Peaceable Re-entry

The physical act of a landlord re-entering commercial premises to forfeit the lease without obtaining a court order. Peaceable re-entry is only lawful for commercial premises: for residential premises, a court order is always required under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977.

In practice

In practice, peaceable re-entry typically involves changing the locks on commercial premises when the tenant is not present. The landlord must not use or threaten violence. It is often carried out at night or on weekends to minimise confrontation. A certificated enforcement agent is frequently instructed to carry out the re-entry on the landlord's behalf.