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...
Bits of news and things to respond to.
Assorted things... MHCLG have published guidance for tenants, landlords and local authorities on the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 - or as they call it, 'the Homes Act'. There are separate guidance documents for tenants, landlords and local...
Rights and Right to rent
Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, R (On the Application Of) v Secretary of State for the Home Department (2019) EWHC 452 (Admin) (For transparency, I acted for one of the interveners, the Residential Landlords Association, in this case.) This was...
Private sector updates
Section 8 notice prescribed form The Govt has made The Assured Tenancies and Agricultural Occupancies (Forms) (England) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations 2016. The Schedule contains a new 'form 3' - the prescribed form of Section 8 Notice Seeking Possession....
February is the cruellest month
Monday 1 February 2016 sees the commencement of the 'Right to Rent' regulations in all of England. All new private tenancies, sub-tenancies, lodgings, and licences (including property guardians) will be caught if it is the occupant's main residence....
Right to Rent – just how bad is it?
We though it would be bad. And thanks to the JCWI, we can now have an evidence based stab at an answer. JCWI co-ordinated an evaluation of the West Midlands pilot of 'Right to Rent' and have published the report (summary here, and full report here). Notably,...
The Something Must Be Done Bill, Calais edition
The Rent Act 1957 introduced the requirement for a court order for eviction from a tenancy. That is 58 years of eviction without due process of law being unlawful. But no matter, for Something Must Be Done to deter people who have spent months on perilous...
Housing and immigration. Bombshells and bombast
In a speech timed to hide the release of the latest figures on net migration, the Prime Minister made an assortment of announcements on forthcoming policies. The part that concern us here, went as follows: There are other ways we can identify those who...
Landlord Immigration Checks from 1 December
The Home Office has (finally) announced the 'pilot' areas for the landlord immigration check requirement under Immigration Act 2014. The areas are Birmingham, Walsall, Sandwell, Dudley and Wolverhampton. The requirement will come in to force in those areas...