you receive.

How long will a bailiff wait outside?

Bailiffs will usually wait outside for up to an hour, possibly to wait for you to leave the property to try and speak to you, or to wait for you to return.

If you’re refusing them entry, they will usually get the message and leave for another job. But they might hang around if they are waiting to see if you own a vehicle on the street that they could seize.

Can you stop bailiffs?

You can stop bailiffs coming to your home by:

Paying off the debt or agreeing on a payment plan within the first seven days of receiving a Notice of Enforcement letter.

Telling the bailiff you’re a vulnerable person who cannot be visited. There are certain populations that cannot be visited by bailiffs, but this doesn’t stop you from owing the debt as per the original court order.

Get help dealing with bailiffs and debt

Citizens Advice is a fantastic resource for people dealing with bailiffs, especially if you think you’re a vulnerable person who shouldn’t be getting a visit from any bailiff right now.

I also have my How to Get Out of Debt guide which can help you deal with existing debts and avoid having to deal with bailiffs again!