Reactivation! – Nearly Legal

‘After the mystery of the Rules laid last Friday, we now had the text of Practice Direction 55C, which will come into effect on 23 August 2020 at the end of the Part 55.29 stay of possession proceedings.’

Full Story

Nearly Legal, 21st July 2020

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Mystery directions – Nearly Legal

‘In the evening of Friday 17 July, The Civil Procedure (Amendment No. 4) (Coronavirus) Rules 2020 appeared, having apparently been laid earlier that day. These will come into force on 23 August 2020.’

Full Story

Nearly Legal, 18th July 2020

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Discrimination and ‘No DSS’ – Nearly Legal

‘As we have seen before, Shelter have been supporting discrimination claims under the Equality Act 2010 against letting agents who operate a ‘No DSS’ policy (meaning a refusal to even consider people claiming housing related benefits – who are often employed – as applicants for tenancies. The DSS ceased to exist in 2001, which suggests how longstanding this issue is). These claims all settled out of court. Now a claim has gone to judgment.’

Full Story

Nearly Legal, 14th July 2020

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

‘No DSS’ letting bans ‘ruled unlawful’ by court – BBC News

‘A judge has ruled that blanket bans on renting properties to people on housing benefit are unlawful and discriminatory. The “momentous” court ruling found a single mother-of-two had experienced indirect discrimination when a letting agent refused to rent to her.’

Full Story

BBC News, 14th July 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Getting late legal advice not a ground for set aside of possession order – Nearly Legal

Posted July 13th, 2020 in appeals, housing, landlord & tenant, legal representation, news, repossession by sally

‘This was Mr Sangha’s appeal of a refusal of his application to set aside a possession order against his property by a lender who had a charge on the property against a bridging loan which was not repaid. The back story is somewhat complicated, involving commercial properties, loans and leases, but not relevant to the grounds of the decision, so anyone interested can read the judgment.’

Full Story

Nearly Legal, 12th July 2020

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Ombudsman criticises council for mother of 6 left in bed and breakfast accommodation – Local Government Lawyer

‘A recently housed Haringey mother that had been living in a bed and breakfast since February 2020 was failed by her local council because it did not do enough to prevent her from becoming homeless, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has said.’

Full Story

Local Government Lawyer, 10th July 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Croydon London Borough Council v Kalonga (2020) EWHC 1353 (QB) – Tanfield Chambers

‘A landlord under a fixed-term flexible tenancy did not have any right to determine the tenancy prior to the expiry of the fixed term because the tenancy agreement did not contain a forfeiture clause. The tenancy did not fall within the ambit of s82(1)(b) Housing Act 1985 and the landlord could only seek possession under s107D at the end of the fixed term.’

Full Story

Tanfield Chambers, 30th June 2020

Source: www.tanfieldchambers.co.uk

The Even Longer Arm of PD51Z: An Update – Guildhall Chambers

‘In the conjoined cases, the tenant (TFS Stores Limited) was the same, but the landlord was different. The tenant will be better known to many as The Fragrance Shop, and the cases at first instance focused on whether the leases in the actions were excluded from the 1954 Act protections. According to HHJ Davis-White QC, they were, and possession orders were made in respect of 5 of the 6 premises caught up in proceedings.’

Full Story

Guildhall Chambers, 6th July 2020

Source: www.guildhallchambers.co.uk

Court of Appeal upholds “unparalleled” Housing (Wales) Act 2014 eviction rules – Local Government Lawyer

Posted July 10th, 2020 in appeals, housing, landlord & tenant, licensing, news, notification, repossession, Wales by sally

‘Welsh law means that a landlord who is unlicensed cannot lawfully serve an eviction notice on tenants, the Court of Appeal has found.’

Full Story

Local Government Lawyer, 9th July 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Trecarrell House Ltd v Rouncefield [2020] EWCA Civ 760 – Tanfield Chambers

‘The Court of Appeal held that the failure to serve a gas safety certificate on a tenant before the tenant took up occupation of the demised premises was not fatal to the landlord’s later ability to serve a section 21 notice.’

Full Story

Tanfield Chambers, 30th July 2020

Source: www.tanfieldchambers.co.uk

Coronavirus and property: keep taking the medicine – Falcon Chambers

‘In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic Parliament has been, and continues to be, very active. This note provides a quick update in relation to the latest developments on four fronts: (1) forfeiture; (2) CRAR; (3) insolvency; (4) planning.’

