Lime Legal's
Housing Law Week

General Editor: Jan Luba QC

1st July 2015 Update

POLICY ISSUES IN HOUSING LAW

UK Government Policy on Housing
In July 2015, the UK Government will deliver an Emergency Budget. The Chartered Institute of Housing has prepared an Emergency Budget Submission containing a range of housing-related proposals. They include raising “standards for people living in the private rented sector by making landlord fines for housing-related offences payable to the local authority bringing the case and by facilitating the setting of a common, national set of standards for landlord accreditation, supported by a package of tax incentives for accredited landlords.” For a copy of the submission, click here

Homelessness
On 24 June 2015, the latest statutory homelessness figures for England were published. They indicate a 30% increase in the number of homeless households placed in temporary accommodation out-of-district and a 111% increase in the number of households unlawfully placed in B&B for more than six weeks. For the official overview of the statistics, click here  For the detailed tables of figures, click here For Shelter’s analysis, click here   For media comment on the figures, click here For the official statistics for Wales, released on the same day, click here

Legal Aid for Housing Cases
On 25 June 2015, the latest statistics on legal aid were released. They show that the volume of legal aid cases in the Housing category fell by half between April to June 2013 compared to the same period in the previous year. In the first three months of 2015, there was a further 12% decrease compared to the same quarter last year. For the full figures, click here

Tenancy Deposits
The last of the new deposit-related provisions of the Deregulation Act 2015 took effect last week. Deposits taken before 6 April 2007, for tenancies which subsequently moved onto a periodic tenancy on or after that date, needed to be protected in a tenancy deposit protection scheme by 23 June 2015 if the tenancy was still running. The deadline for landlords to comply, without fear of sanction, has passed. For a commentary on what the changes mean, click here

Help with Rent (1)
Not only is Universal Credit (UC) to be paid monthly in arrears but, for new claims, there will be no entitlement at all for up to the first seven “waiting days”. The Social Security Advisory Committee recommended that at least the housing element of UC should not be subject to waiting days – so that a week’s rent arrears did not accrue in every case. The Government’s response rejects the recommendation. It explains that “removing the housing element from the application of waiting days would add an additional £70-100m to the cost of Universal Credit”. For the full response, click here

Help with Rent (2)
The latest figures from the DWP show that Housing Benefit is estimated to be taken-up by between 79% and 82% of those entitled.  Total spend on Housing Benefit is between 85% and 88% of what could be claimed. For the official statistics, click here

Housing & Anti-social Behaviour (1)
Initial guidance on gang injunctions was first published in December 2011, but earlier this month the Home Office issued new revised statutory guidance reflecting changes made by the Serious Crime Act 2015 and the Crime and Courts Act 2013. A new practitioners’ guide was also published. For copies of both, click here  Since 1 June 2015, youth courts have had the power to make gang injunctions against 14 to 17 year olds. The Youth Justice Legal Centre has published a useful page of information and links about the new arrangements. To access it, click here

Housing & Anti-social Behaviour (2)
On 22 June 2015, the UK Government published figures – broken down by all 152 upper tier authority areas in England – showing the results claimed by local authorities for families turned around within the Troubled Families Programme by the end of May 2015. For the data, click here  For comment on the figures from the Prime Minister and others, click here

Housing & Poverty
On 29 June 2015, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation published a new round-up of evidence on the relationship between housing and poverty. For a copy of the paper, click here

Vetting Private Tenants
The pilot programme for testing the immigration status of applicants for private tenancies is being carried out in some parts of England and is drawing towards an evaluation. Advisers with experience of issues raised in the pilot are invited to contribute their comments to policy@jcwi.org.uk – where an independent assessment is being made – before the end of this month. For reports that landlords in the pilot areas are charging additional fees, click here For media comment on the JCWI research, click here

Drug cultivation in rented housing
The insurer Direct Line has published a briefing entitled Cannabis farms: The dangers and tell-tale signs for landlords. For a copy, click here

