Landlord L&Q told to pay out to tenants after finding of severe mismanagement – The Guardian

Posted July 27th, 2023 in compensation, housing, landlord & tenant, news, ombudsmen, repairs by sally

‘One of Britain’s biggest social landlords has been ordered to pay tenants more than £140,000 in compensation as a special investigation by the housing ombudsman revealed it was “dismissive” of tenants and found “severe maladministration” including in tackling disrepair and antisocial behaviour.’

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The Guardian, 27th July 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

“Landmark” Social Housing Act receives Royal Assent – Local Government Lawyer

Posted July 26th, 2023 in enforcement, fines, housing, landlord & tenant, local government, news, repairs by sally

‘The Social Housing (Regulation) Act received Royal Assent last week (20 July) with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) claiming that the legislation will “strengthen powers to tackle failing social landlords, and tenants living in unsafe homes will be better supported by the Regulator”.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 25th July 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Housing Ombudsman issues first finding of severe failings around information management – Local Government Lawyer

Posted July 18th, 2023 in compensation, delay, housing, news, ombudsmen, repairs by tracey

‘The Housing Ombudsman has told Livv Housing Group to pay a resident nearly £3,000 in compensation after its delayed repairs and inability to inspect the source of the issue left him in a damp and leaky home for four years.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 18th July 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Ombudsman raps landlord over Equality Act failures, issuing of invalid section 21 notice – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Housing Ombudsman has sharply criticised a landlord for repeatedly failing to have sufficient regard for its obligations under the Equality Act 2010, and told it to review how it issues section 21 notices.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 12th July 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Grenfell Tower and Awaab Ishak tributes as social housing bill passes – BBC News

‘A move to strengthen social housing rules in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire and the death of a toddler from exposure to mould is set to become law.’

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BBC News, 27th June 2023

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Mark Hill KC & Simon Lee: State, Churches and Chancel Repairs – Twenty Years On – UK Constitutional Law Association

Posted June 27th, 2023 in Church of England, ecclesiastical law, human rights, news, repairs by sally

‘Twenty years ago today, on 26 June 2003, each of the five Law Lords in Aston Cantlow v Wallbank [2004] 1 AC 546 gave separate, detailed opinions on a matter at the cusp of public law and private law. Was the Parochial Church Council (PCC) of a beautiful parish church in Warwickshire responsible for the cost of necessary repairs to its fabric, or were the owners of a neighbouring farm subject to chancel repair liability? The church of St John the Baptist, Aston Cantlow, some three miles outside Stratford-upon-Avon, dated from Saxon times. In the first Elizabethan era, it is where William Shakespeare’s parents were married. In the second Elizabethan era, it attracted a judicial inquiry into the very nature of the Church of England.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 26th June 2023

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

Mark Hill KC & Simon Lee: State, Churches and Chancel Repairs – Twenty Years On – UK Constitutional Law Association

Posted June 26th, 2023 in appeals, Church of England, constitutional law, Law Commission, news, repairs by tracey

‘Twenty years ago today, on 26 June 2003, each of the five Law Lords in Aston Cantlow v Wallbank [2004] 1 AC 546 gave separate, detailed opinions on a matter at the cusp of public law and private law. Was the Parochial Church Council (PCC) of a beautiful parish church in Warwickshire responsible for the cost of necessary repairs to its fabric, or were the owners of a neighbouring farm subject to chancel repair liability? The church of St John the Baptist, Aston Cantlow, some three miles outside Stratford-upon-Avon, dated from Saxon times. In the first Elizabethan era, it is where William Shakespeare’s parents were married. In the second Elizabethan era, it attracted a judicial inquiry into the very nature of the Church of England.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association , 26th June 2023

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

Tighter damp and mould regulations set to impact registered providers – Local Government Lawyer

‘Six months after the conclusion of the inquest into the tragic death of Awaab Ishak, Matthew Bown and Amy Cowap outline the various measures set to be implemented to ensure tighter regulation of registered providers of social housing, with a specific focus on damp and mould issues.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 17th May 2023

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Awaab Ishak: Rochdale housing group dismissed residents – report – BBC News

Posted March 28th, 2023 in children, complaints, health & safety, housing, inquests, news, ombudsmen, repairs by sally

‘A housing association criticised over the death of a toddler treated its residents in “dismissive, inappropriate or unsympathetic ways”, a report says.’

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BBC News, 28th March 2023

Source: www.bbc.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

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

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

Highways: expecting the unexpected – Local Government Lawyer

Posted February 20th, 2023 in health & safety, local government, news, repairs, roads by tracey

‘In the second in a series of articles, Jack Harding focuses on lesser-known case law which may assist in defending claims brought against highways authorities for failing to maintain the highway under section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 and its predecessors.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 17th 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

Father of boy killed by mould in flat welcomes law to prevent repeat – The Guardian

‘The father of two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who was killed by mould in a social housing flat, has welcomed a new law to prevent a repeat tragedy, saying: “We are finally starting to feel like we are being treated fairly.”’

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The Guardian, 9th February 2023

Source: www.theguardian.com

Ombudsman’s decisions and housing conditions claims – Nearly Legal

Posted December 15th, 2022 in complaints, damages, health & safety, housing, news, ombudsmen, repairs by tracey

‘Plunkett v Clarion HA. County Court at Central London. Ms Plunkett was an assured tenant of Clarion, on the Eastfields Estate. She began a claim for disrepair and unfitness for human habitation while in temporary accommodation in a hotel. The defects complained of were primarily leaks to the interior of the flat and outside the front door causing interior damp, significant mould growth, leaks from above, non-functioning ventilation to kitchen and bathroom, and infestation of mice, for periods of two to four years. The existing issues and unfitness for human habitation were confirmed in an independent expert report. Clarion had refused to agree a single joint expert.’

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Nearly Legal, 13th December 2022

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Awaab Ishak’s death shed light on a social housing scandal. Now we have a brief chance to fix it – The Guardian

‘A two-year-old died after exposure to mould in his house in Rochdale. We must ensure no other family suffers like this.’

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The Guardian, 23rd November 2022

Source: www.theguardian.com

Building Safety Act 2022: changing the rules on the landlord and tenant relationship – Practical Law: Construction Blog

‘The Building Safety Act 2022 (BSA 2022) creates a whole new world of building safety regulation and litigation. A key legislative objective was to regulate and direct responsibility for the cost of works to remedy building safety issues, so that the risk of such costs could no longer be the subject of agreement between landlord and tenant, but would (in defined circumstances) be apportioned in advance, by law, to the landlord.’

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Practical Law: Construction Blog, 16th November 2022

Source: constructionblog.practicallaw.com

City council secures £59k fine amid “zero tolerance” policy on poorly maintained heritage buildings – Local Government Lawyer

Posted November 14th, 2022 in fines, local government, monuments, news, repairs by tracey

‘Stoke on Trent City Council has warned owners of historic buildings in the city that they will face legal action if they do not maintain their buildings following two successful prosecutions that lead to the courts handing out more than £60,000 in fines.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 14th November 2022

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Tribunal upholds fixed penalties imposed on HMO landlord for property management failures but reduces amount payable – Local Government Lawyer

Posted August 30th, 2022 in houses in multiple occupation, local government, news, penalties, repairs by tracey

‘A landlord has been ordered to pay £23,000 for failing to maintain two Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) after Tendring District Council took action.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 25th August 2022

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk