The Latest Housing Law News
Social Housing Sales: on 21 September 2010 the latest statistics on social housing sales to sitting tenants in England during 2009-10 were released. They cover sales through Right to Buy, Preserved Right to Buy, Right to Acquire, Social HomeBuy and other outright or shared equity sales to sitting tenants. For the details, click here.
Housing Benefit: local authority housing benefit departments are required to refer claims for housing benefit from tenants living in the private rented sector to the Valuation Office Agency every 12 months. The rent officers employed by the VOA carry out a series of determinations in every case that is referred by a local authority. For the monthly data on local reference rates produced by that exercise, click here.
Homelessness: following a visit to Birmingham to consider local provision for the homeless, the Coalition Government's Housing Minister said that "the current system of endless inspections and form filling is not the best way to help young people at risk of homelessness." The exact system he was describing is not clear from his remarks which can be found here.
The Latest Housing Case Law
Gavin Kay v United Kingdom
[2010] ECHR 1322
21 September 2010
The applicant had been a non-secure but long-term tenant of initially short-life council housing in Lambeth. The council sought an order for possession and the applicant relied on his right to respect for his home under Article 8. The county court struck out his defence. His appeals to the Court of Appeal and House of Lords failed. The European Court of Human Rights decided that his Article 8 rights had been violated because he had not had the opportunity to have the proportionality of his eviction assessed by a court able to take account of his personal circumstances. It awarded him compensation and costs. For the full judgment, click here.
Housing Law Articles
Tenants handed human rights boost
(commentary on Kay v UK)
R. Bury
[2010] 24 September Inside Housing p5
To read the article, click here.
Housing Benefit Law Update
B. Harris, D. Rutledge and D. Watkinson
[2010] September Legal Action 11
Recent Developments in Housing Law
N. Madge and J. Luba
[2010] September Legal Action 11
Housing Law Books
Defending Possession Proceedings
The new (seventh) edition of Defending Possession Proceedings by Jan Luba QC, John Gallagher, Derek McConnell and Nic Madge runs to over 1000 pages and was published last month. Price: £55.00. For full details, click here.
Housing Allocation and Homelessness
The new (second) edition of Housing Allocation and Homelessness: Law and Practice by Jan Luba QC and Liz Davies has been published. Price: £50.00.
For full details, click here.
To read an independent review, click here.
Repairs: tenants' rights
The new (fourth) edition of Repairs: tenants' rights by Jan Luba QC, Deirdre Forster and Beatrice Prevatt has been published. Price: £45.00. For full details, click here.
To watch an independent review, click here.
To read an independent review, click here.
Housing Law Handbook - 10% off
The Housing Law Handbook, edited by Stephen Cottle and written by other members of the Garden Court Housing Team, covers possession proceedings, homelessness rights, the allocation of social housing, and other routes into housing. To claim your 10% discount, order online and quote promotion code GCTHLH when prompted.
To read an independent review, click here.
Housing Law Events
This Week
30 September 2010
Preventing Homelessness and Protecting Homeowners National Conference 2010
A Lime Legal event in London
For more details, click here.
This Autumn
7 October 2010
Social Housing Allocation Conference 2010
A Lime Legal event in London
For more details, click here.
14 October 2010
Judicial Review Conference
A leading team from Garden Court Chambers will give an up-to-date overview of all aspects of judicial review including housing law, together with practical advice on how to apply the law successfully.
For full details, click here.
14 October 2010
Anti-social Behaviour and Social Housing Conference 2010
A Lime Legal event in London
For more details, click here.
21 October 2010
Anti Social Behaviour Possession Claims and Injunctions
A Garden Court Chambers evening seminar
For the details, click here.
11 November 2010
Gypsies, Travellers and Unauthorised Encampments
A Garden Court Chambers evening seminar
For the details, click here.
17 November 2010
The Housing Law Update 2010
An HLPA General Meeting in London
For the details, click here.
30 November 2010
Residential Landlord & Tenant Conference
A Professional Conferences event in London
For the details, click here.
1 December 2010
Housing Management Conference 2010
A Lime Legal conference in London
For the details, click here.
15 December 2010
HLPA Annual Conference
A London Conference
For the details, click here.