Managing Agents’ fees
London-based solicitors Leigh Day have announced that they are pursuing a group claim against Foxtons, on behalf of private landlords. The claims relate to the fees charged to landlords for tenancy management services. For more details, click here

Housing and Vulnerable People
The National Housing Federation and the Housing Learning and Improvement Network (Housing LIN) have produced a briefing on the legal framework relating to “deprivation of liberty” in housing settings. For a copy, click here

Advice on Housing Issues
A new report on access to advice in Westminster indicates that “access to and provision of accommodation was the single most common named issue”. For the full report, click here

Housing Complaints
Complaints about homelessness, council housing allocation and other council housing issues (except social housing management) are dealt with by the Local Government Ombudsmen. For their Review of Local Government Complaints 2014-15 click here

Right to Buy (1)
On 25 June 2015, the official statistics were published on the number of sales in England under the Right to Buy scheme (as well on receipts resulting from those sales and starts on site as part of the one-for-one replacement policy). For the full figures, click here For the ministerial statement on the figures, click here For a commentary on them, click here   

Right to Buy (2)
In a speech on 25 June 2015, the Housing Minister Brandon Lewis called on housing associations to support the UK Government’s plans to extend the Right to Buy. For the text of the speech, click here  For comment on the content, click here

Right to Buy (3)
The Housing (Right to Buy and Right to Acquire) (Limits on Discount) (Amendment) (Wales) Order 2015 reduces the maximum discount available in relation to the right to buy in Wales from £16,000 to £8,000 from 14 July 2015. For a copy of the Order, click here

Housing & Health

Supported by Public Health England, Housing and Health Exchange is a free online resource for practitioners working across housing, adult social care, public health and primary care practitioners. It lists relevant policy documents and showcases examples of practice that have either helped to transform people's lives and/or improve local service delivery. To access the exchange, click here

Managing Social Housing in England

On 18 June 2015, the social housing regulator for England (the Homes and Communities Agency) published With the benefit of hindsight. The paper is the fourth in a series aimed primarily at the boards and executives of housing associations and other similar organisations, in the hope that it will enable them to learn from the mistakes and setbacks of others, and avoid encountering similar fates. For a copy, click here

Housing Law in Scotland
The Housing (Scotland) Act 2014 (Commencement No. 3 and Transitional Provision) Order 2015 forms the third part of an implementation package for the Housing (Scotland) Act 2014. The Order commences four sets of provisions:
• to introduce safety elements in the repairing standard for private landlords;
• to provide third party reporting applications, procedure and appeals in respect of the repairing standard;
• section 89 (maintenance plans and orders); and
• section 97 (Scottish Housing Regulator: transfer of assets following inquiries).
For a copy of the Order, click here  For the policy note, explaining its content, click here

Housing Law in Wales
Under Part 1 of the Housing (Wales) Act 2014 a landlord or a person acting on behalf of a landlord will need to be licensed in order to carry out lettings and/or property management activities, unless exempted under the Act. The new Regulation of Private Rented Housing (Information, Periods and Fees for Registration and Licensing) (Wales) Regulations 2015 set out the information and fees required for an application for registration and an application for a licence. For a copy of the regulations, click here  Compliance with the licence obligations will require training. Thenew Regulation of Private Rented Housing (Training Requirements) (Wales) Regulations 2015 authorise training-providers and approve a training course for the purpose of delivering training. For a copy of those regulations, click here

 

HOUSING LAWS IN THE PIPELINE

Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Bill
This is a Private Members Bill introduced by Karen Buck MP. It would amend the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 to require that residential rented accommodation is provided and maintained in a state of fitness for human habitation. It had a First Reading on 24 June 2015 and its Second Reading is scheduled for 16 October 2015. For details on the progress of the Bill, click here For a commentary on its content, click here

