A bailiff has listed your belongings and is pushing a Controlled Goods Agreement across the table. Signing feels like the only option — but it can give them more power later if you cannot keep up. This Day 3 guide explains exactly what it means in 2025 and how to protect your home, car and income.
✍️ Get CGA Help NowIf a bailiff has already been inside your home — or you’ve let them walk around your living room — you may now be facing a Controlled Goods Agreement (CGA). This used to be called a “walking possession agreement”.
You’re probably searching things like “should I sign a controlled goods agreement?”, “do I have to sign a controlled goods agreement?” or “what happens if I don’t sign?”. This guide is written for that moment, using the same core rules that sites like Citizens Advice, National Debtline and StepChange explain, but in plain language focused on your next steps.
We’ll walk through:
If you haven’t already, read Day 2 — Can Bailiffs Force Entry in 2025? — because the question of entry powers and the question of Controlled Goods Agreements are closely linked.
This page gives you the rules and strategy. If you’re already under pressure or have more than one debt problem (for example council tax, energy bill debt and credit cards), it’s usually better to combine this with a free, individual review.
Review My CGA NowThese are the same questions people type into Google when a bailiff is waiting in the hallway. You can read the whole page or jump straight to the part that matches your situation.
We answer real search queries such as “controlled goods agreement council tax”, “virtual controlled goods agreement without entry”, “how long does a controlled goods agreement last” and “can I cancel a controlled goods agreement?” in the sections below.
Get CGA Advice FastA Controlled Goods Agreement (CGA) is a legal document that:
The goods usually stay with you, but legally they are now in the bailiff’s control. As long as you keep to the agreement, they should not remove them. If you break it, they can look at returning to remove the listed items — and sometimes may argue they can re-enter your home to do so.
Yes. Before the rules changed, these were commonly called “walking possession” agreements. Many bailiffs and older online guides still use that phrase. “Controlled Goods Agreement” is the modern name for the same basic idea under the Taking Control of Goods Regulations 2013.
For a normal CGA to be valid, the enforcement agent usually needs lawful or “peaceful” entry — for example, you invite them in or open the door and let them walk in. They should not list goods just by peering through a window or taking a quick look from the doorstep. A CGA made after proper entry is much easier for them to rely on later if payments stop.
Increasingly, some councils and enforcement companies ask people to agree to a virtual controlled goods agreement or non-entry controlled goods agreement over the phone, by text link or in writing. In practice this is still a CGA, but instead of the bailiff standing in your living room, they’re agreeing a list and payment plan remotely.
A virtual CGA can feel less intimidating, but it still:
You’re most likely to see a CGA with:
If your immediate concern is council tax, pair this page with our Council Tax Arrears 2025 guide, and Day 2: Can Bailiffs Force Entry?
Explain My CGA LetterThe honest answer is: it depends on your income, other debts, what goods have been listed and how serious the bailiff’s powers are for that particular debt. There is no one-size-fits-all rule.
In some situations a CGA can:
But signing without advice can:
Remember: the bailiff’s job is to secure payment, not to design a sustainable budget for your whole life. That’s why you should always cross-check any CGA payment with a proper income-and-expenditure review and consider your wider debt options.
Before you sign any controlled goods agreement (including a virtual CGA sent by text or email), ask yourself:
Be extremely cautious about signing on the spot if:
In those cases, it’s usually better to step back, tell the bailiff you need time to get advice, and contact a specialist rather than scribbling a signature you might regret.
Check If I Should SignMany people think not signing a CGA means the bailiff will immediately come back with a van and smash the door down. It’s not that simple — and what happens next will depend on the debt and what the bailiff has already done.
If they have had peaceful entry (for example, you invited them in) they may still be able to:
Not signing may make it harder for them to claim the same level of return-entry powers that come with a fully signed Controlled Goods Agreement — but it does not magically make the debt go away.
If they’ve never gained peaceful entry, you are usually in a stronger position. That’s why our Day 2 guide Can Bailiffs Force Entry? and this Day 3 guide work together. Keeping the door closed and locked and speaking through a window or letterbox can completely change how far enforcement goes.
Some people are now asked to agree a non-entry controlled goods agreement over the phone or online. You can say no to this if it is unaffordable or unclear. In practice the creditor may still push for payment or a visit, but you are not legally obliged to accept any repayment they suggest on the spot.
Not always. If a bailiff already has lawful entry and you have valuable goods, refusing to sign and refusing to pay can lead to quicker removal of goods. The key is to:
The best answer for you depends on your full debt picture, not just this one bailiff. That’s where we come in.
Discuss Not Signing“Breaking” a CGA usually means you miss payments, pay late, or don’t stick to conditions (for example, moving or selling listed goods without permission).
