Housing

Government is unprepared to even assess the challenges that ‘riddle’ the supported housing sector in England, let alone address them

Select Committee warns that a lack of data, and demand for housing that is outstripping supply, is leaving vulnerable people without homes or support

Number of section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions started in England and Wales reaches seven-year high

Shelter also highlights that new MoJ statistics show an almost 40 per cent annual increase in court proceedings resulting from landlords using the process

DLUHC launches consultation on capping ground rent payable by existing leaseholders in England and Wales

Views sought on options including capping at a 'peppercorn' rent, an amount set at a maximum financial value, or a cap that is frozen at current levels

Select Committee Chair urges government to commit to a timetable for abolishing section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions

Letter to Secretary of State also criticises Minister's 'mischaracterisation' of the Committee's recommendations in an attempt to deflect blame for the government's delay

Department of Finance launches consultation on proposed changes to rates allowances in Northern Ireland

Plans include removing early payment discount, landlords' allowance and maximum capital value cap

King’s Speech confirms government plan to introduce Leasehold and Freehold Bill

Government's new legislative programme also includes Renters (Reform) Bill which has been carried over from previous parliamentary session

Regulator of Social Housing launches consultation on updated guidance relating to its strengthened enforcement powers under the Social Housing (Regulation) Act

Views on proposed new powers, including allowing a person authorised by the RSH to enter premises with or without a warrant to take emergency remedial action to remove the imminent risk of harm, sought by 16 January 2024

Homelessness support organisations respond to Home Secretary’s plans to criminalise the use of tents by people sleeping rough

Open letter urges Suella Braverman to instead focus on housing solutions and investment in interventions to prevent rough sleeping

Court of Session dismisses residential landlord representatives’ challenge to legality of emergency cost of living tenant protection measures introduced by Scottish Government

Petition of the Scottish Association of Landlords and Others against the Lord Advocate and Scottish Ministers [2023] CSOH 76

Body representing HMO licensing enforcement authorities backs legal challenge to plans to exempt asylum seeker accommodation in England from HMO requirements

Witness statement from the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health in support of judicial review brought by three asylum-seeking families warns that proposed changes risk creating a two-tier system for enforcement of standards in HMOs

Round-up of recent Upper Tribunal housing case law

Round-up of recent decisions of the Housing Ombudsman

Court of Appeal rules that property guardian companies were subject to local authority licensing requirements and were running unlicensed HMOs

Global 100 Ltd v Jimenez & Ors [2023] EWCA Civ 1243

LGA calls on government to use Autumn Statement to restore LHA rates to 30th percentile

Responding to figures last week showing that the number of households in temporary accommodation has reached an all time high, government also urged to provide a long-term deal for council landlords in relation to rent increases

Scotland’s latest Ending Homelessness Together report shows Ministers ‘still have their heads in the sand’ about the housing emergency

Shelter Scotland says while the last year has seen huge increase in the number of people becoming homeless, the Scottish Government does not have an adequate plan to deal with the scale of the emergency

Welsh Government confirms continuation of policy of no evictions due to financial hardship for social sector tenants that engage with their landlords

Minister also advises that social rent increases will be capped at 6.7 per cent from April 2024, and reminds landlords that they are not required to charge the maximum

Public Bill Committee launches call for views on Renters (Reform) Bill

Written submissions invited ahead of line-by-line scrutiny of the Bill at first sitting of Committee expected on 14 November 2023