Housing

Northern Ireland Communities Minister announces additional £6.7 million funding for homelessness

Speaking in an Assembly debate during Homelessness Awareness week, Minister also confirms his commitment to provide ongoing specific funding for homelessness prevention

Round-up of recent housing-related Ombudsman decisions and reports

Round-up of recent Upper Tribunal housing case law

Government to consult on increasing legal aid fees for housing and debt work as part of first increase in funding for more than 30 years

Additional £20 million a year investment will also include extra funding for immigration and asylum work, as government takes 'important step to rebuild our justice system'

Court of Appeal rules that fee payments required by a landlord and made before the Tenant Fees Act 2019 came into force did not preclude the service of a section 21 notice

Switaj v McClenaghan [2024] EWCA Civ 1457

Court of Appeal rules that a secure tenant’s relative was entitled to share the tenant’s right to buy even though the relative’s qualifying status was not established until after the tenant’s death

Howe v Brent London Borough Council [2024] EWCA Civ 1444

Exempting former armed forces personnel from local connection test for allocation of social housing regardless of when they last served

New statutory instrument

High Court rules that a council acted unlawfully by limiting exceptions to its housing allocation scheme six-year residency rule to those resident in its own area

EM, R (on the application of) v The London Borough of Havering [2024] EWHC 3016 (Admin)

Applying a time limit to ‘permission to rent’ under the Right to Rent scheme complies with the Equality Act, says government

Impact Assessment confirms change does not unlawfully discriminate, and that differential treatment on the grounds of nationality is necessary and justified

Commencement of Domestic Abuse Act 2021 measures to pilot use of Domestic Abuse Protection Orders in court proceedings including possession proceedings in the county court

New statutory instrument provides for pilots to commence in Greater Manchester and the London boroughs of Bromley, Croydon and Sutton

Department of Justice launches consultation on decriminalising rough sleeping and begging in Northern Ireland

Minister says multi-agency response is required instead to address underlying issues of poverty, addiction, poor mental health, abuse and family breakdown

Government sets out plans for implementing leasehold reforms under existing legislation and how it intends to progress wider reforms to ‘end the system for good’

Written statement criticises previous government's Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 for 'not going far enough' and commits to publishing a new Draft Bill in the second half of next year

Ombudsman finds that ‘insurmountable hurdles’ are preventing councils from providing services to an adequate standard

Review of Ombudsman service also shows that 80 per cent of social care and 84 per cent of housing complaints were upheld in 2023/2024

Government launches consultation on reforms to ensure that Right to Buy is sustainable and meets the needs of tenants, while also ensuring that homes sold can be replaced

Proposals for reform include increasing three-year minimum tenancy period and amending current percentage discounts to align with recent changes to cash discounts

More than 108,000 households in England have received a ‘no-fault’ eviction notice since the previous Westminster Government promised to end Section 21 evictions

Crisis analysis of new Ministry of Justice statistics highlights the 'horrifying truth' that tenants are still being evicted from their homes and left to face the nightmare of housing insecurity and homelessness

High Court rules that where ECR certificate has not been given to tenants converting to occupation contracts under Renting Homes (Wales) Act, then dwelling is deemed unfit for human habitation and rent is not legally due

Coastal Housing Group Ltd v Mitchell & Anor [2024] EWHC 2831 (Ch)

Court of Appeal rules that a freeholder of an HMO operated through a management company was an ‘undisclosed principal’ and therefore could be subject to a rent repayment order

Cabo v Dezotti [2024] EWCA Civ 1358