Local Government Finance (Tenure Information) Bill
This is a Private Members Bill introduced by Dame Angela Watkinson MP. It would amend the Local Government Finance Act 1992 to make provision for collecting information about tenure and the details of private landlords. It had a First Reading on 24 June 2015 and its Second Reading is scheduled for 30 October 2015. For details on the progress of the Bill, click here

Crown Tenancies Bill
This is a Private Members Bill introduced by Mark Pawsey MP. It would provide that Crown tenancies may be assured tenancies for the purposes of the Housing Act 1988, subject to certain exceptions, and modify the assured tenancies regime in relation to certain Crown tenancies.  It had a First Reading on 24 June 2015 and its Second Reading is scheduled for 11 September 2015. For details on the progress of the Bill, click here

Housing Bill
This UK Government Bill was announced in the Queen’s Speech on 28 May 2015 but has yet to be published. For the official outline of its content, click here The official briefing about the Queen’s Speech contains the details at pages 27-29. For that, click here For a commentary on the likely content of the Bill, click here

Renting Homes (Wales) Bill
This is a Welsh Government Bill introduced in the Welsh Assembly. For a copy of the Bill, click here For the Explanatory Memorandum, click here To monitor the progress of the Bill, click here The Communities, Equality and Local Government Committee has recently completed its examination of the Bill and has made 37 recommendations. For a copy of its report and for a summary of its conclusions and recommendations, click here and scroll to the foot of the webpage where it is listed under ‘Documents’.

 

NEW HOUSING LAW CASES

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service v Javed Waraich
26 June 2015
The defendant was a private landlord. An inspection of his property found no working smoke alarms, bedrooms without fire doors, a locked escape route, no fire extinguishers and no emergency lighting. He pleaded guilty to these breaches of the fire safety requirements and was fined £9,259 by Manchester Magistrates’ Court in November 2012.  However, he had still failed to carry out the work necessary to make the property safe to live in. At Manchester Crown Court, he was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment suspended for two years. He was also ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and pay £18,000 prosecution costs within 12 months. For details of the prosecution, click here

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service v Saira Hussain
26 June 2015
Mr Waraich (the landlord in the preceding case) commissioned the services of Ms Hussain, a fire risk assessor, to complete a private risk assessment of his property. The fire risk assessment completed by her was so inadequate that she was prosecuted by the Fire Service. At Manchester Crown Court, she was sentenced to a community order with 140 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay £1,385 prosecution costs after pleading guilty to failing to make a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment. For details of the prosecution, click here

Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council v Bobby Fasogbon
26 June 2015
The defendant was a private landlord. The charges brought by the council included failure to maintain his HMO property in a safe and satisfactory condition (particularly by not complying with fire safety regulations) and failure to supply documents to assist the investigation. After pleading guilty at St Albans Magistrates' Court to 23 offences, he was ordered to pay £12,000 fines, a victim surcharge of £120 and costs of £5,199.32. For details of the prosecution, click here

In Re: Peter Phillip Leonard
25 June 2015
Mr Leonard was the director of Direct Residential Lettings Limited, a letting agency business based in Hove. Following an Insolvency Service investigation, he has been disqualified from acting as a director for ten years after failing to make sure that tenants’ deposits and rent payments collected by the company were properly protected. For the full details, click here

Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs v Inclusive Communities Project
25 June 2015
The US Government provides low-income housing tax credits that are distributed to housing developers. The Project, a Texas-based non-profit corporation that assists low-income families in obtaining affordable housing, brought a disparate-impact claim under the Fair Housing Act, alleging that the Texas Department responsible for distributing the credits had caused or continued segregated housing patterns by allocating too many credits for housing in predominantly black inner-city areas and too few in predominantly white suburban neighbourhoods. The US Supreme Court upheld the reliance on the Act in this way and remitted the claim for trial. For the judgment, click here For legal commentary on the decision, click here   For a media report, click here or here

