Friday, 25 May 2012

Inside Housing
Legal

Stories with this category.

  • Landlords warn they can’t monitor 4m households

    25/05/2012

    Landlords fear they will be forced to track the income of millions of tenants as part of controversial ‘pay to stay’ proposals for higher-earning households.

  • New powers

    25/05/2012

    Squatting in residential properties is now a criminal offence, says Joanne Young

  • Tougher means

    25/05/2012

    Tenants want quick and effective action against anti-social behaviour, not soft measures

  • Welsh councils could quit HRA by the end of 2012

    24/05/2012

    Councils in Wales could be allowed to leave the unwieldy housing finance system by the end of this year, the Welsh housing minister has revealed.

  • Locality rule exemption to be restricted to rioting

    24/05/2012

    Proposals to make it easier to evict tenants if they have been involved in criminal behaviour away from their homes will only apply if there has been a riot.

  • Merger could create 13,000-home northern giant

    24/05/2012

    Two north-west housing associations have begun talks over a potential merger that would create a new group responsible for more than 13,500 homes.

  • MP to continue fight against ‘legal loan sharks’

    24/05/2012

    An MP campaigning for tougher controls on payday lending has vowed to take her fight to the House of Lords after MPs rejected her plans.

  • Government names universal credit pathfinder

    24/05/2012

    Welfare reforms that will see a range of benefits lumped together into a single payment are to be introduced in Greater Manchester and Cheshire six months ahead of national roll out.

  • London mayor announces housing board members

    23/05/2012

    Mayor of London Boris Johnson has announced the members of the board that will oversee his £3 billion housing budget for the capital.

  • Bournemouth Council plans allocations change

    23/05/2012

    Bournemouth Council will decide today on whether to change its allocation policy to bring down the number of people on its waiting list.

  • Landlords concerned by anti-social behaviour plans

    23/05/2012

    The government should not scrap an anti-social behaviour injunction until its replacement is proven, the National Housing Federation has warned.

  • Anti-social tenants face fast track evictions

    22/05/2012

    Tenants will face fast track evictions if they or a member of their household has a previous conviction for anti-social behaviour, under plans announced today.

  • Welsh Government to help first-time buyers

    22/05/2012

    The Welsh Government will provide guarantees for mortgages for first-time buyers, the Welsh finance minister will announce later today.

  • Scots seek to limit impact of UK welfare reforms

    22/05/2012

    Scotland’s very own welfare reform bill will start its progress through the Scottish Parliament tomorrow.

  • Ministers to set out anti-social behaviour plans

    22/05/2012

    Plans to give communities more power to address anti-social behaviour are to be set out later today.

  • Wales plans to end family homelessness

    21/05/2012

    The Welsh Government has unveiled plans to end family homelessness by 2019 in its housing white paper published today.

  • Accreditation for landlords coming soon

    18/05/2012

    The Welsh government will outline plans for compulsory registering of private landlords in a white paper on Monday.

  • Court ruling could force rethink on bedroom tax

    18/05/2012

    The government could be forced to make changes to its controversial bedroom tax policy following a Court of Appeal ruling this week.

  • Decisive response

    18/05/2012

    Two cases show that courts will act robustly if tenants abuse the litigation process, says Jane Plant

  • Helena loses £6m tax appeal

    18/05/2012

    A stock transfer housing association has lost an Appeal Court case against a multimillion-pound tax bill.

  • Performance review

    18/05/2012

    The HCA’s new regulatory regime will focus on landlords’ governance and financial viability. Ian Davis and John Maton from Trowers and Hamlins explain.

  • SHG's plans rejected for damaging heritage sites

    17/05/2012

    Southern Housing Group’s plans for a 121-home housing scheme were rejected on appeal after an inspector found they would harm heritage assets.

  • Homeless man tells court of dramatic escape bid

    17/05/2012

    A homeless man plunged into a canal in a bid to escape a family of Travellers who were holding him captive, a court heard this week.

  • Watchdog criticises lack of action on subletting

    17/05/2012

    The government’s spending watchdog has criticised housing associations for not using a data matching system to identify homes that have been sublet unlawfully.

  • Fatal Derby house fire was started with petrol

    16/05/2012

    The fire in a Derby council house in which six children died was started by petrol below the letterbox in the hallway.

  • Housing stalwart gets policy review brief

    16/05/2012

    Housing stalwart and former Inside Housing columnist Jon Cruddas is to co-ordinate Labour’s policy review.

  • Report questions legality of household benefit cap

    15/05/2012

    The government may have broken equality laws when introducing the total household benefits cap, according to watchdog the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

  • Judgement to force changes to benefit rules

    15/05/2012

    Housing benefit rules for private rented tenants discriminate against disabled people and will have to be changed, the Court of Appeal has ruled.

