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Our Housing Group

42BR's Housing team includes two part-time judges, and a founder member of the Social Housing Law Association.

This highly experienced group appears in, and advises on, not only the common types of housing dispute, but also more specialised disputes such as HMO licensing and licence breaches, environmental law and discrimination.

We regularly act for local authorities, housing associations, housing trusts, RMCs, portfolio and private landlords, and individuals.

We provide clear tactical advice and representation at short notice, such as when seeking, or responding to, injunctions.

Here is a summary of the areas of Housing Law in which we are regularly instructed:

  • Possession
  • Housing discrimination
  • Disrepair
  • Anti-social behaviour, including injunctions
  • Unlawful eviction
  • Homelessness
  • HMO licensing, including HMO licensing breaches
  • Selective licensing, including selective licensing breaches
  • Environmental law
  • Right to buy

Our Housing Group regularly present webinars in which they cover a range of Housing Law topics. You can view the recordings of these webinars on our Youtube channel, as well as download the slides.

 

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Related News

Animals in Law Webinar

Animals in Law Webinar

We will be hosting a virtual round table discussion where a group of five practitioners, specialising in different areas of law, will discuss the status of a pet or companion animal in law.

Published: 26th Sep 2022

Can you trust a notice to quit?

Can you trust a notice to quit?

Michael Grant discusses the recent High Court decision in Procter v Procter and others [2022] EWHC 1202.

Published: 30th May 2022

Injunctions against the World:

Injunctions against the World:

Robert Winspear discusses the Court of Appeal’s decision in LB Barking and Dagenham v Persons Unknown [2022] EWCA Civ 13

Published: 26th Jan 2022

Housing allocation schemes under the magnifying glass

Housing allocation schemes under the magnifying glass

The significance of a recent High Court housing law case cannot be underestimated – both legally and practically – in bringing to the fore the practical effects of local authority allocation schemes, writes Martin Khoshdel.

Published: 23rd Jun 2021

Can mediation solve the housing possessions backlog?

Can mediation solve the housing possessions backlog?

The freeze on possession hearings is finally starting to thaw – but how will the courts cope with the huge backlog of cases? Will mediation, online hearings, or a dedicated housing tribunal make a difference? In the first of a series of articles from 42BR Housing, looking at the potential solutions, Catherine Urquhart analyses the mediation pilot scheme.

Published: 16th Jun 2021

42BR Housing Law Bulletin

42BR Housing Law Bulletin

In the latest newsletter from the Housing team at 42 Bedford Row, Mathew McDermott looks at the Supreme Court’s judgment dealing with the approach to affordability under Part VII Housing Act 1996

Published: 13th Jun 2019

‘Fitness for Human Habitation’ Day

‘Fitness for Human Habitation’ Day

Today, 20 March 2019, the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 comes into force; introducing new sections 9A, 9B and 9C into the 1985 Act.

Published: 20th Mar 2019

Housing Law Bulletin: long leases and short-term lets

Housing Law Bulletin: long leases and short-term lets

In this Bulletin, Michael Grant discusses a recent County Court judgment of His Honour Judge Luba, QC, concerning prohibitions in long residential leases and the well-known short-let website ‘AirBnB’.

Published: 12th Nov 2018

Housing Law Bulletin: Banning Orders and the Housing and Planning Act 2016

Housing Law Bulletin: Banning Orders and the Housing and Planning Act 2016

In this Bulletin, Christi Scarborough discusses banning orders: what are they? When would one be used? What are their consequences? Banning Orders – what are they and how do they work? Christi Scarborough looks at new powers available to Local Authorities from 6 April 2018, and the circumstances under which private landlords or letting and

Published: 1st May 2018

Desmond Kilcoyne instructed in Paul Alibert David -v- Audra Catherine Wamsteker

Desmond Kilcoyne instructed in Paul Alibert David -v- Audra Catherine Wamsteker

Desmond Kilcoyne has been acting on behalf of the Defendant, Audra Wamsteker, in a six-day trial brought against her by her father, Paul David. Judgment has been reserved. The dispute concerns the ownership of two domestic properties, the proceeds of sale of four American properties and her late mother’s jewellery collection. The legal issues include

Published: 17th Apr 2018

Housing Law Bulletin: errors of law, burden and homelessness appeals

Housing Law Bulletin: errors of law, burden and homelessness appeals

In this bulletin Elizabeth England discusses a recent Court of Appeal case that reminds us who has the burden of proving an error of law in homelessness appeals under Part VII Housing Act 1996 Avoiding exegetical sophistication: Rother District Council v Stephen Freeman-Roach [2018] EWCA Civ 368 The Court of Appeal has handed down guidance

Published: 16th Apr 2018

Housing Law Bulletin: the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017

Housing Law Bulletin: the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017

On 3 April 2018, the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 commenced, imposing a number of new duties on housing authorities to provide early intervention, in order to prevent homelessness. The Act makes significant amendments and additions to the Housing Act 1996

Published: 9th Apr 2018

Housing Law Bulletin: Article 14 ECHR and Succeeding to a Secure Tenancy

Housing Law Bulletin: Article 14 ECHR and Succeeding to a Secure Tenancy

Is it fair to treat the children of secure tenants differently for the purpose of succession depending upon how their deceased parent became the tenant? This, in essence, is the question at the heart of the long-running case of London Borough of Haringey v. Simawi. The question will be answered at trial in October 2018

Published: 28th Feb 2018

Housing Law Bulletin: When is settled accommodation actually settled?