Health & Safety Executive v Gary Byrne
24 June 2015
The defendant was a qualified gas fitter. He was registered with the Gas Safe Register through a former employer. However, his registration ended when his contract ended. He continued to do gas work. This included issuing a landlord’s gas safety certificate using the Gas Safe registration details of his former employer on the form. A boiler he fitted was found to be dangerous due to defects with the flue, which risked carbon monoxide leaking into the property. At Westminster Magistrates’ Court, he pleaded guilty to three breaches of gas safety regulations and was fined a total of £3,500 plus £120 victim surcharge with £1,284 costs. For details of the prosecution, click here

In Re: David Philip Copestake
23 June 2015
Mr Copestake was a director of David Philip Copestake (Highbury) Limited (‘DPC’), which traded as David Philips, a letting agent based in North London.  Between January 2010 and February 2013, he caused DPC to take tenancy deposits without properly protecting them in a deposit protection scheme. The total amount of deposits taken was around £339,000, but only deposits of £38,960 were protected. The company went into liquidation with debts of least £595,091. Following an investigation by the Insolvency Service, he is now disqualified from acting as a company director for six years. For full details, click here

Bristol City Council v David Sutton
22 June 2015
The defendant had previously lived in a house in the council’s area with a group of others as a co-operative. ‘Registered’ co-operatives can be exempt from mandatory HMO licensing but this co-operative was de-registered in 2000. Despite being informed that the property required an HMO licence, the defendant failed to make an application until after summonses were issued. There were also breaches of the Management of HMOs (England) Regulation 2006. The property suffered from penetrating dampness, lacked fire detection equipment and adequate fire separation. At Bristol Magistrates’ Court, the defendant was found guilty of owning and operating an HMO without a licence. He was fined a total of £2,500 with costs of £5,000. The defendant has now completed all works and the property is fully compliant with licencing standards.  For details of the prosecution, click here

Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council v Odus Ltd
17 June 2015
The defendant company is a managing agent based in Hatfield. On a prosecution brought by the council, it admitted 41 HMO Management Regulation offences relating to fire safety contraventions and disrepair issues on four properties. At St Albans Magistrates' Court, it was fined £17,600 with £17,424 in costs. For details of the prosecution, click here

Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council v XS Property Management and Maintenance Ltd
17 June 2015
The defendant company is a managing agent based in St. Albans.  On a prosecution brought by the council, it admitted five offences, including failure to license a HMO and not complying with fire safety regulations. At St Albans Magistrates' Court, it was fined £4,300 with £3,210 in costs. For details of the prosecution, click here  

Sargsyan v Azerbaijan
16 June 2015
The applicant was Armenian. He alleged that, following a civil war, he had been prevented from returning to his home village and having access to his property there. He claimed that the absence of compensation and the denial of access to his home and to the graves of his relatives amounted to continuing violations of Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 and of Article 8 of the Convention. He also alleged violation of Article 13 in that no effective remedy was available in respect of the above complaints. The Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights upheld the claims.  “The impossibility for the applicant to have access to his home and to his relatives’ graves without the Government taking any measures in order to address his rights or to provide him at least with compensation for the loss of their enjoyment, placed and continues to place a disproportionate burden on him.” For the judgment, click here  

Arnold v Britton
10 June 2015
Although this case concerned the terms of lettings of chalets on a park site, it is primarily about the proper approach to construing service charge clauses in leases. The Supreme Court judgment gives guidance on the correct approach. Depending on the wording and the circumstances, service charge clauses will be upheld as valid and binding even if they impose very onerous obligations. For the judgment, click here To watch the case being argued, click here

Guinness Partnership Ltd v Gardener
9 June 2015
The defendant tenant had been made subject to an injunction to prohibit her anti-social behaviour. On a previous admitted breach, she had been sentenced to four weeks in custody. Following release, there was a further incident when, in the early hours of the morning, she caused a significant noise nuisance disturbing the quiet of the surrounding area. She was using illegal substances and was causing nuisance and annoyance to other residents. On her admission of that contempt, she was sentenced to 56 days immediate imprisonment. For the judgment, click here

 Islington Council v APS Estates Ltd
5 June 2015
In October 2014 all letting agents and property managers became required to sign up to one of three official redress schemes. Before the new rules came into force, the council's trading standards team wrote to agents and managers in Islington advising them to sign up to a scheme or risk a penalty. Almost all 150 local letting agents signed up but, despite a visit and further reminders, APS Estates Ltd did not. In December 2014 the council issued a penalty notice of £5,000. APS Estates Ltd appealed the decision but an independent tribunal upheld the penalty. APS has now joined a redress scheme. For further details, click here

R v Heidi Korn
5 June 2015
The defendant was a private tenant of a flat. She advertised the accommodation as being available to rent. A couple responded to the advert. The defendant showed them around and asked for a deposit of £400 and a further £1,400 which was agreed, with a moving-in date set. After receiving a signed tenancy agreement, the victims were contacted by the true landlords of the property, who were abroad. At Inner London Crown Court, the defendant was sentenced to eight months' immediate imprisonment after being found guilty of one count of fraud by false representation. For details of the prosecution, click here For media comment on the result, click here  

Birmingham City Council v Khatoon
5 June 2015
In January 2015 the council secured an injunction prohibiting anti-social behaviour by the defendant and excluding her from two named roads in the city. There were repeated breaches, culminating in committal to prison from which sentence the defendant was released on 14 May 2014. On the same day, she went into one of the named streets and repeated the breach on two further occasions. She said she had gone to visit her mother. The court imposed a sentence of 35 weeks immediate imprisonment. For the judgment, click here

Health & Safety Executive v Andrew Smith
5 June 2015
The defendant carried out boiler installations and associated repairs at homes in Barnsley, Leeds, Sheffield, Pontefract and Shipley between August 2012 and November 2013, despite being removed from the Gas Safe Register and having been served with a prohibition notice. At Sheffield Crown Court, he pleaded guilty to two breaches of section 33(1)(g) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. He also admitted a total of 14 charges under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 – five breaches of regulation 3(3), five of regulation 3(7), two of regulation 5(3) and another two of regulation 26(1). He was sentenced to a total of 14 months immediate imprisonment. For details of the prosecution, click here

Equity Housing Group v Wade
4 June 2015
Mr Wade was made subject to an injunction order on 30 March 2015. It was breached on 2 April and 4 April. On 7 April he was sent to prison for 28 days. He breached the order again on 20 April and was sent to prison for twelve weeks. After release, he breached the injunction again on 2 and 3 June. He was sentenced to 16 weeks immediate imprisonment. For the judgment, click here

Gloucester City Council v Joseph Canavan
4 June 2015
An anti-social behaviour order was made against the defendant. The terms were that he was not to engage in conduct which caused or was capable of causing nuisance or annoyance to other residents in his block of flats. Following two admitted breaches of the order, involving the emanation of cannabis smoke and other smells from his flat, a prison sentence of 28 days was imposed but suspended. For the judgment, click here

In Re: 10 Midland Road, Luton
2 June 2015
The local Rogue Landlord team served a Fire Safety Prohibition Order on a private landlord following an inspection of converted flats located within parts of a commercial building. They were unsuitably protected from fire and the spread of fire. The order prevented anyone from resting or sleeping in the premises and therefore immediately ‘closed’ it from residential use. Three households were assessed as having priority need and placed in temporary accommodation. Thirteen other households were offered advice. In total, some 46 people were affected by the prohibition order. For further details, click here  For a media commentary, click here

Gloucester City Council v Birch, Beard, Edwards, Birch and Birch
4 June 2015
Anti-social behaviour injunctions had been granted to control the behaviour of the defendants. All the defendants later breached the injunctions, causing varying degrees of nuisance. One defendant admitted 22 breaches. They were sentenced to terms of imprisonment ranging from 12 weeks immediate imprisonment to suspended sentences. For the judgment, click here

