Cassell & Cassell v Sidhu & Sidhu. HHJ Clarke. County Court at Reading. 9 October 2025 (Copy of Judgment) I had hoped that we could see out the dying days of section 21 notices in relative tranquility, without legal controversy or kerfuffle, (the...
*Actually, there needn’t (necessarily) be consequences
(We are, as ever, hugely grateful to Mike Norman of Harrow Law Centre for his excellent updates on housing law in Wales. Here is Mike's report on the fascinating denouement of the 'Costal Housing Group' litigation on the effect of not serving EICRs under...
Unsuitability and a mandatory order
Hammad, R (on the application of) v Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea (2025) EWHC 2425 (Admin) This was a judicial review of RBKC's failure to provide suitable accommodation under s.193 Housing Act 1996 to Mr H and his household. By the time of the...
Wrong company
Global 100 Ltd v Ross & Ors (HOUSING - Rent Repayment Order - para. 2 Sch 14 Housing Act 2004 - s.263(3)(b) Housing Act 2004 - HMO - "person managing" - "arrangement" - "by virtue of which") (2025) UKUT 264 (LC) This was Global 100's appeal of a rent...
Suitability and housing needs assessments again
Fatolahzadeh v London Borough of Barnet (Rev1) (2025) EWCA Civ 1174 A further Court of Appeal decision on whether an alleged failure to carry out a housing needs assessment under s.189A Housing Act 1996 of a homeless applicant invalidates subsequent...
The importance of being adequate – Housing Needs Assessments
AN, R (On the Application Of) v London Borough of Barking and Dagenham (2025) EWHC 2265 (Admin) This was a judicial review of i) Barking's alleged failure to produce a lawful Housing Needs Assessment (HNA) as required by section 18(A Housing Act 1996, and...
Lifts, policies and discrimination – too academic to proceed.
Sims, R (On the Application Of) v The London Borough of Hackney (Rev1) (2025) EWHC 2271 (Admin) This was a renewed permission hearing on an application for judicial review. Mr Sims is the secure tenant of Hackney, in a flat on the second floor of a block,...
Homelessness and Social Housing (Wales) Bill – part two – Behind the Headlines
(As ever, we are very grateful to Mike Norman of Harrow Law Centre for his updates on housing law in Wales. This is the second of two posts by Mike on the huge changes in homelessness law set out in the Homelessness and Social Housing (Wales) Bill, including...
And I still haven’t found what I’m looking for – changing deposit schemes
Ameera Macintyre v Cowdray Trust Limited and Rathbones Trust Company Limited (2025) EWCC 54 A County Court appeal to a Circuit Judge from a first instance decision on a possession claim based on a section 21 notice (after previous s.21 proceedings were...
Tales from the Housing Conditions Wars. Part 2
The second of a series of reports on County Court judgements in housing conditions claims - on what might be called procedural and costs wars. The first, focused on expert evidence and the pre-action protocol, is here. Carter v Leeds City Council. County...
Step children and succession
Haneen Abdelrahman v The Mayor and Burgesses of the London Borough of Islington (2025) EWCA Civ 1038 Islington Council tenancies had a discretionary succession policy on the death of the tenant, which included a 'stepchild' as someone who could succeed to...
Tales from the Housing Conditions wars. Part 1
Lancastle v Curo Group (Albion) Limited (2025) EWCC 48 This is a judgment on application in two joined cases, Lancastle v Curo Group and Bailey & Bennet v Curo Places. In each, the defendant landlord had applied variously for the claims to be struck out...