- Company
- Equita Limited
- Usually chase
- Council tax, business rates and parking charges for councils
- Memberships
- Civil Enforcement Association and Credit Services Association
- Companies House number
- 03168371
On this page
Who are Equita?
Equita Limited is a UK enforcement company that acts for local authorities and other public bodies. Its agents are certificated enforcement agents, the official name for bailiffs. Companies House records show it shares directors with Jacobs Enforcement Limited and ColX Limited, so it appears to be part of the same group, but check Companies House for the current position.
Equita is not the creditor. The debt is owed to the council or organisation that instructed it, and that body can explain how the debt arose.
Which debts do they collect?
Equita’s work for councils includes council tax and business rates after a liability order, and parking and traffic penalty charges. Its Credit Services Association entry lists debt collection, enforcement action and process serving, and utility and council tax debts as types of work.
Are Equita genuine?
Ask the agent for their name, ID and certificate details and check the Certificated Bailiff Register. Equita is a member of the Civil Enforcement Association (CIVEA) and has told the Credit Services Association it is a member. Bogus bailiffs are common, so do not pay anyone who sends an unexpected payment link, and use the details on your letter or Equita’s website.
Worried about what to do?
A free adviser can check the debt, look at your whole budget and deal with Equita for you. Get free debt advice.
What can they charge?
Bailiff fees are set by law in the Taking Control of Goods (Fees) Regulations 2014 as amended, with new amounts from 1 May 2026. There are three stages, and each fixed fee can only be charged once, however many times the agent visits.
| Stage | What it covers | Fixed fee | Extra |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compliance | The notice of enforcement sent by post | £79 | None |
| Enforcement | Visiting to take control of goods | £247 | 7.5% of debt over £1,900 |
| Sale or disposal | Removing and selling goods | £116 | 7.5% of debt over £1,900 |
These amounts apply to cases passed to an agent on or after 1 May 2026. Earlier cases keep the older fees of £75, £235 and £110, with the percentage applying above £1,500. Each fixed fee can only be charged once.
What can they do?
Enforcement agents can take control of goods you own, and if the debt stays unpaid, remove and sell them. They cannot take essentials such as clothes, bedding or a cooker, tools of your trade up to a set value, items that belong to someone else or children’s belongings. For council tax, business rates and parking debts they can only enter peaceably, through an open door or with your permission, so you do not have to let them in. They cannot arrest you.
They may visit between 6am and 9pm. Our guide to Bristow and Sutor bailiffs covers entry, vehicles, clamping and getting goods back in full.
What to do now
- Act at the compliance stage. For cases passed on or after 1 May 2026, you now get at least 14 clear days’ notice before an agent can take control of goods, and creditors can accept a payment plan in that time. Fees rise at each stage, so the earliest contact is the cheapest.
- Check the debt. Ask the council or creditor for details and check discounts, exemptions and your band. Only the creditor can withdraw the case.
- Offer a realistic plan. Base it on an honest budget and get it in writing. A plan you cannot keep can lead to more fees.
- Tell them if you are vulnerable. Illness, disability or a mental health problem should be taken into account. Send evidence.
- Get free advice. A debt adviser can speak to Equita for you, and Breathing Space can pause enforcement for 60 days.
How to complain about Equita
Complain to Equita first, in writing, and keep copies. Complaints about enforcement agents now follow this route: complain to the company first, which should respond within 10 working days. If you are not satisfied, or it has not dealt with your complaint fairly or on time, you can take it to the Enforcement Conduct Board (ECB), whose complaints adjudication service has taken new escalated complaints about agents and firms since 1 January 2025. For council tax and parking debts you can also go to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman in England, or the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales. The trade body CIVEA no longer considers complaints about its members. You can also tell the council that instructed Equita, since it can pause or recall a case.
Equita contact details
Equita LimitedRegistered office: 6 Europa Boulevard, Birkenhead, CH41 4PE
Companies House number: 03168371
Phone: 01604 628 360, as listed by Milton Keynes Council
Website: www.equita.co.uk
Some council notices still show Equita’s older Northampton address. Use the contact details on your letter, as they depend on the council that instructed Equita.
We are not associated with Equita. This information is provided to help people contact their creditors. Contact details change, so check the company’s website before you write or call. Last reviewed 11 November 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Is Equita a debt collector or a bailiff company?
It does both kinds of work. For ordinary debts without a court order, it has no bailiff powers. When it acts as enforcement agents for council tax or court-backed debts, it can take control of goods under the rules.
Can Equita force entry to my home?
Not for council tax, business rates or parking debts. They can only enter through an open door or with your permission.
Can I pay the council instead of Equita?
Once a case has been passed to an agent, the fees are due and you usually need to pay the agent. Ask for an up-to-date figure first.
Can an IVA or a DRO stop them?
Council tax arrears and similar debts can be included in an IVA or debt relief order, which can stop enforcement action on those debts. Ask an adviser.
What if I think I do not owe the money?
Contact the council, not just the agent, with proof such as a tenancy agreement or move-out date. Only the creditor can withdraw a case.