Siddeeq v Alaian. K00BF465 County Court at Mayor's and City of London County Court. HHJ Hellman. 9 August 2024 (unreported). A County Court Circuit Judge appeal from a possession claim at Brentford County Court, on the validity of a section 21 notice due to...
The future beckons…
So, the King's Speech today (17 July) and the legislative programme of the new government. What does it hold for housing? There were few surprises, I suppose, given the Labour manifesto commitments, but we can now be sure that two housing/leasehold related...
Shared Ownership, assured shorthold and long leases. The mess continues.
Sovereign Network Homes v Ms Vanessa East, Claim Number H01W1247 (13 May 2024, Central London County Court). Thanks to Landmark Chambers for their note on this case. This was a county court appeal of a first instance decision to allow an application to...
Goodbye to all that?
So, a 4 July general election it is. Dissolution of Parliament will be on 30 May 2024. If Sunak hasn't already dissolved. Wash-up - pushing through remaining legislation in the course of going through Parliament, has to be completed by 24 May, when...
Housing conditions quantum – another County Court decision
Well, well. You wait four years then three come along at once. Our thanks to Doughty Street Chambers for their note of a County Court judgment on damages for disrepair and unfitness for human habitation. E v The London Borough of Lambeth (Wandsworth County...
Service of prescribed documents – deemed or actual?
This is a note of a county court appeal on the issue of whether Section 7 Interpretation Act 1978 applied to the prescribed documents required to be given to the tenant before service of a section 21 notice - EPC, GSC, How to Rent Guide. This judgment is of...
Reforming Renters (Reform) Bill – ‘pragmatic’ intrusiveness
The row about the apparent govt amendments to the Renters (Reform) Bill goes on, principally about the proposed initial 6 month term in which the tenant could not give notice (although also, obviously, about the unspecified delay in introduction of the ban...
The Lowe down.
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...
News bits – Renters (Reform) Bill ‘reformed’, HHJ Luba KC retirement.
The disappearance of the Renters (Reform) Bill from the parliamentary timetable has been the subject of much speculation, with reports of it being held hostage by Tory backbenchers demanding landlord friendly changes, and the prospect of the Bill being lost....
Unfitness for human habitation quantum – 100% again
Mason v 1) Olivera and 2) Santana, Claim no: K2PP0132 (15th December 2023, County Court at Clerkenwell and Shoreditch) Our grateful thanks to Garden Court Chambers for details of this judgment on a housing conditions counterclaim to a claim for possession....
Landlords behaving badly corner – racial discrimination and harassment
Our thanks to Doughty Street Chambers for their note on this judgment. 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...
The HMO that wasn’t – Rent Repayment Order appeal
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...