‘Lowe v Governors of Sutton’s Hospital In Charterhouse (2024) EWHC 646 (Ch). A High Court appeal of a first instance county court judgment by HHJ Luba KC, which we noted here. The claim was for deposit penalties for failure to provide the prescribed information in breach of s.213(6) Housing Act 2004. It was dismissed at first instance on the basis that the requirements had been met.’
Nearly Legal, 1st April 2024
Source: nearlylegal.co.uk
‘Mason v 1) Olivera and 2) Santana, Claim no: K2PP0132 (15th December 2023, County Court at Clerkenwell and Shoreditch). We’ve previously seen a county court claim for unfitness for human habitation involve an award of 100% of rent in general damages, on the basis that it was a binary question – either the property was fit for human habitation, or it was not. If not, then it couldn’t be said that the tenant had derived any value from the tenancy. This is a second county court judgment on the issue and the same conclusions appear to be reached.’
Nearly Legal, 24th March 2024
Source: nearlylegal.co.uk
‘Some quick notes on various recent (ish) Upper Tribunal decisions.’
Nearly Legal, 10th March 2024
Source: nearlylegal.co.uk
‘New rules outlined today are designed to simplify a UK tax regime that applies when tenants carry out certain construction works and where payment is made by landlords.’
OUT-LAW.com, 8th March 2024
Source: www.pinsentmasons.com
‘The Local Government Association has called on the Government to work with the social housing sector to set a “realistic and achievable timescale” for implementation of Awaab’s Law.’
Local Government Lawyer, 6th March 2024
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
‘Hickmet and Cheerz Express Limited v Dragos (Luton County Court, 19 January 2024). Ms Dragos was the assured shorthold tenant of Cheerz Express, with the tenancy beginning 1 June 2017. A depot of £1,100 was paid. The tenancy became a statutory periodic on 1 June 2018. A further fixed term tenancy began on 1 August 2018, then another statutory periodic on 1 August 2019. A notice seeking possession on grounds 8, 10 and 11 was served in November 2021, and a possession claim was issued in March 2022. Oddly, this was in the name of Mr Hickmet, who was the sole director of Cheerz Express Ltd, with Cheerz being added to the claim at a later stage. Mr Hickmet maintained up to trial that he had a “tenancy by estoppel”. This might be considered an early indicator that things weren’t going to go well for the landlord…’
Nearly Legal, 3rd March 2024
Source: nearlylegal.co.uk
‘Jo Pickering, Aidan Dickinson, James Mallery-Nelson, Victoria Okafor and Christopher Watkins explore some of the main legislative changes brought in by the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 which are set to impact the local government and property sector(s).’
Local Government Lawyer, 29th March 2024
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
‘Ministers are consulting backbench Tory MPs on watering down planned protections for renters in England.’
BBC News, 28 February 2024
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘Joe Walker and Helen Arthur explain what a remediation order is and look at two recent cases to see how the First-Tier Tribunal has interpreted the framework for these.’
Local Government Lawyer, 16th February 2024
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
‘Willott, R (On the Application Of) v Eastbourne Borough Council (2024) EWHC 113 (Admin). A judicial review of Eastbourne’s allocation policy and of Eastbourne’s decision to exclude Ms Willott from joining the housing register on grounds of “serious anti social behaviour.”’
Nearly Legal, 18th February 2024
Source: nearlylegal.co.uk
‘A social housing tenant is suing his landlord for £1m in damages, alleging that a housing officer illegally sublet his home when he was stranded abroad at the start of the Covid pandemic in 2020.’
The Guardian, 8th February 2024
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘A mother and her two young children were forced to eat their Christmas dinner on the floor after water flooded their flat and they were moved into temporary accommodation. The housing ombudsman has ordered their landlord, Yorkshire Housing, to pay nearly £4000 to the family after it found they were guilty of severe maladministration over the handling of the leak, damp and mould.’
The Independent, 6th February 2024
Source: www.independent.co.uk
‘Barker v Shokar (HOUSING – RENT REPAYMENT ORDER – criteria for identifying a ‘self-contained flat’ – whether building was a house in multiple occupation – adequacy of reasons) (2024) UKUT 17 (LC). This was a landlord’s appeal of a rent repayment order made by the FTT in the sum of £3750. The appeal was on the grounds that the property did not require a licence, and that the FTT did not give sufficient reasons for its calculation of the number of occupants occupying the building as their only or main residence.’
Nearly Legal, 21st January 2024
Source: nearlylegal.co.uk
‘The Housing Ombudsman has criticised Croydon Council after finding severe maladministration in four cases that covered several aspects of the landlord’s responsibilities, including anti-social behaviour, adaptations and mutual exchange.’
Local Government Lawyer, 16th January 2024
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
‘Accommodation used to house tens of thousands of asylum seekers, often the worst in the UK when it comes to damp and mould, will be excluded from a crackdown on landlords managing social housing, the Guardian has learned.’
The Guardian, 15th January 2024
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘As you will doubtless recall, the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023 introduced a new section 10A Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, implying a term into all social tenancies that the landlord will comply with all “prescribed requirements” on responding to relevant defects to be specified in regulations – the framework for “Awaab’s Law”. A breach of section 10A would be actionable by the tenant in the County Court – quite possibly together with section 9A/10 and section 11.’
Nearly Legal, 9th January 2024
Source: nearlylegal.co.uk
‘The Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove, has launched a consultation on the introduction of strict time limits for social housing providers requiring them to take swift action in addressing dangerous hazards such as damp and mould.’
Local Government Lawyer, 9th January 2024
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
‘The Housing Ombudsman has ordered Clarion Housing Association to pay £10,800 in compensation to tenant households after it made four findings of severe maladministration across three cases.’
Local Government Lawyer, 9th January 2024
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
‘Rogue social housing landlords could be forced to repair mouldy homes within 24 hours as part of government proposals after a toddler’s death.’
BBC News, 9th January 2024
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
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