Nearly Legal
Housing Law News and Comment
Nearly Legal is a specialist housing law website for England (and occasionally Wales), run by solicitors and barristers practising in the field.
The site provides information, updates and discussion on housing and landlord & tenant law. Issues covered include homelessness, possession and forfeiture, unlawful eviction, disrepair and housing fitness, regulation and licensing, service and major works charges, right to manage and anything else that interests us. Contents include frequent case reports, updates on statute law, guides and key documents.
It is all free, but it is just our opinions, not legal advice. Please do not ask for advice on individual matters
Latest Posts
Unfurnished temporary accommodation – is it suitable?
Escott, R (On the application of) v Chichester District Council (2020) EWHC 1687 (Admin) A judicial review where the relevant parts played out in the early stages of the pandemic lockdown, and where the central question was whether self contained...
News bits – homelessness policies
A couple of news items, both relating to homelessness policies. First, following a judicial review challenge, LB Lambeth has agreed to end its ‘Temp2Settled’ Scheme. Under this scheme, since 2014, homeless applicants were promised higher priority...
I want it all.
Vadamalayan v Stewart and others (2020) UKUT 0183 (LC) The Upper Tribunal (Land Chamber) changes the ground rules on rent repayment orders... Ms Stewart and others were tenants of Mr V. The property was an unlicensed HMO and the tenants had applied...
The Electrical Safety Dance
On 1 June 2020, we noted here that The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 had a bit of a quirk. The regulations applied to all ‘new specified tenancies’ from 1 July 2020. But a ‘new specified...
Key Resources and information
Section 21 Notice validity flowchart – downloadable flowchart for checking whether Section 21 notices are validly served and effective.
How to Rent Guide Archive – What version of the Guide was current when? MHCLG don’t provide this information. We have dates and downloads for all versions.
Relationship Breakdown and Tenancies FAQ – An outline of the issues and options.
Bedroom Tax First Tier Tribunal – FTT Decisions archive. Upper Tribunal decisions can be found here.
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All the bits that don’t make it to the blog.
Poplar Housing not a public body for disclosure under environmental regs.
ⓝⓔⓦ The Information Commissioner v Poplar Housing Association & Anor [2020] UKUT 182 (AAC) (8 June 2020) https://bit.ly/31YkQaB
This should not still be happening. Threat to separate children from parent is empty - unlawful to do so, but threat should not be used.
Pressure put on our mums to accept out of town office block conversions instead of homes.
Been told:
"We will put your children on a child protection plan if you don't go"
"we will put you in a tiny place if you don't go" and bafflingly:
"your child will have a 'better accent'."
This takes some chutzpah. L&Q effectively arguing that because they drafted their leases incompetently, legislation should give them control over leaseholders’ demise. https://www.leaseholdknowledge.com/fewer-leaseholders-rights-would-help-make-buildings-safe-lq-tells-mps/?preview=true&_thumbnail_id=28386
This pandemic isn’t over. Ending the ban on evictions too soon risks a tsunami of rental evictions — affecting countless Londoners already suffering the financial impacts of #COVID19.
This needs the Govt's urgent attention. My letter to @RobertJenrick:
https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/rt_hon_robert_jenrick_mp_10_07_20.pdf