Housing Law Bulletin: When is settled accommodation actually settled?

Niamh O’Brien discusses the recent Court of Appeal decision on ‘settled accommodation’ and asks: when is accommodation ‘settled’? Doka v London Borough of Southwark [2017] EWCA Civ 1523 Introduction The ‘full housing duty’ owed by local authorities to house homeless applicants does not apply to those who have become intentionally homeless. In order to be

Published: 7th Nov 2017

Housing Law Bulletin: Letting agents & Administration Fees – London Borough of Camden v. Foxtons Ltd

Housing Law Bulletin: Letting agents & Administration Fees – London Borough of Camden v. Foxtons Ltd

Matthew Feldman discusses the recent Upper Tribunal decision dealing with the thorny issue of letting agents’ administration fees. In this case, the Upper Tribunal (Administrative Appeals Chamber) found that Foxtons Limited (‘Foxtons’) were in breach of the requirements of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (‘the Act’) in connection with published details of its relevant fees in three branches and on its website, and imposed a penalty of £4,500 in respect of each breach, amounting to £18,000.

Published: 30th Oct 2017

Panayiotou v Waltham Forest, Smith v LB Haringey [2017] EWCA Civ 1624

Panayiotou v Waltham Forest, Smith v LB Haringey [2017] EWCA Civ 1624

Panayiotou v Waltham Forest, Smith v LB Haringey [2017] EWCA Civ 1624 The demise of significance The Court of Appeal have considered the conjoined appeals of two homeless applicants who claimed that the Respondent housing authorities had applied a wrong legal test when considering whether or not they were ‘vulnerable’ within the meaning of s.189(1)(c) of the Housing Act 1996.

Published: 23rd Oct 2017

Housing Law Bulletin: Part VII Housing Act 1996 and ‘settled accommodation’

Housing Law Bulletin: Part VII Housing Act 1996 and ‘settled accommodation’

Mathew McDermott discusses how relevant, if at all, the questions of hindsight and one’s own understanding of one’s security of tenure are when looking at whether or not accommodation is ‘settled’. To what extent is a tenant’s mistaken but honestly-held understanding of their security of tenure relevant when asking if accommodation is ‘settled’ for the

Published: 4th Sep 2017

Priority need and the meaning of ‘dependent children’

Priority need and the meaning of ‘dependent children’

19 and 21-year old son and daughter of a homeless applicant are not ‘dependent children’ for the purposes of assessing ‘priority need’ Introduction Stefan Liberadzki recently appeared for a local authority in a homelessness appeal under s.204 of the Housing Act 1996. Here he discusses the Court’s decision that the appellant’s children could not count

Published: 5th Jul 2017

Mental Health Issues in Housing Litigation

Mental Health Issues in Housing Litigation

Mental Health Issues in Housing Litigation During April and May 2017, we ran a 2-part workshop in Chambers exploring the law and procedure on dealing with mental health issues in housing cases. This Bulletin is intended as a follow-up note for those of you who attended, and as a general practice note for those of

Published: 30th May 2017

Double-edged sword: Can you have two possession orders at once?

Double-edged sword: Can you have two possession orders at once?

Double-edged sword: Can you have two possession orders at once? In a recent case an interesting point arose around whether or not it was possible for a landlord under an AST to have two possession orders in respect of the same property at the same time. Facts The facts of the case were fairly typical.

Published: 13th Mar 2017

Mathew McDermott successfully represented the Defendant in R (on the application of Osman) v. LB of Harrow [2017] EWHC 274 (Admin)

Mathew McDermott successfully represented the Defendant in R (on the application of Osman) v. LB of Harrow [2017] EWHC 274 (Admin)

Article 14 European Convention on Human Rights and treating private sector tenants differently from secure tenants for the purposes of a local authority’s Part VI housing allocation scheme R (on the application of Osman) v. LB of Harrow [2017] EWHC 274 (Admin) 42 Bedford Row’s Mathew McDermott successfully represented the Defendant in this challenge brought

Published: 22nd Feb 2017

Housing Bulletin No 19 – New evidence, settled section 204 appeals and cost

Housing Bulletin No 19 – New evidence, settled section 204 appeals and cost

Welcome to this, the 19th bulletin from the Housing Team. We hope that you will find the content of interest: if you wish to receive further updates you can subscribe by replying to housing@42br.com New evidence, settled section 204 appeals and costs LB Croydon v. Lopes [2017] EWHC 33 (QB) It is well known that usually

