Sovereign Housing Association Limited v Hall. Bristol County Court. 10 July 2024 (Unreported. A copy of the judgment is here.) This was a County Court appeal from a first instance decision by a District Judge that the Court did not have jurisdiction under...
“It must have consequences”
Our very grateful thanks to our Wales contributor, Mike Norman of Harrow Law Centre, for the following excellent post on Coastal Housing Group Ltd v Mitchell & Anor (2024) EWHC 2831 (Ch) - a very significant decision indeed for landlords in Wales. (This...
The meaning of unfitness
Our grateful thanks to George Murray of Liverpool Civil Law and Laura Walsh at Satchell Moran for a copy of this judgment. Jillians v Red Kite Community Housing. County Court at Oxford. 24 September 2024 (unreported - the Judgment is here) This is a Circuit...
A very unfit home – Circuit Judge decision on unfitness and damages.
Godagam & Edirisinghe v Hanson. Mayors & City of London County Court. 3 May 2024 (Unreported, copy of judgement is here.) Our grateful thanks to Nick Bano of Garden Court for a copy of the judgment. A county court Circuit Judge judgment on a...
Renters’ Rights Bill – the headlines Part 2
Part 2 of a quick initial look at the Renters' Rights Bill draft, concentrating on what has changed from the late Renters (Reform) Bill that forms its basis. Part 1 of the headlines look is here, and our previous views on the Renters (Reform) Bill - much of...
Grenfell Inquiry Phase 2 report
The Phase 2 (and final) report of the Grenfell Inquiry was published today, Wednesday. You will doubtless have seen the headlines. The Inquiry does not hold back in finding responsibility for what happened on the part of all concerned (save the residents and...
The MP for Ilford South and a teachable moment
In what can only be described as a deeply embarrassing, indeed humiliating turn of events, the new Labour MP for Ilford South, Jas Athwal, has provided a clear lesson in poor practice in the private rented sector. (BBC report here, and Guardian report here.)...
Who knew? Or ought to have known?
Mann v Martin (2024) EW Misc 23 (CC) Standalone section 4 Defective Premises Act 1972 cases are quite unusual. It is more common as an additional/secondary head in a disrepair claim, but this county court case is such a relatively rare beast. Ms Mann is the...
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...
The meaning of maintenance
London Borough of Tower Hamlets v Lessees of Brewster House and Malting House (2024) UKUT 193 (LC) (11 July 2024) This was an appeal to the Upper Tribunal on whether a service charge for major works to remedy structural defects to two blocks of flats was...
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...
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....