Rent Repayment Order and legal costs – Nearly Legal

Posted May 10th, 2021 in costs, documents, housing, landlord & tenant, licensing, news, rent by tracey

‘Leibel v Baird CHI/29UC/HMF/2020/0035 (4 May 2021). This was an application for a rent repayment order in respect of an unlicensed property. Unusually, it also featured a rule 13 costs application by the tenant.’

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Nearly Legal, 9th May 2021

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Judge criticises Priti Patel over policy for asylum seekers in pandemic – The Guardian

‘A high court judge has criticised the British home secretary in court and said he found it “extremely troubling” after one of her officials admitted the Home Office might have acted unlawfully in changing its asylum accommodation policy during the pandemic.’

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The Guardian, 6th May 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

High Court judge says system of city council for accommodating homeless people is unlawful – Local Government Lawyer

Posted April 30th, 2021 in homelessness, housing, local government, news, statutory duty by tracey

‘Birmingham City Council’s system for allocating accommodation to homeless people has been declared unlawful by the High Court.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 29th April 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Grenfell survivors condemn ‘grave injustice’ as leaseholders left facing huge bills to remove cladding – The Independent

Posted April 30th, 2021 in accidents, bills, building law, fire, government departments, housing, leases, loans, news, victims by tracey

‘Survivors and bereaved relatives from the Grenfell Tower fire disaster say they are furious after parliament voted for measures that will leave householders facing huge bills for removing dangerous cladding from homes.’

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The Independent, 29th April 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Grenfell: Government defeated on fire safety costs bill – BBC News

‘The government has been defeated for a fourth time on its Fire Safety Bill as the House of Lords voted to shield residents from fire safety work costs.’

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BBC News, 27th April 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Home Office to resume evicting some asylum seekers ‘with immediate effect’ – The Guardian

Posted April 27th, 2021 in asylum, coronavirus, government departments, homelessness, housing, news by sally

‘The Home Office is starting the process of evicting some asylum seekers from their accommodation “with immediate effect” after a pause of almost a year because of the pandemic, according to internal documents seen by the Guardian.’

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The Guardian, 27th April 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

No overlap between substance and jurisdictional issues – Local Government Lawyer

Posted April 26th, 2021 in contracts, enforcement, housing, jurisdiction, local government, news by tracey

‘Clare Mendelle and James Goldthorpe examine the implications of Ex Novo Limited v MPS Housing Limited [2020] EWHC 3804 (TCC)].’

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Local Government Lawyer, 23rd April 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Kent council fined after mother and son left to live in tent in pandemic – The Guardian

‘A council has been fined after it removed a homeless teenager and his mother from temporary housing during the pandemic, leaving them to sofa surf and live in a tent for two months.’

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The Guardian, 23rd April 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Section 204 appeals – weighing medical evidence and ending ‘relief duty’ – Nearly Legal

‘Perrott v Hackney London Borough Council, 29 January 2021, Central London County Court and Perrott v Hackney London Borough Council, 29 January 2021, Central London County Court. Two linked s.204 appeals arising from Hackney’s finding that Mr Perrot was not vulnerable for the purposes of priority need – upheld on s.202 review – and Hackney’s decision to end the ‘relief duty’ under section 189B Housing Act 1996, also upheld on review.’

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Nearly Legal, 18th April 2021

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Court of Appeal allows appeal by council over £270 confiscation order for unlawful flats conversion when it claimed for more than £455,000 – Local Government Lawyer

‘The London Borough of Barnet has won an appeal after the Crown Court imposed a confiscation order of £270 when the council had contended for more than £455,000.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 19th April 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

About 700,000 renters served with ‘no-fault’ eviction notices since start of pandemic – The Guardian

Posted April 15th, 2021 in coronavirus, housing, landlord & tenant, news, repossession by sally

‘About 700,000 renters are estimated to have been served with “no-fault” eviction notices since the start of the pandemic, despite a government promise to scrap the practice.’

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The Guardian, 15th April 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Rent Repayment Orders and Multiple Offences – 3PB

Posted April 14th, 2021 in chambers articles, housing, landlord & tenant, news by sally

‘The term ‘rogue landlords’ has been around for many years.’

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3PB, 18th March 2021

Source: www.3pb.co.uk

Home Office faces inquiry into use of barracks to house asylum seekers – The Guardian

Posted April 14th, 2021 in asylum, detention, government departments, housing, immigration, inquiries, news by sally

‘MPs and peers from the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) on immigration detention agreed to proceed with the inquiry at a private meeting on 17 March. The cross-party group is due to publish its initial findings before the summer recess and hopes its findings can inform parliamentary discussions about the Home Office’s new plans for asylum seekers.’

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The Guardian, 13th April 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Dozens of asylum seekers moved to Napier Barracks despite warnings of ‘unsuitable’ accommodation – The Independent

Posted April 12th, 2021 in asylum, government departments, housing, immigration, mental health, news by tracey

‘Dozens of asylum seekers have been moved to Napier Barracks despite concerns from health officials and government watchdogs about its suitability and an ongoing court case into the legality of such housing. Charities and lawyers are concerned that vulnerable people are being wrongly placed in the army camp in Kent, after it emerged one man with severe mental health problems was almost moved to the site “in error”.’

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The Independent, 10th April 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Only 39 rogue landlords and agents hit with banning orders – The Guardian

Posted April 6th, 2021 in housing, landlord & tenant, news, penalties by sally

‘Only 39 landlords and agents have received government banning orders since new powers came into force three years ago to remove England’s worst rental property owners.’

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The Guardian, 5th April 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Housing case law update – March 2021 – Local Government Lawyer

‘Paul Lloyd, Helen Gascoigne and Catherine Craven analyse the latest court rulings and Ombudsman investigations of interest to housing associations and local authorities.’

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Local Government Lawyers, 30th March 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Mandatory relief when left in unsuitable temporary accommodation – Nearly Legal

‘Imam, R (On the Application Of) v The London Borough of Croydon (2021) EWHC 739 (Admin). This is the judgment in a judicial review claim seeking a declaration that Croydon was in breach of its statutory duty under section 193(2) of the Housing Act 1996 to provide suitable accommodation, and for mandatory relief, that Croydon provide suitable accommodation, and consider the claimant’s application for band 1 housing priority.’

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Nearly Legal, 28th March 2021

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Judge orders defendant to pay back £90,000 after Right to Buy fraud – Local Government Lawyer

‘A defendant who admitted fraud under the Right to Buy scheme has been ordered to pay back more than £90,000.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 29th March 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Domestic abuse: Women ‘could die in unregulated refuges’ – BBC News

Posted March 26th, 2021 in bills, domestic violence, housing, landlord & tenant, local government, news, women by tracey

‘Domestic abuse support groups have warned that women will be unsafe if unregulated refuges are allowed to continue offering accommodation. One organisation said “women could die” if the practice does not stop. They fear the government’s Domestic Abuse Bill could see private landlords offering rooms for vulnerable women fleeing violence.’

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BBC News, 26th March 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

MPs launch inquiry into Government approach to permitted development rights – Local Government Lawyer

Posted March 25th, 2021 in housing, inquiries, local government, news, planning, select committees by sally

‘The Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee has launched a new inquiry to examine the Government’s approach to permitted development rights (PDR).’

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Local Government Lawyer, 24th March 2021

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk