Stefan has particular experience of acting for social landlords – both local authorities and housing associations – and previously undertook a part-time secondment to a London local authority. He also takes instructions from legally aided clients.

Stefan’s expertise in discrimination law, derived from his Employment practice, enables him to give specialist advice and representation in housing cases involving issues under the Equality Act. He has acted for both landlords and tenants on novel cases in this developing field of practice, and has delivered training for housing lawyers including “What is a disability?”.

His areas of practice include:

• Injunctions under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, and subsequent enforcement and committal proceedings;
• Homelessness appeals;
• Cases raising issues under the Equality Act, human rights and public law;
• Possession claims based on rent arrears, anti-social behaviour, unauthorised occupation or subletting, procurement of tenancies by fraud and failed successions;
• Disrepair claims.

Recent notable cases include:

• Advised on and drafted a claim against a local authority for indirect sex and race discrimination. The Claimant’s husband, who was a sole tenant of the council, had left her, and the council subsequently failed to recognise her continuing occupation rights under the Family Law Act 1996. The Claimant had not been able to be a joint tenant because of her immigration status.
• Advised on and drafted the Defence in a claim for disability and race discrimination brought by the tenant of a housing association. The claim arose from the association’s refusal to transfer the tenant, who was allegedly suffering anti-social behaviour from her neighbour, to a different property.
• Acted at trial for a local authority on a high-value (over £100K) disrepair claim brought by a leaseholder. Succeeded in limiting damages to a significantly lower sum.