(Our thanks to Spencer Turner for this guest post) Brent Council v Shah and Others, unreported 29 January 2018 (Crown Ct (Harrow)) The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (‘POCA’) has been successfully used by Brent Council against landlords for breach of licencing...
From the county courts
With grateful thanks as ever to the Legal Action Magazine Housing: Recent Developments section for information on these (and they are not noted till those reports are publicly accessible), a couple of county court cases of interest. Assured Property Service...
Fitness for Human Habitation is go!
The Homes (Fitness for Habitation and Liability for Housing Standards) Bill passed second reading on 19 January, with a unanimous vote. The debate (interrupted by a Ministerial statement) is here and here. Because I can't resist, here are Karen Buck's...
‘How to rent’ Guide updated – important for all PRS landlords and tenants
A quick note to highlight that the MHCLG 'How to rent' booklet was updated on 17 January 2018. Apparently this was just to remove references to the 'London Rental Standard'. However, this is still important. For all new assured shorthold tenancies, the...
Fitness for Habitation – now with Govt support.
I am delighted, and delighted for Karen Buck MP, to be able to say that her Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation and Liability for Housing Standards) Bill now has government support as well as that of the Labour opposition. (Previous posts on the then draft...
Fewer floors for HMOs and minimum room sizes.
The Housing Minister, Alok Sharma, has confirmed that the Government will be going ahead with its proposals to change the conditions for a mandatory license for HMOs to any property with 5 or more occupants in 2 or more households, regardless of the layout...
Cat amongst the pigeons
In an interview in the Independent, Jeremy Corbyn has apparently announced that it will be Labour policy to end 'no fault' private sector evictions: Asked whether abolishing the “no fault” evictions would be part of the next Labour manifesto, he replied:...
Doing the same thing all over again
Walcott v Jones & Jones. Central London County Court, 15 November 2017 (Not on Bailii. A note on Lawtel) A county court appeal, on an issue that quite a few (though mostly not practitioners) have raised with me elsewhere. Does a periodic tenancy count as...
Accelerated but longer
HMCTS have released a new N5B claim form - the claim form for accelerated possession proceedings after service of a section 21 notice. The new form (finally?!) takes into account all of the post 1 October 2015 changes to the validity of a section 21 notice....
Time to contact your MP – Homes Fit For Habitation
As I may have reminded you once or twice already (and no doubt will again), the second reading of Karen Buck MP's Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation and Liability for Housing Standards) Bill is on 19 January 2018. This is a private members bill. It is very...
Universal Credit – here comes the homelessness
[Update 22 November 2018. In the Budget, the Govt has said that: a) the 7 days without any payment after UC claim will be scrapped b) For those with existing HB/LHA claims, there will be a two week overlap of existing HB/LHA payments after the UC claim date...
‘I’m not racist, I just won’t let to them’. Fergus Wilson meets the Equality Act
Fergus Wilson (for it is he) has managed to cap such highlights of a landlording career as being convicted of assaulting his letting agent, and evicting tenants (including single mothers or 'battered wives') because they were on housing benefit or likely to...