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Going to court to resolve a leasehold dispute

Starting a County Court claim

In this guide

Make sure you’ve followed the steps you need to take before starting your claim.

There are different ways to start a County Court claim, depending on what it’s about.

You’ll need to pay the court fee when you start your claim.

Recovering money

If youre claiming for money and you know the exact amount you’re claiming for, you can claim online.

To start a County Court case for money you are owed, use the GOV.UK service: Make a court claim for money.

You can claim by post if you cannot claim online.

Other types of dispute

You’ll need to apply by post if:

  • you do not know the exact amount of money you want to claim
  • you’re claiming for something other than money (for example, to force your landlord to do repairs, or to enforce the terms of your lease)

To make the claim use Form N1.

Read the guidance notes for information on how to complete the form and what to include with your claim.

The detailed rules are in Part 16 of the Civil Procedure Rules.

Applying for a court decision

There’s a separate process if you’re applying for a court decision or order, rather than resolving a dispute. This includes claims for things like:

  • an order allowing you to buy the freehold or extend your lease if your landlord is missing (vesting order)
  • a court declaration to determine a legal question about your lease
  • a court decision on whether you qualify for a legal right

To make the claim use Form N208.

The detailed rules for these claims are in Part 8 of the Civil Procedure Rules.

Forfeiture

Forfeiture is when a landlord asks a court to legally end your lease. To stop or reverse the forfeiture of a lease, you must apply to the court for “relief from forfeiture”.

If the landlord has started a court case to take back your property, apply using Form 244.

To start a new case to get back a property after forfeiture, use Form N5A.

More information

Advice Now has more information about how to start a small claim or fast track claim without a solicitor.

The detailed rules for starting a claim are in the Civil Procedure Rules – see Practice Direction 2C: starting proceedings in the County Court.

Last updated:
21 September 2026
Next review:
21 September 2028

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