Israel Moss Children’s Trust v Bandy
1 June 2015
The Trust was the landlord and Mr Blandy was the tenant under a Rent Act protected tenancy. The registered rent was £657pm. The trust sought an increase to £825pm. The Rent Officer registered a new rent of £722pm. The tenant appealed. The local tribunal registered a rent of only £480pm. The Trust appealed. The Upper Tribunal set aside the tribunal’s award as it did not provide sufficient reasons from which to see why the rent had been fixed at the amount selected. The application was remitted to be re-determined. For the judgment, click here

Cardiff Council v Litchfield
26 May 2015
The defendant was a council tenant. An order had been granted to restrain his anti-social behaviour. On an admitted breach, he was sentenced to 28 days imprisonment, suspended for six months. For the judgment, click here
 
Barnet Council v Knights Island Capital Ltd

26 May 2015
The company traded under the name of Endeavour Living. It was the landlord of a three-storey, semi-detached HMO. At Willesden Magistrates’ Court, its two directors (Nikola Bonacic and Ben Patrick) pleaded guilty individually, and on their company’s behalf, to failing to license the HMO. The two directors and the company were each fined £2,000 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £120 and costs of £1,247.66. For details of the prosecution, click here

Ansari v Southwark Council
22 May 2015
Mrs Ansari was the private landlord of a building on three floors used as nine self-contained flats. In April 2011 the council served nine prohibition notices to prevent the use of the flats. The time limit for appeal was 28 days. An appeal was lodged in May 2014, three years out of time. The first-tier tribunal refused to extend time. The Upper Tribunal dismissed an appeal. It held that the council had no power to “waive” a time limit and that Mrs Ansari had failed to establish a good reason for the delay since the initial time limit had expired. For the judgment, click here

Glasgow West Housing Association Ltd v Harasimowicz
20 May 2015
The defendant tenant had accrued arrears of £2,973 in respect of a monthly rent of £260. Her last housing benefit had been paid in December 2013. She had then left the country for a year and paid no rent in her absence. On her return, she was without work but did not qualify for JSA or HB, so the rent remained unpaid. An outright possession order was granted. The tenant appealed, asking for a further opportunity to gain work, pay the rent, and clear the arrears by instalments. An appeal court rejected the appeal saying: “appeals in cases of this nature should never amount to an appellant, in effect, requesting that the court should give the appellant “a second chance” or should find greater sympathy with the appellant’s predicament or should be invited to consider material not presented [when the order was made]”. For the judgment, click here  For a commentary, click here

Khuja v Chowdhury
14 May 2015
A deposit of £800 was paid by the tenant to the landlord in respect of an assured shorthold tenancy. Later, the landlord served a section 21 notice and sought possession. The tenant said the deposit had not been protected properly and made a claim for return of the deposit and a penalty. The landlord’s claim was dismissed. The judge said “the section 21 notice could not have been validly delivered in circumstances where the deposit had not been protected within the prescribed time, and the [tenant] had not received it back again, nor had the Court determined any application for a remedy in respect of it.” The tenant’s claim was allowed. The judge said: “The landlord is a professional landlord and the rules about deposit protection have been in force for many years now, including the changes incorporated by the Localism Act. He has no good reason not to be fully aware of his responsibilities”. She ordered the return of the deposit and imposed a penalty of twice its value. For the judgment, click here


 
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HOUSING LAW CONSULTATIONS

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NEW HOUSING LAW ARTICLES & PUBLICATIONS

Recent Developments in Housing Law Jan Luba QC & Nic Madge [2015] June issue Legal Action magazine. Available in print and on-line for Legal Action subscribers. To read the article, click here.

