Jonathan Pennington Legh discusses the scope and aims of the Social Housing Regulation Bill which was introduced in parliament yesterday following its inclusion in the Queen’s Speech.
Alexander Campbell discusses the Court of Appeal judgment in Biden v Waverley Borough Council. The case concerned gender reassignment and local authority homelessness decisions and the type of inquiries a local authority ought to make in a case raising LGBT+ issues.
Clare Cullen considers the case of Croydon London Borough Council v Kalonga [2022] UKSC 7. The Supreme Court considered if, and how, a flexible tenancy can be ended during the fixed term.
In Global 100 Ltd v Jimenez and others [2022] UKUT 50 (LC), the Upper Tribunal decided that accommodation which is occupied by ‘property guardians’ constitutes a house in multiple occupation ‘HMO' meaning that it requires an HMO licence and serious consequences apply to the person who controls or manages the accommodation if no licence has been obtained.
The decision is an important reminder for local authorities of the very limited circumstances in which they can refuse to accept a repeat homelessness application.
Domestic abuse can frequently lead to people becoming homeless. According to Government figures, domestic abuse remains one of the top three causes of people becoming homeless, with 11.6% of households citing domestic abuse as their main reason for being homeless during 2020/2021.
Property analysis: Alexander Campbell shares his views about the housing provisions set out in the Levelling Up White Paper, which was published by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 2 February 2022.
Clare Cullen considers the Court of Appeal case of Paley v Waltham Forest LBC concerning affordability assessments and suitability of homelessness accommodation. The case demonstrates the need for local authorities to give applicants an opportunity to have an input into an affordability assessment and to ensure that proper allowances are made for essential items of […]
