What is a controlled goods agreement?
A controlled goods agreement is a document an enforcement agent (bailiff) asks you to sign after they've 'taken control' of some of your belongings for a debt. It lets you keep and carry on using those items, such as a car or furniture, as long as you stick to an agreed repayment plan. Break the agreement and the bailiff can come back and remove the goods to sell, so it's worth understanding before you sign.
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A controlled goods agreement is a document an enforcement agent (bailiff) asks you to sign after they've 'taken control' of some of your belongings for a debt. It lets you keep and carry on using those items, such as a car or furniture, as long as you stick to an agreed repayment plan. Break the agreement and the bailiff can come back and remove the goods to sell, so it's worth understanding before you sign.
Last reviewed: July 2026 · Written in plain English, checked against gov.uk · Information only, not legal advice
Controlled Goods Agreement: the essentials
- What it isAn agreement to repay while keeping listed goods
- Legal basisTaking Control of Goods Regulations 2013
- Enforcement fee£247 added at this stage (+7.5% over £1,900)
- If you break itThe bailiff can return and remove goods
- Sale fee£116 if goods are removed and sold
What does signing a controlled goods agreement mean?
When a bailiff visits, they can 'take control' of your non-essential belongings to cover the debt. Rather than removing them on the spot, they usually offer a controlled goods agreement. You sign a list of the items, agree not to sell, move, or dispose of them, and commit to a repayment plan, and in return you keep the goods and can carry on using them. The items still legally belong to you, but you no longer have a free hand over them until the debt and fees are paid. Read the list and the payment terms carefully before you sign.
What fees are added at this stage?
Bailiff fees are fixed by law. By the time you're offered a controlled goods agreement, the £79 compliance-stage fee and the £247 enforcement-stage fee will usually have been added (plus 7.5% of any part of the debt over £1,900). If the agreement later breaks down and goods are removed and sold, a further £116 sale-stage fee applies, along with reasonable costs for removal, storage, and auctioneers. Because the fees climb at each stage, keeping to the agreed payments is almost always cheaper than letting it fail.
What happens if I break a controlled goods agreement?
If you miss the agreed payments, the enforcement agent can give you notice and return to remove the goods listed in the agreement. Once goods are under control, a bailiff is allowed to force re-entry to recover them, after giving at least two clear days notice, even though they couldn't force their way in on the first visit for most debts. The goods can then be removed and sold, which triggers the sale-stage fee. If you're struggling to keep up, talk to the enforcement company or a free debt adviser before the agreement fails.
What happens if you ignore it?
If you sign a controlled goods agreement and then don't keep to it, the bailiff can come back, force re-entry after two clear days notice, and take the listed goods away to sell at auction, usually for far less than they're worth, while adding the £116 sale fee and removal costs. Talking to the enforcement company as soon as you know you'll miss a payment, or getting free help from a debt charity, is far better than letting the agreement collapse.
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See what your letter means — freeFrequently asked questions
Do I have to sign a controlled goods agreement?
No, but if you don't, the bailiff may remove your goods there and then. Signing lets you keep and use them while you repay. Just make sure the payments are genuinely affordable.
Can bailiffs force their way in?
Not on a first visit for most debts like council tax or CCJs, where they need peaceful entry. But once goods are under a controlled goods agreement, they can force re-entry to recover them after notice.
What if the payments are unaffordable?
Don't agree to a plan you can't keep. Ask for affordable instalments, and get a free debt adviser to negotiate with the enforcement company for you.
Official sources & free help
For the full detail — and free, independent advice — see: