Tricia Hemans & Daniel Black explore the new online possession procedure & the practical pitfalls awaiting practitioners
- The new online possession pilot introduces a separate procedural framework for eligible social and community landlords in specified areas of England and Wales.
- Practitioners must prepare evidence early and pay close attention to statements of truth, service requirements and deemed receipt of emails.
On 29 September 2026, the Practice Direction: Online Procedure Rules for Possession Proceedings came into force (‘the OPR Practice Direction’).
It is the first practice direction issued further to the newly introduced Online Procedure (Rules and Practice Directions) Rules 2026 (OPR), which came into force on 7 September 2026, aimed at increasing digital justice so that claims can be resolved quickly and cheaply.
Why is it relevant?
The OPR Practice Direction marks a significant paradigm shift in property litigation. It establishes a standalone, digital-first court procedure intended to replace the traditional Civil Procedure Rules (CPR) with a front-loaded, issue-narrowing framework. It currently applies to registered providers of social