Published: 1st Feb 2017

Housing Bulletin No 18 – Forfeiture for non-payment of service charges

Housing Bulletin No 18 – Forfeiture for non-payment of service charges

Welcome to this, the 18th bulletin from the Housing Team. We hope that you will find the content of interest: if you wish to receive further updates you can subscribe by replying to housing@42br.com Forfeiture for non-payment of service charges Last month, we ran a workshop in Chambers exploring the law and procedure of forfeiting a

Published: 9th Jan 2017

Housing Bulletin No 17 – Anti-social behaviour injunctions

Housing Bulletin No 17 – Anti-social behaviour injunctions

Welcome to this, the 17th bulletin from the Housing Team. We hope that you will find the content of interest: if you wish to receive further updates you can subscribe by replying to housing@42br.com Anti-social behaviour injunctions: can the Court rely on historic bad behaviour? Birmingham City Council v Glenn Parode [2016] EWHC 3119 (QB) In

Published: 14th Dec 2016

Housing Bulletin No 16 – Warrants for Possession

Housing Bulletin No 16 – Warrants for Possession

Welcome to this, the sixteenth bulletin from the Housing Team. We hope that you will find the content of interest: if you wish to receive further updates you can subscribe by replying to housing@42br.com Warrants for Possession Cardiff City Council v Lee (Flowers) [2016] EWCA Civ 1034 The Senior Master has today issued her practice note

Published: 22nd Nov 2016

Housing Bulletin No 15 – Some Top Tips for Tenancy Fraud Cases

Housing Bulletin No 15 – Some Top Tips for Tenancy Fraud Cases

Welcome to this, the fifteenth bulletin from the Housing Team. We hope that you will find the content of interest: if you wish to receive further updates you can subscribe by replying to housing@42br.com Some Top Tips for Tenancy Fraud Cases Six years ago, the National Fraud Authority launched its Social Housing Tenancy Fraud Project that

Published: 5th Sep 2016

Housing Bulletin No 13 – Human Rights and the Private Sector

Housing Bulletin No 13 – Human Rights and the Private Sector

Welcome to this, the thirteenth bulletin from the Housing Team. We hope that you will find the content of interest: if you wish to receive further updates you can subscribe by replying to housing@42br.com This bulletin discusses the judgment in the case of McDonald (by her litigation friend Duncan J McDonald) v McDonald & others [2016] UKSC 28.

Published: 20th Jun 2016

Recovery of Legal Costs as a Service Charge – What Has Changed Since Arnold v Britton?

Recovery of Legal Costs as a Service Charge – What Has Changed Since Arnold v Britton?

The Supreme Court in Arnold v Britton [2015] A.C. 1619 has ruled that there are no special rules of interpretation which apply to service charge clauses. The old “restrictive” approach to the interpretation of service charge clauses has been criticised. The recovery of a landlord’s legal costs as a service charge remains a troublesome area, where the impact of Arnold v Britton is still being worked out.

Published: 23rd Feb 2016

Housing Law Bulletin No 12 – updating service of 2015 on all issues relating to housing law

Housing Law Bulletin No 12 – updating service of 2015 on all issues relating to housing law

Welcome to this, our twelfth updating service of 2015 on all issues relating to housing law — whether social or private, landlord or tenant. Here, Niamh O’Brien offers a case law update : Mansing Moorjani v Durban Estates Limited [2015] EWCA Civ 1252 An unusual set of facts permits the Court of Appeal to review the legal basis for damages to be awarded for disrepair to premises let on a long lease.

Published: 22nd Dec 2015

Housing Law Bulletin No 5

Housing Law Bulletin No 5

Topic: “How should the courts assess whether a homeless applicant is vulnerable and in priority need of housing, with reference to the Housing Act 1996 s.189 (1)(c)?”

Published: 2nd Jul 2015

Housing Law Bulletin No 4

Housing Law Bulletin No 4

Topic: Changes to the tenancy deposit protection rules. On 26 March 2015, sections 30 to 32 of the Deregulation Act 2015 came in to force. What are the implications of this for landlords in relation to tenancy deposit schemes?

Published: 2nd Jul 2015

Housing Law Bulletin No 2

Housing Law Bulletin No 2

Welcome to this, the second bulletin from the Housing Team. We hope that you will find the content of interest: if you wish to receive further updates you can subscribe by replying to housing@42br.com. Topic: Akerman- Livingstone v Aster Communities Ltd “Can the court summarily dispose of a defence to possession based on an allegation of unlawful

Published: 31st Mar 2015

Housing Law Bulletin No 1

Housing Law Bulletin No 1

Welcome to this, the first bulletin of what will be a regular updating service on all issues relating to housing law — whether social or private, landlord or tenant. We hope that you will find the content of interest: if you wish to receive further updates you can subscribe by replying to housing@42br.com “Can a

Published: 4th Mar 2015

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