Full Story

Falcon Chambers, 29th June 2020

Source: www.falcon-chambers.com

London Borough of Hackney v Okoro [2020] EWCA Civ 681 – Tanfield Chambers

‘If possession proceedings were initially “brought” under CPR Part 55, and are not caught by one of the exceptions set out in CPR PD 51Z Para.2A, then the automatic stay imposed by the practice direction takes effect.’

Full Story

Tanfield Chambers, 30th June 2020

Source: www.tanfieldchambers.co.uk

Triplerose Limited v Beattie and Beattie [2020] UKUT 180 (LC) – Tanfield Chambers

‘A lease that contains a covenant against use other than as a private dwellinghouse is breached where the tenant opts to let the property out on short term lets through sites such as Airbnb and Booking.com. However, where the tenant still makes regular use of the property as a residence in and around those bookings, the tenant will not be in breach of a separate covenant not to carry on a business from the property (as distinct from a covenant not to use the property for a business).’

Full Story

Tanfield Chambers, 30th June 2020

Source: www.tanfieldchambers.co.uk

Jafari v Tareem Limited [2019] EWHC 3119 (Ch) – Tanfield Chambers

Posted July 8th, 2020 in chambers articles, covenants, damages, landlord & tenant, news, noise by sally

‘The High Court examined the relevance of an offer of compensation to the question of whether a landlord was in breach of the covenant for quiet enjoyment.’

Full Story

Tanfield Chambers, 30th June 2020

Source: www.tanfieldchambers.co.uk

Conflicting Covenants Revisiting Duval v 11-13 Randolph Crescent – St Ives Chambers

Posted July 8th, 2020 in chambers articles, covenants, housing, landlord & tenant, leases, news by sally

‘What happens when a landlord:
a. On the one hand, gives Tenant A a licence to do something which would otherwise be a breach of Tenant A’s lease, but;
b. On the other hand, is under an obligation to Tenant B to enforce the covenants in Tenant 1’s lease?’

Full Story

St Ives Chambers, 6th July 2020

Source: www.stiveschambers.co.uk

Charity appeals for urgent change in law to prevent mass evictions – Local Government Lawyer

Posted July 8th, 2020 in charities, coronavirus, housing, landlord & tenant, news, rent, repossession by sally

‘Housing charity Shelter has called for emergency changes to the Housing Act to prevent large numbers of private renters from being evicted when the ban on evictions ends on 23rd August.’

Full Story

Local Government Lawyer, 7th July 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

We don’t do that in Wales – Nearly Legal

Posted July 8th, 2020 in housing, landlord & tenant, news, notification, repossession, Wales by sally

‘The question for the Court of Appeal on this second appeal was does failing to be licensed under the Housing (Wales) Act 2014 prevent a landlord from serving any notice seeking possession, or just a section 21 notice?’

Full Story

Nearly Legal, 7th July 2020

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Dispensing with section 20 – requirements on landlord – Nearly Legal

Posted July 6th, 2020 in consultations, housing, landlord & tenant, news, service charges, tribunals by sally

‘Where a landlord is looking to do works that would cost residential leaseholders more than £250 each under the service charge, they have to follow the section 20 Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 consultation requirements. If they don’t, then they can only recover £250 from each leaseholder, unless they apply to the First Tier Tribunal for dispensation from s.20.’

Full Story

Nearly Legal, 4th July 2020

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Evidencing a joint tenancy – Nearly Legal

Posted July 6th, 2020 in appeals, housing, landlord & tenant, news, repossession by sally

‘An appeal of judgment in a possession claim where the status of the occupant was in issue. Mr Richens occupied VAHT’s property. The property had been owned by Aylesbury BC, at which time the tenant was Mr R’s grandfather. There had been a stock transfer in 2006. Mr R’s grandfather died in March 2017 and a year later VAHT brought possession proceedings on Ground 7.’

Full Story

Nearly Legal, 5th July 2020

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Adventures in forfeiture – brothels and specifying the breach – Nearly Legal

‘An Upper Tribunal appeal of an FTT decision that the leaseholder, Ms M, was in breach of lease, and specifically a restriction “Not to do or permit or suffer in or upon the Demised Premises or any part thereof any illegal or immoral act or any act or thing which may be or may become a nuisance or annoyance or cause damage to the Lessors or the tenants of the Lessor or the occupiers of any part of the Building.”’

Full Story

Nearly Legal, 1st July 2020

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk