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Read Full Bio >Contact your lender immediately and get free debt advice. Lenders must treat court action as a last resort, and nearly half of possession orders are suspended. Selling the property is one option of seven, not the first.
Key takeaways
- Repossession is rarer than the fear of it suggests. UK Finance recorded 79,110 homeowner mortgages in arrears in the first quarter of 2026, and 1,250 properties taken into possession in the same quarter — well under 2% of those in arrears.
- Your lender must try everything else first. The Pre-Action Protocol for possession claims based on mortgage arrears, in force since 2008, requires lenders to discuss repayment proposals, respond in writing within 10 days and give 15 working days’ notice before issuing a claim.
- Free, regulated debt advice is available today. StepChange, National Debtline and Citizens Advice are free and independent, and only they can put you into the 60-day Breathing Space scheme.
- A court date is not the end. Judges can adjourn, suspend or dismiss a claim, and a suspended order lets you stay as long as you keep to the agreed payments.
- Selling before repossession usually protects more equity. A lender selling as mortgagee in possession is not trying to maximise your price. Selling yourself — on the market if there is time, or to a cash buyer if there is not — normally leaves you with more.
What are your options if you are facing repossession?
Seven, and they are worth working through roughly in this order. The first four cost you nothing and may mean you keep the house. Only the last three involve selling it.
| Option | What it does | How quickly | Keep the home? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Speak to your lender | Opens a forbearance conversation and pauses escalation | Same day | Yes |
| 2. Free debt advice and Breathing Space | Freezes interest and enforcement on qualifying debts for 60 days | Days | Yes |
| 3. Change the mortgage terms | Lowers the monthly payment via a longer term or interest-only period | 2–6 weeks | Yes |
| 4. Check benefit entitlement (SMI) | A government loan towards mortgage interest, if eligible | Weeks | Yes |
| 5. Go to the hearing and ask for a suspended order | Lets you stay while you repay the arrears over time | At the hearing | Usually |
| 6. Sell on the open market | Achieves the highest price if you have the months to spare | 22–28 weeks | No |
| 7. Sell to a cash buyer | Clears the mortgage before the court date and protects remaining equity | 7–28 days | No |
1. Speak to your lender before you do anything else
Lenders are required by the Financial Conduct Authority to treat customers in arrears fairly and to consider repossession only as a last resort. The Pre-Action Protocol for Possession Claims Based on Mortgage Arrears, in force since November 2008, obliges a lender to discuss your repayment proposals, give written reasons within 10 days if it rejects them, and give 15 working days’ written notice before issuing a possession claim.
None of that protects you if you do not answer the phone. Avoiding contact is the single thing most likely to accelerate a claim, because it removes the lender’s ability to demonstrate it tried alternatives. Ring them, explain the position honestly, and ask what forbearance options they can offer.
2. Get free debt advice — and ask about Breathing Space
Free, independent, FCA-regulated debt advice is available from StepChange, National Debtline and Citizens Advice. MoneyHelper is the government-backed service, and Shelter gives free housing advice including help at court. Never pay a company for something these organisations do for nothing.
A debt adviser can also put you into the Debt Respite Scheme, known as Breathing Space, which gives most people a 60-day legal pause on interest, charges and enforcement action while you get advice. It has one important limit for homeowners: your ongoing mortgage payments are not covered and must still be paid, though the arrears can be included. Only an authorised debt adviser can start it — you cannot apply directly.
3. Ask to change your mortgage terms
If the problem is affordability rather than a one-off gap, the payment itself may be changeable. Lenders can extend the mortgage term, switch you to interest-only for a period, capitalise the arrears into the balance, or agree a temporary reduced payment arrangement. Each lowers the monthly figure; each also costs more over the life of the loan, so ask for the total-cost comparison before agreeing.
4. Check whether you qualify for Support for Mortgage Interest
Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) is a government loan that covers the interest on up to £200,000 of mortgage for people receiving certain benefits, including Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Income Support and income-based JSA or ESA. It is a loan secured on the property and repayable when you sell, not a grant — but it can bridge a genuine gap. Check the current rules and waiting period on GOV.UK, and check your wider entitlement while you are there.
