Council takes legal action to stop asylum seekers being sent to Essex airfield – The Guardian

‘An Essex council is seeking an urgent injunction against the Home Office to try to prevent plans to house asylum seekers on an airfield close to a small village.’

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The Guardian, 26th March 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Council wins statutory review over original building and proportionality of additions – Local Government Lawyer

Posted March 23rd, 2023 in housing, local government, news, planning, proportionality by tracey

‘A planning inspector’s decision has been quashed by the High Court in a dispute concerning Green Belt building and the unknown dimensions of a home that stood on the site before the present planning system took effect in 1948.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 23rd March 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Ombudsman issues special report on Catalyst Housing over ‘repeated failures’ indicative of wider service failure – Local Government Lawyer

Posted March 13th, 2023 in complaints, housing, landlord & tenant, maladministration, news, ombudsmen by tracey

‘The Housing Ombudsman has called for significant improvements at Catalyst Housing ahead of its merger with another major social landlord, Peabody, following an investigation that found it “routinely failed to recognise formal complaints” and that aspects of its service were “arbitrary, disjointed and concerning”.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 13th March 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Council told to pay nearly £10k after woman forced to live in unsuitable accommodation for three years – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has found that Croydon Council placed a woman fleeing domestic violence in “unsuitable accommodation” for three years, as well as finding poor complaint handling.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 13th March 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Ex-council tenant given suspended sentence, ordered to pay £10k after failing to inform London borough she had vacated property – Local Government Lawyer

‘A former council tenant who vacated the home to live at a property she had purchased elsewhere but failed to inform the local authority has received a £10,000 fine and suspended prison sentence.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 9th March 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Research Briefing: The end of ‘no fault’ section 21 evictions – House of Commons Library

‘The Queen’s Speech 2022 committed to a Bill in the 2022-23 session to abolish ‘no-fault’ section 21 evictions in the private rented sector. This paper covers developments to date.’

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House of Commons Library, 7th March 2023

Source: commonslibrary.parliament.uk

New judgment: Rakusen v Jepsen and others [2023] UKSC 9 – UKSC Blog

‘This appeal is about Rent Repayment Orders. These are orders that can be made against landlords that have committed certain housing-related offences. They require a landlord to repay an amount of rent paid by a tenant (or pay to a local housing authority an amount of universal credit paid in respect of rent). The question which arises is whether they can only be made against a tenant’s immediate landlord, or whether they can be made against a landlord higher up in a chain of tenancies (e.g. the landlord of the tenant’s immediate landlord) – referred to as a “superior landlord”.’

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UKSC Blog, 1st March 2023

Source: ukscblog.com

Rent Repayment Orders – just the immediate landlord – Nearly Legal

‘The issue for the Supreme Court was whether the wording of section 40 and 41 Housing and Planning Act 2016 meant that a rent repayment order could be made against only a tenant’s immediate landlord, or also against a superior landlord (where the occupying tenant’s landlord themselves had a tenancy of the property) where that landlord had also committed a relevant offence.’

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Nearly Legal, 5th March 2023

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Court bid to protect against ‘ghost landlords’ fails – BBC News

‘A legal bid to protect tenants from so called “ghost landlords” has failed, in a move that could have significant implications for people looking to claim their rent back if they live in bad conditions.’

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BBC News, 2nd March 2023

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Supreme court rules in favour of halting housebuilding in Shrewsbury park – The Guardian

‘Campaigners have won a supreme court appeal to stop houses being built on a park protected by a 100-year-old statutory trust in Shrewsbury, in a landmark ruling for the protection of green spaces.’

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The Guardian, 1st March 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Defendant given 12-month community order and ordered to pay council costs after housing fraud guilty plea – Local Government Lawyer

Posted February 28th, 2023 in community service, fraud, guilty pleas, housing, news, sentencing by sally

‘A 46-year-old nurse has been sentenced to a 12-month community order and told to contribute to Reigate and Banstead Borough Council’s costs after pleading guilty to housing fraud.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 27th February 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Government proposes new professional requirements for social housing managers – Local Government Lawyer

Posted February 28th, 2023 in examinations, health & safety, housing, landlord & tenant, news, standards by sally

‘The Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities announced yesterday (26 February) that social housing managers must gain professional qualifications under new rules to “protect residents and raise standards in the sector”.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 28th February 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Supreme Court to rule next week over rent repayment orders and superior landlord liability – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Supreme Court will next week (1 March) hand down its ruling in a dispute over whether a rent repayment order can only be made against an immediate landlord or whether a superior landlord can also be liable.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 24th February 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Estate agent who failed to comply with selective licensing scheme to pay £35k after council prosecution – Local Government Lawyer

Posted February 22nd, 2023 in estate agents, fines, housing, landlord & tenant, local government, news by tracey

‘An estate agent that failed to license three residential properties subject to a selective licensing scheme has been ordered to pay £35,000 following a successful prosecution by Enfield Council.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 20th February 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Major social landlord to pay more than £2k after disabled resident left without use of toilet – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Housing Ombudsman has found severe maladministration at major social landlord Clarion after repeated drain blockages left a disabled resident unable to use a functioning toilet in their new build home.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 21st February 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Ombudsman makes severe maladministration finding against council after family left “with unsafe and rotting windows” – Local Government Lawyer

Posted February 16th, 2023 in housing, local government, news, ombudsmen, repairs by sally

‘The Housing Ombudsman has found severe maladministration for the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham’s continued repairs failings over 18 months, which left a family in “unsafe conditions”.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 16th February 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Legal victory in UK Japanese knotweed case could lead to more claims – The Guardian

Posted February 15th, 2023 in appeals, damages, housing, local government, news, railways by sally

‘A significant legal victory in a case brought by a householder affected by Japanese knotweed has raised the prospect of an increase in claims from people stricken by the hazardous plant.’

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The Guardian, 14th February 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Tenant jailed for council housing fraud estimated to have cost local authority £200k – Local Government Lawyer

Posted February 14th, 2023 in fraud, guilty pleas, housing, local government, news by sally

‘A tenant who fraudulently obtained council housing in Dudley by lying about the fact she owned a property has been jailed for 32 months.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 13th February 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

New Acts – legislation.gov.uk

Posted February 13th, 2023 in housing, legislation, mortgages, stamp duty, taxation by tracey

2023 c. 2 – Stamp Duty Land Tax (Temporary Relief) Act 2023

Source: www.legislation.gov.uk

Why an exceptional view might constitute a nuisance against your neighbours – Local Government Lawyer

Posted February 13th, 2023 in appeals, housing, injunctions, local government, news, nuisance, privacy, Supreme Court by tracey

‘Anjali Patel looks at the lessons to be learned from the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Tate Modern viewing platform dispute.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 10th February 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk