London Borough of Islington v Dyer [2017] EWCA Civ 150 Termination of an introductory tenancy requires a notice under s.128 Housing Act 1996. S.128(7) states The notice shall also inform the tenant that if he needs help or advice about the notice,...
All the blog posts, most recent first
Succession, partners and bright line rules
Turley v London Borough of Wandsworth & Anor [2017] EWCA Civ 189 Did the pre Localism Act 2011 succession rules for a secure tenancy amount to a breach of article 8 and 14 (private life and non-discrimination), and if so, should a declaration...
Just too much effort… Barnet and homeless applications
The Local Government Ombudsman has issued a quite withering decision on a complaint about Barnet Council's failure to make a formal decision on repeated homeless applications by a homeless woman. The woman became homeless in January 2015 after...
RTB and Airbnb in Southwark
Yes, the backlog of case reports is growing, but I've only time for a quick note on an interesting development in Southwark. According to this report, Southwark council have decided that their Right To Buy leases contain covenants that would...
Floating rights
Jones v Canal & River Trust [2017] EWCA Civ 135 This was an appeal against an order that Canal and River Trust could remove Mr Jones boat from a canal near Bradford on Avon, under its powers under s.8 of the British Waterways Act 1983 and s.13...
BPP, fee charging McKenzie friends, and errors of judgment
I have a lot to finish writing up by way of case law - a post underway on narrowboats, the Canal & River Authority and Article 8, and two new court of appeal cases popped up today on Introductory tenancy notices and not occupying as principle...
Andy Gale, misuse and me. FAO housing options officers
[Update 20/03/17 - Locata have come back to me again and are changing the relevant wording in the toolkit. The issue is resolved.] I didn't want to have to write this, but sadly I have to, to protect my and our own position here on NL. Because Andy...
Discretionary Housing Payments and long term awards
R (on the application of Halvai) v Hammersmith and Fulham LBC (2017) QBD (Admin) (Sara Cockerill QC) 09/03/2017 (Only on lawtel as an extempore judgment, as far as I can see) (Copy of the full judgment now here) This was a judicial review of...
World enough and time – suitability, distance and time
Barakate v LB Brent. County Court at Central London. 16 October 2016 (copy of judgment) A section 204 Housing Act 1996 appeal of the suitability of LB Brent's offer of private sector accommodation to Mr B of a property in Birmingham. Mr B, his wife...
Erratum – s.21 flowchart
I am surprised it had not happened sooner, because there had to be some, but today someone spotted an error in the section 21 notice flowchart - specifically in the end-note about s.21(4)(a) notices for tenancies that were periodic from the outset....
More on housing costs for those under 22.
Following on from my rantlette on Saturday, some further light (and indeed fog) has been shed on the Govt proposals to remove the housing costs element of universal credit from those under 22 and how it is envisaged to work. John Healey MP, Shadow...
Doing the same thing twice, expecting different results.
After some noises in the press that a reconsideration was underway, the government, via the DWP, has decided that it is going to go ahead with removing housing benefit (or rather 'housing costs element' of Universal Credit) from anyone under the...