A pilot of a digital possession service for county court possession proceedings is set to launch this month in England and Wales. The service will initially be available to social housing landlords in England and community landlords in Wales.
Claims submitted through the pilot must relate to properties within the areas covered by four initial court centres: Bradford, Caernarfon, Huddersfield, or Wandsworth.
According to Propertymark, social housing landlords will be able to initiate proceedings, upload supporting documents, and pay court fees digitally. Claimants will need to provide relevant documents, such as tenancy agreements, notices, and rent statements if arrears are involved. In Wales, additional documents like the property's EPC, gas safety record, and electrical installation condition report must also be uploaded.
The new service includes a standard timetable, aiming for the first hearing to occur no more than eight weeks after the claim begins, and at least 28 days after the start date. However, Propertymark noted that this timetable applies to the listing of the first hearing and does not guarantee that all possession cases will be resolved within eight weeks.
Courts Minister Sarah Sackman stated that the digitisation process will offer an online route for "making and responding to possession claims," allowing landlords to file documents and receive updates virtually. This new system is intended to replace the current process, which relies on physical documents, thereby reducing the risk of lost paperwork, delays, and mistakes. The first stage of these changes is expected to be rolled out by the end of this year, with a full digital rollout for the private rented sector anticipated next year.