A happy New Year to you all. It is going to be an interesting one on any measure. I've had a few days off, and so, in an attempt to enter 2026 with a clearer conscience and a lot fewer browser tabs open, I've been working on the backlog of cases...
All the blog posts, most recent first
Catching up – housing conditions and illegal evictions
Catching up - housing conditions and illegal evictions Ferko v Kumar & Kumar. Ealing Magistrates Court. 15 July 2025 This was the sentencing hearing in an Environmental Protection Act 1990 prosecution that we previously saw in on appeal in the...
Catching Up – Homelessness and Allocations
A batch of case notes on homelessness and allocations cases. RR, R (on the application of) v The London Borough of Enfield (2025) EWCA Civ 1390 An appeal to the Court of Appeal of the dismissal of RR’s judicial review challenging Enfield’s...
Catching up – leasehold issues
From 27 December 2025, no lease of more than 21 years is capable of being an assured (or assured shorthold) tenancy, as the relevant part of the Renters Rights Act 2025 came into force. This means that the ‘AST trap’ for long leases with a ground...
Tidings (various) and a gift
As we head into some time off (and a chance to rest my RSI) I bring you a couple of tidings, not necessarily of comfort and joy, of things for the new year. And a bit of a gift for Christmas. After Christmas, I'll see about some of the backlog of...
Tenant redress for abuse of possession grounds under the Renters’ Right Act
With the introduction of of the new grounds of possession looming - 1 May 2026 - we are very pleased to bring you as a seasonal gift this guest post by Nick Bano, barrister, and Jamie McGowan, pupil, of Garden Court Chambers, helpfully looking at...
Job ad – London
Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE) Senior Legal Advisor £48k (23 month fixed term contract with possibility of perm) Deadline 17th December 2025 To express interest, please email dlangton@lawabsolute.com Role Outline This is a new role within...
Two smallish rants…
It has been one of those days, where a couple of things caused gnashing of teeth at the state of the world, or at least that (smallish) bit of it that involves the practice of housing law. So, I am going to vent. Apologies in advance. Firstly, I am...
Denial of a right to a fair hearing (and a questionable injunction against a tenant under s.9A LTA 1985)
Batt, R (On the Application Of) v The County Court at Central London (2025) EWHC 3071 (Admin) This was quite a remarkable (and successful) judicial review of a decision of HHJ Gerald to refuse permission to appeal on four grounds from an inunction...
Job ads – City of London/Nationwide
Duncan Lewis Role: Housing Litigation Solicitor-Director-Salary £75,000+ Per Annum – City of London Duncan Lewis Solicitors (Ltd): Regulated by the Solicitor’s Regulation Authority, Duncan Lewis Solicitors was founded in 1998 and is headquartered...
Gas Safety Certificate and section 21 ping-pong
I have a huge backlog of cases to write up, but for various reasons, currently have neither the time nor the energy to do so (gestures at life generally). So I am very grateful to Georgie Rea of Garden Court Chambers for the following note of a...
When can a section 21 end?
No, this is nothing to do with 30 April or 31 July 2026... Paragon Asra Housing v Rainford, County Court at Leicester, 25 October 2025 (copy of Judgment here) This was a County Court appeal of a first instance possession order on the basis of a...