An end to retaliatory evictions? New measures on repossession by private sector landlords Jan Luba QC & Justine Compton [2015] 19 Landlord &Tenant Review p113

A reformist menu Martin Dixon [2015] Conveyancer and Property Lawyer p187

Priorities and sale and lease back: a wrong question, much ado about nothing and a story of tails and dogs Nicholas Hopkins [2015] Conveyancer and Property Lawyer p245

Housing raid finds 26 people living in three-bedroom east London home Patrick Butler [2015] The Guardian 25 June. To read the article, click here

Inside the Newham property housing 26 people: 'It was a visit from my family' Jamie Grierson [2015] The Guardian 25 June. To read the article, click here

Tory right-to-buy plan threatens mass selloff of council homes Daniel Boffey [2015] The Observer 28 June. To read the article, click here

The Immigration Act 2014 and Local Authorities – A Still Greater Housing Role for Social Services William Flack [2015] William Flack Blog 28 June. To read the article, click here

Homeless protesters face eviction from Manchester city centre André Rhoden-Paul [2015] The Guardian 29 June. To read the article, click here

We must fight the return of the slum landlord Mary Dejevsky [2015] The Guardian 26 June. To read the article, click here

High Court judge declares part of housing allocation scheme to be unlawful [2015] Local Government Lawyer (Housing) 24 June. To read the article, click here

Integrating housing and health: a tough nut to crack? Richard Humphries [2015] The Kings Fund Blog 25 June. To read the article, click here

Right to rent: all landlords must check immigration status or face £3,000 fine Kate Palmer [2015] The Telegraph 27 June. To read the article, click here

Developments and disputes Belinda Walkinshaw [2015] 159 Solicitors Journal No.24 p33. To read the article, click here

Right-to-buy sales hit seven-year high Hilary Osborne [2015] The Guardian - Property 25 June. To read the article, click here

The government is quietly making a U-turn on universal credit Hannah Fearn [2015] The Guardian Housing Network 12 June. To read the article, click here

Bristol’s Ethical Lettings Charter – what’s it all about? Ben Crawford [2015] Citizens Advice Blog 26 June. To read the article, click here

THE HOUSING LAW DIARY

8 July 2015
Emergency Budget

Advance Notice:

October 2015
Lime Legal's Tenancy Agreements Conference 2015 in London

October 2015
Lime Legal's Allocations Conference 2015 in London

Further details coming soon!

RECRUITMENT

Vacancy for Assistant Solicitor with Lester Morrill Solicitors
Assistant Solicitor with expertise in Housing Law to conduct a mixed caseload of Legal Aid and privately funded work within the firm’s Social Welfare Law department. Caseload includes work on the Housing Possession Court Duty Scheme.

Apply with CV and salary expectations to Helen Butterworth, Lester Morrill, 27 Park Square West, Leeds, by email to helen.butterworth@lmlaw.co.uk
(direct applications only: strictly no canvassers).

Closing date: 10 July 2015.

Early applications are encouraged. Lester Morrill reserve the right to appoint before the closing date deadline.

Lester Morrill Solicitors is committed to equal opportunities.

 

Camden Council Vacancy for Operations Managers

Operations Managers

Hours: Full time (36 hours per week)

Contract type: Permanent

Fantastic opportunities to develop your career with a leading Council 

Salary £42,875-£49,737 (depending on experience) + 25 days annual leave
(27 after 5 years’ service)

In addition both posts attract: 
- A Golden Hello of £2,000 
- Zone 1 and 2 Annual Travel Card Allowance 
- A 7% supplement to basic salary. 

About you:
A qualified Environmental Health Officer, with experience in a local authority        enforcement role, you'll have a good knowledge of the Housing Act 2004 as it relates to the improvement of private sector housing. 

For further details click here
Closing date for applications
: Sunday 5th July 2015 at 23:59 

Interviews to be held: Week Commencing Monday 6th July 2015 
Please quote ref: LBC01049 

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