What is CRAR?
Commercial Rent Arrears Recovery (CRAR) replaced the ancient remedy of distress for rent on 6 April 2014. It gives a landlord of commercial premises a statutory right to instruct certificated enforcement agents to take control of a tenant's goods and sell them to recover unpaid rent, with no court order required.
Authority: Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007, s.72 & Schedule 12 · Taking Control of Goods Regulations 2013 · Taking Control of Goods (Fees) Regulations 2014.
In practice, the procedure rarely reaches a sale of goods. The arrival of a statutory Notice of Enforcement settles most arrears quickly, and agents attend the premises where it does not. Funds we recover are remitted to you within 24 hours.
When can CRAR be used?
- ✓The premises are purely commercial, with no residential element.
- ✓There is a written lease in place (or the tenant is holding over under one).
- ✓At least seven days' rent is outstanding, both when notice is served and when control is taken.
- ✓The arrears are principal rent (plus VAT and interest). Service charges and insurance can be pursued through our other recovery routes.
For a fuller explanation of the conditions, what counts as rent, and which goods can be taken, read our guide: what is CRAR?
If any of these don't fit your situation, for example a residential flat above the unit, don't write off recovery. Forfeiture, High Court enforcement or negotiated recovery may apply, and we will tell you plainly which route is right.
The procedure, step by step
- Instruction & authorisation (day 0). You complete our warrant of control authorisation, online or over the phone. We verify the lease and the arrears the same day.
- Notice of Enforcement (14 clear days). A statutory notice is served on the tenant. From this moment the tenant is also liable for enforcement fees, which is a strong incentive to settle at once.
- Taking control of goods (day 17 at the earliest). Certificated agents attend the premises, take control of goods to the value of the debt, and in most cases agree immediate payment or a controlled goods agreement. The notice period is fourteen clear days and Sundays, bank holidays, Good Friday and Christmas Day are not counted, so the earliest lawful attendance is day 17 and often later. We calculate the exact date on your file and never attend before it.
- Recovery & remittance (within 24 hours). Cleared funds are transferred to you. If goods must be sold, they are removed and sold at public auction with the proceeds applied to your arrears.
The statutory fee scale
Enforcement fees are fixed by regulation, not by us, and apply at each stage actually reached:
| Stage | What happens | Statutory fee |
|---|---|---|
| Compliance | Notice of Enforcement served; fourteen clear days to pay | £79 |
| Enforcement | Agents attend and take control of goods | £247 + 7.5% of debt over £1,900 |
| Sale | Goods removed and sold at auction | £116 + 7.5% of debt over £1,900 |
Fee scale: Taking Control of Goods (Fees) Regulations 2014, Schedule 1, Table 1, as substituted on 1 May 2026 by the Taking Control of Goods (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2026. Figures shown are the statutory amounts; VAT and disbursements may apply where the regulations allow. Our guide to enforcement fees explains every stage in full and will work out the exact figure on your arrears.
Why landlords and agents instruct us
Our directors have spent more than 25 years in enforcement. We act for institutional landlords, managing agents, surveyors and solicitors, including names such as Savills, FHP and Cooke & Arkwright, because we serve correctly, attend promptly and account for every penny recovered. Discretion is standard: the objective is your rent, recovered with the tenancy relationship intact wherever possible.