AK, R (On the Application Of) v Westminster City Council (2024) EWHC 769 (Admin) This was a judicial review of Westminster's Allocation policy as it applied to 'reciprocal transfers' between another borough and Westminster. As background: The Claimant lives...
Landlords behaving badly corner – racial discrimination and harassment
Our thanks to Doughty Street Chambers for their note on this judgment. Hickmet and Cheerz Express Limited v Dragos (Luton County Court, 19 January 2024) Ms Dragos was the assured shorthold tenant of Cheerz Express, with the tenancy beginning 1 June 2017. A...
Misc notes – RRO in the UT; Allocation, domestic abuse and discrimination
A couple of quick notes on cases that have been sitting a browser tabs in my 'to do' window for far too long... Daff v Gyalui & Aiach-Cohen (2023) UKUT 134 (LC) Ms Daff had been ordered to pay an RRO for an unlicensed property to the tenants in the...
A couple of possession related appeals
Reading Borough Council v Holland (2023) EWHC 1902 (Ch) An appeal of a possession order made at first instance for Ms Holland's introductory tenancy of sheltered accommodation. Ms H was found by an expert report in the original proceedings to have...
County court homelessness appeal assortment
AB v London Borough of Barnet. County Court at Central London, 1 October 2020. HHJ Saunders (Unreported. Copy of judgment here.) A s.204 Housing Act 1996 appeal of a review decision that an offer of accommodation in West Yorkshire was suitable in discharge...
Housing law webinars
A couple of interesting housing law webinars in the next few days (well, hopefully both interesting, as I'm doing one of them) for all your 'working from home but still interested in housing law' needs. On Thursday 30 April at 10.30 am, the latest in Tessa...
It’s not right but it’s OK
The Secretary of State for the Home Department v R (on the application of) Joint Council for The Welfare of Immigrants (2020) EWCA Civ 542 The Court of Appeal have their way with the judicial review of the 'Right to Rent' scheme. This was the Secretary of...
Not signed, not sealed, not delivered
Ratcliffe & Ratcliffe v Patterson & Porter. County Court at Luton, 17 March 2020 (Unreported elsewhere, we've seen an unofficial note of judgment. Grateful thanks to Clare Cullen of Field Court Chambers) A first instance county court judgment on a...
Bedroom tax, sanctuary schemes and human rights redux
Case of J. D. and A. v United Kingdom 32949/17 34614/17 The Supreme Court (Lady Hale and Lord Carnwath dissenting) found justified discrimination in imposing the bedroom tax on a woman who, as a result of domestic violence, had had her home treated under the...
Breach of PSED and consequences for possession
Forward v Aldwyck Housing Group Ltd (2019) EWCA Civ 1334 The Court of Appeal considers the effect of an admitted breach of the Public Sector Equality Duty under s.149 Equality Act 2010 on possession proceedings. Mr F had an assured tenancy from Aldwyck. Soon...
Equality and Homeless Appeals
Adesotu v Lewisham London Borough Council (2019) EWCA Civ 1405 We first saw this case as a county court appeal (our note here) where the central issue was whether Equality Act 2010 issues could be raised and decided within a section 204 Housing Act 1996...
But, it’s a long, long while…
Ward & Ors, R (on the application of) v The London Borough of Hillingdon & Ors (2019) EWCA Civ 692 Regular readers will remember the judicial reviews of Hillingdon's allocation policy requirement for a 10 year residence period (those without 10 years...