Landlords face new duty due to ASB showdown

ALMO race discrimination case puts council in dock

An arm’s-length management organisation employee has told an employment tribunal that he faced repeated racial discrimination from colleagues over a seven-year period, between 2003 and 2010, in a landmark legal case.

FIT fight

Housing officer in jail threat over ant infestation

One of the England’s highest paid housing officers is being threatened with jail for contempt of court for allegedly failing to carry out agreed pest control work on a tenant’s home.

Government loses appeal over FIT rate

The Supreme Court has today rejected the government’s attempt to appeal against two previous court rulings that it acted unlawfully in cutting solar subsidies retrospectively in December.

In the depths of despair

Squatters often live in horrific and dangerous conditions but criminalising them is not the answer, says Jeremy Swain

Catch the pigeon

Landlords face tough penalties if they fail to deal thoroughly with infestations by insects or animals, says Giles Peaker

Acting with conviction

Squatting could soon be criminalised but awareness of current laws is crucial, says Sarah Lines, social housing lawyer at Cobbetts

Guarding empty homes

Landlords should seek legal advice before hiring ‘guardian’ services to protect their property, says Ben Halsey, senior associate at Lewis Silkin

Blame game

Should landlords evict tenants if they or a member of their household is convicted of riot-related crimes, asks Yetunde Dania.

Take care

A person who lacks the mental capacity to enter a tenancy agreement may still be entitled to housing benefit, says Robert Latham