Depending on the debt and enforcement company, this can lead to:
Life happens. If your hours are cut at work, benefits change or your rent goes up, a CGA that felt just about possible can suddenly become impossible. In that case, your best move is to:
Enforcement based on an old notice is not open-ended. There are time limits on how long bailiffs can actively pursue a case, and some formal solutions, like a Debt Relief Order (DRO), may treat a debt with an existing CGA as effectively “secured” for the purposes of that specific order. This is why it’s vital to get advice that covers all your debts together rather than just firefighting one payment at a time.
Our guide on Bailiff Fees 2025 shows how quickly costs can rise once enforcement is underway. Acting early is almost always cheaper and less stressful than waiting until goods are on the driveway.
Fix My Broken CGABailiffs love vehicles because they are valuable and movable. A Controlled Goods Agreement can sometimes list your car, van or work vehicle as controlled goods, especially if:
Some vehicles may be partially protected if they are:
The rules are complicated and bailiffs don’t always get them right. If your vehicle is crucial for work or disability, you should get specialist advice and mention this clearly in any complaint or negotiation.
Agreeing to list a vehicle on a CGA can sometimes prevent an immediate tow-truck visit, but it also puts the car directly on the line if you break the agreement. Before you agree to that, explore whether:
For a wider view of vehicle issues, see Day 2’s section Can Bailiffs Take My Car?.
Protect My VehicleA Controlled Goods Agreement is just one piece of a much bigger puzzle. If bailiffs are at your door, you almost certainly have other debts too: credit cards, loans, catalogues, overdrafts, maybe energy bill debt or rent arrears.
A Debt Management Plan is an informal arrangement where you make one monthly payment, which is shared between non-priority creditors. It can:
An IVA is a more formal, legally binding agreement which can:
A Debt Relief Order is designed for people on low income, with low assets and debts under a certain limit. For the right person it can wipe qualifying debts completely after a set period — but you have to meet strict criteria.
Our comparison guide Compare IVA vs DMP vs Bankruptcy and our Debt Help UK 2025 page explain these routes in more detail. The key is to see the CGA as one moving part in a bigger long-term plan, not the plan itself.
Plan My Best OptionIf a bailiff is currently in your home, pen in hand, here are calm, practical steps to protect yourself:
Then, step away from the pressure at the kitchen table and talk to someone whose only job is to protect you, not to collect the debt. That might be us, or another free debt advice organisation — the important thing is that you don’t feel forced into a decision you don’t understand.
If you or someone in your home is classed as vulnerable (for example because of disability, serious illness, recent bereavement, pregnancy or mental health issues), extra rules should apply to how bailiffs deal with you. Make this clear in writing wherever possible and ask for enforcement to be paused while your situation is reviewed.
For more on handling live visits, combine this page with Day 2: Emergency Steps if a Bailiff Is at Your Door.
Urgent CGA CallbackYou can’t just “tear it up”, but you can contact the enforcement company and creditor to explain why it’s unaffordable and ask to renegotiate. At the same time, speak to a debt adviser to see if a DMP, IVA or DRO would be better. Acting early gives you more options than waiting until the bailiff is back with a van.
A CGA usually lasts until the debt (plus bailiff fees) is cleared, the agreement is replaced with another plan, or the creditor decides to try a different type of enforcement. There are time limits on how long enforcement can continue from the original notice, which a specialist can explain based on your paperwork.
No. Certain items are usually exempt, such as basic clothing, bedding, essential domestic appliances and items needed for work up to a value limit. They should be focusing on non-essential, saleable items. If you think they’ve listed exempt items, you can challenge this.
The CGA itself doesn’t appear on your credit file, but the debt behind it might already be showing as missed payments, default or even a County Court Judgment (CCJ). Sorting the underlying debts is what really improves your credit over time, not the agreement on its own.
Yes, some councils and enforcement companies now offer virtual or non-entry controlled goods agreements agreed by phone or online. The effect is similar — you commit to a payment plan and list of goods — so you should only agree if it’s affordable and you understand the consequences of missing payments.
A debt specialist can go through the agreement line by line, check whether the goods listed and payments are reasonable for your situation, and explain your options in plain English. That might include formal solutions with our partners, or signposting you to free, regulated advice if that’s more suitable.
Working through two or three of these guides together gives you a joined-up plan for bailiffs, CGAs, CCJs and long-term debt solutions — not just quick-fire answers to one scary letter.
Build My Action PlanMost people who contact us about controlled goods agreements are anxious, embarrassed and worried about losing everything. Reading how others in the same position got help can make it easier to take the first step.
Start My Fresh Start