"We to the place have come, where I have told thee Thou shalt behold the people dolorous Who have foregone the good of intellect." (canto 3) Midway between Christmas and new year, I found myself, fat and indolent, on the sofa, contemplating a...
All the blog posts, most recent first
Suspense surrounds suspended possession orders
Ever since Cardiff City Council v Lee [2016] EWCA Civ 1034 (our note), there has been a ferment and a gnashing of teeth amongst landlords, particularly social landlords, about the best way to deal with the 'new' requirement under CPR 83(2) to make...
AirbnBreach – developments…
Things are hotting up on the Airbnb front. We've noted breach of lease issues here and here. Then there has been the big issue of massive and widespread breaches of the Greater London 'no short letting of whole for more than 90 days per calendar...
Nearly a passage to India
Thanks to Garden Court and Justine Compton for their note of this case. CM v Westminster CC. County Court at Central London. 1 December 2016 This was a s.204 appeal of Westminster CC's decision, upheld on review, that Ms CM had accommodation...
Begging and questions
First the begging - or at least a request - though not on our own behalf. As you all know, the NL team all work on the blog for free. We do it because we all really enjoy reading, writing and thinking about housing law and we’re grateful (and still...
Don’t try this at home
Gibson v Douglas & Anor [2016] EWCA Civ 1266 In which the court of appeal almost but not quite consider the notice requirements for licencees excluded from the Protection from Eviction Act 1977 Mr G had been living at Mrs D's property, which...
Rather too certain to be uncertain
Leeds City Council v Broadley [2016] EWCA Civ 1213 This was Leeds' second appeal of a Valuation Tribunal decision on council tax liability. We covered the first High Court appeal here. Full disclosure, I acted for the intervener in this second...
Housing Law Conference 2016
13 December 2016, Royal College of Surgeons, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2A 3PE The Housing Law Practitioners Association conference - the biggest and, let's be honest, best housing law conference of the year. This conference faces forward to...
Known unknowns – Considering disability in homelessness
Birmingham City Council v Wilson [2016] EWCA Civ 1137 In Pieretti v Enfield LBC [2010] EWCA Civ 1104 (our note) the Court of Appeal held that under (the predecessor to) the Equality Act, in the course of Housing Act 1997 Part VII inquiries, a...
Private sector updates
Section 8 notice prescribed form The Govt has made The Assured Tenancies and Agricultural Occupancies (Forms) (England) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations 2016. The Schedule contains a new 'form 3' - the prescribed form of Section 8 Notice Seeking...
A touch of sanity? Mandatory Pay to Stay gone away.
The Housing minister, Gavin Barwell, has today announced that the Government will not be pursuing the provisions in the Housing And Planning Act 2016 that implemented mandatory 'pay to stay' provisions for local authority tenants. Instead, it will...
PRS enforcement corner
Three items relating to PRS licensing/HMO regulations and property management enforcement, with some added harassment of tenants thrown in. Thanks to Dean Underwood at Cornerstone for news of this Magistrates Court case. London Borough of Waltham...