Thiam v Richmond Housing Partnership (2025) EWHC 933 (KB) This was an appeal of a possession order made by HHJ Luba KC. Ms Thiam was the assured tenant of Richmond Housing. A possession order had been sought on grounds 8 (rent arrears), ground 14 (anti...
Equality Act assessors and disclosure of advice
Laidley v Metropolitan Housing Trust Ltd (2025) EWCA Civ 448 This is a second appeal from the High Court's appeal judgment that we noted here. The issue was the use of and non-disclosure to the parties of an Equality Act assessor's advice to the Judge in...
The Yeovil Imbroglio
Cawley & Cawley v Abdri Group Limited. Yeovil County Court. 5 February 2025. (Copy of Judgment) This is something of a companion piece to the two judgments in Bristol we noted here, being also a judgment on an interim application in a housing conditions...
Bristol fashion – housing conditions claims
I've been passed a couple of judgments in housing conditions claims at Bristol County Court, one a contested allocation decision, the other on an application for a stay. They are both interesting, but also I think illustrative of current issues in the...
Oddities and Ends
Sorry for the silence, while the cases to write up have piled up. It has been a busy stretch in and out of work... More thorough write-ups of some cases will follow, but for now, a few brief notes on cases of interest and oddness. Thanks to Doughty Street...
Section 21 and Gas Safety again, and tools for tenants.
A couple of quick notes. Robert Jones (Trading as DAP Properties & Ors v Oliver Wood. County Court at Brentford. 20 February 2025. My grateful thanks to Peter Sibley of Landmark Chambers for a note of this case. This was a possession claim based on a...
The staggered arrival of Awaab’s Law
In a written statement, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government has announced the timescales for the implementation of Awaab's Law - i.e when the specific regulations will take effect. For social housing, this is: October 2025...
New year clear out
A pile of case notes that I've managed to do in the Betwixtmas/Merrineum, hopefully clearing the decks for the new year. It includes right to buy and the intention to return, FTT jurisdiction on rent increases, a council's unlawful interpretation of an...
Ealing comedy. Getting statutory nuisance very wrong
Ferko v Ealing Magistrates Court & Ors (2024) EWHC 2592 (Admin) This was an appeal by case stated to the High Court from a decision of Ealing Magistrates Court on a statutory nuisance/section 82 Environmental Protection Act 1990 prosecution. It is also a...
Orders for forced entry after injunction
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...
Posthumous Right to Buy
Howe v Brent London Borough Council (2024) EWCA Civ 1444 Just a quick note on this Court of Appeal judgment on whether a family member (B) of a secure tenant with a right to buy their home (A) is able to exercise a shared right to buy if A, whose right is...
Notes in passing. Big issues in Wales, and “Probably one can obtain the like on Amazon”
A couple of quick notes For landlords in Wales, Coastal Housing Group Ltd v Mitchell & Anor (2024) EWHC 2831 (Ch) is potentially a very big deal indeed. We will have a detailed note done before long, but in short, a two Judge High Court held that where...