5. Go to the court hearing and ask for a suspended order
Attend. Sellers who do not turn up are far more likely to receive an outright possession order, and the hearing is where the alternatives are actually decided. A judge can adjourn the case, make a suspended possession order that lets you stay as long as you keep to agreed payments, or dismiss the claim entirely if it should not have been brought. Nearly half of all possession orders are suspended rather than enforced.
Take a realistic budget and a written repayment proposal with you. Most county courts have a free duty adviser scheme on the day — Shelter and Citizens Advice can tell you whether yours does, and can help you prepare beforehand. Our guide to how many mortgage payments can be missed before repossession explains where in the process you actually are.
Avoid sale-and-rent-back offers. Selling your home to a firm on the promise of renting it back has been a regulated activity since 2009 and is now effectively defunct, but unregulated versions still circulate. If anyone offers to buy your house and let you stay as a tenant, treat it as a serious warning sign and take free advice from Shelter or Citizens Advice first.
6. Sell on the open market, if you have the time
Selling voluntarily almost always beats being repossessed financially. A lender selling as mortgagee in possession has a duty to obtain a reasonable price, but it is not motivated to hold out for the best one, and its costs — legal fees, insurance, agents — are added to your debt. If there is equity in the property, it is your equity that absorbs those costs.
The catch is time. An open-market sale takes 22 to 28 weeks from listing to completion, and nearly one in four agreed sales collapses before it completes. That is a workable route if you are early in the arrears process and your lender will hold off while a genuine sale progresses — tell them you are marketing it, in writing, because a lender is far more likely to adjourn when a credible sale is under way.
7. Sell to a cash buyer to clear the mortgage before the court date
A direct cash sale completes in 7 to 28 days, which is the one thing the open market cannot offer when a hearing is weeks away. The mortgage and arrears are paid off on completion and any remaining equity is yours. The trade-off is honest and worth stating plainly: you will receive roughly 80% to 85% of market value rather than the full price.
That only makes sense if the alternative is worse — a repossession sale that also comes in below market value, but with the lender’s costs deducted and your credit file marked for six years. If there is little or no equity, or if your lender has already agreed a payment arrangement, options 1 to 5 are the better answer and you should not be selling at all.
Springbok Properties Ltd (company no. 09045757) is regulated by The Property Ombudsman and a member of the National Association of Property Buyers, whose Code of Practice includes specific obligations around vulnerable customers. We charge no fees and cover the legal costs. If you want to understand the route before speaking to anyone, read how much below market value cash buyers offer and cash buyer versus estate agent first, alongside selling a house in 7 days and sell house fast.
Frequently asked questions about facing repossession
Can you stop a repossession once court proceedings have started?
Often, yes. A judge can adjourn the hearing, make a suspended possession order allowing you to stay while you repay the arrears, or dismiss the claim. Attending the hearing with a realistic written repayment proposal materially improves the outcome.
Can you sell your house to stop repossession?
Yes. You can sell at any point before the property is repossessed, and completing the sale clears the mortgage and arrears. Tell your lender in writing that a sale is under way, as lenders will often adjourn proceedings while a credible sale progresses.
Is it better to sell than to be repossessed?
Financially, usually yes. A lender selling in possession adds its legal, insurance and agency costs to your debt, and those come out of your equity. Selling voluntarily also gives you control over the timing and a less severe credit outcome.
What is Breathing Space and does it cover a mortgage?
Breathing Space is a 60-day legal pause on interest, charges and enforcement, started for you by an FCA-regulated debt adviser. Mortgage arrears can be included, but your ongoing monthly mortgage payments are not and must still be made throughout.
How long does the repossession process take in the UK?
Commonly six months to over a year from the first missed payment. Lenders must follow the pre-action protocol, give 15 working days’ notice before issuing a claim, and obtain a court order — and possession orders are frequently suspended rather than enforced.
Written by Dan Green, Property Expert at Springbok Properties. Last updated 2 September 2026. This is general information, not legal or financial advice — arrears data from UK Finance, Q1 2026. If you are struggling, speak to StepChange, National Debtline, Citizens Advice or Shelter, all of whom help free of charge.