  • Mayor to decide on dog track plans

    14/05/2012

    The mayor of London has until 25 May to decide whether to allow London & Quadrant to build homes on the site of a former iconic dog track.

  • Welsh government sets 12,500 home building goal

    14/05/2012

    The Welsh government has set a target of building 12,500 new homes in the country by 2016.

  • A compassionate ruling

    11/05/2012

    The High Court relied on human rights legislation to overturn a decision on end-of-life care. David Renton, barrister at Garden Court Chambers, explains

  • G15 hits back at IDS attack on dog track plans

    11/05/2012

    The chair of the G15 umbrella group has hit back at Iain Duncan Smith’s attack on a housing association for failing to include social rented homes in a proposed new development.

  • Rewriting the rule book

    11/05/2012

    Forty-one elected police commissioners are set to take charge of the fight against crime and anti-social behaviour in England and Wales. Lydia Stockdale finds out how landlords can become a key part of the new regime

  • Teaming up with the Met

    11/05/2012

    What happened when a housing association joined its local police force to improve the response to anti-social behaviour? Simon Brandon finds out

  • Wrong move

    11/05/2012

    Re-housing tenants hundreds of miles from their home area can be damaging and it may also be illegal, says Nnenna Morah

  • Supported housing reforms have 'shortcomings'

    10/05/2012

    The minister in charge of welfare reform has said the proposed system for administering housing benefit for people in supported housing has ‘shortcomings’.

  • Housing 'left out of Queen's speech'

    10/05/2012

    The Queen’s speech has provoked mixed reaction from the sector as housing was largely left out of the government’s priorities for the next parliamentary session.

  • Silent speech

    09/05/2012

    It’s hard to know whether it’s good news or bad news that there is so little legislation affecting housing in the new parliamentary session.

  • Government to publish care and support bill

    09/05/2012

    The Queen has announced the government’s intention to publish a draft care and support bill in the coming parliamentary session.

  • Lords reform raises concerns for social care bill

    09/05/2012

    Plans to reform elderly care look set to be downplayed when the government unveils its legislative programme for the next session of parliament today.

  • Planners approve L&Q's dog track plans

    09/05/2012

    Controversial plans to build a housing estate on the site of a former iconic dog track in London have been given the green light.

  • Charity campaign targets unlawful letting charges

    07/05/2012

    Shelter Scotland is launching a new campaign to help private sector tenants reclaim fees unlawfully charged by letting agents.

  • Labour victory in Wales

    04/05/2012

    Labour has made big gains right across Wales, emerging as the only major winner of the night.

  • ‘Call us Mum and Dad’, Travellers tell homeless ‘slaves’

    04/05/2012

    A homeless man was forced to work for a Traveller family and ordered to refer to his alleged captors as ‘mum and dad’, a court heard on Monday.

  • A charitable case for relief

    04/05/2012

    Exemptions from CIL are available but it’s advisable to check the details, says Mark Burrows, associate at Penningtons Solicitors

  • Landlords warned off bedroom tax loophole

    04/05/2012

    Landlords risk breaching loan agreements if they reclassify properties to protect their tenants from the ‘bedroom tax’.

  • Residents consider legal action after data blunder

    04/05/2012

    Tenants who complained about anti-social behaviour on their estate are considering legal action against their London landlord after their personal details were passed to the 10 ASB offenders.

  • Safe from harm

    04/05/2012

    A new tool will help landlords use the courts to tackle anti-social behaviour, says Helen Tucker

  • The right to justice

    04/05/2012

    Cuts to legal aid will have a devastating impact on people with housing problems

  • Council wrong to refuse housing to dying man

    03/05/2012

    The High Court has ruled a council’s decision not to house a dying homeless man was unlawful.

  • Woman convicted over tower block blaze deaths

    02/05/2012

    A woman has been convicted of two counts of manslaughter after she started a fire at a block of flats which killed two women.

  • Tenant to be evicted for behaviour of partner

    02/05/2012

    A housing association has won a possession order against a tenant as a result of crimes and anti-social behaviour committed by her partner.

  • Squatting criminalised as legal aid bill becomes law

    02/05/2012

    Plans to criminalise squatting and restrict access to legal aid for all but the most serious housing cases have become law.

  • Woman jailed for fraudulent housing claim

    01/05/2012

    A woman who used a false passport to fraudulently obtain a social home has been jailed for eight months.

  • Pickles reiterates benefits of scrapping Audit Commission

    30/04/2012

    The abolition of the Audit Commission will save almost three times more than expected, the communities secretary said today.

  • Council sent complainants' details to ASB offenders

    30/04/2012

    Police are patrolling an estate around the clock after a council sent details of residents who complained of anti-social behaviour to the perpetrators.

  • Government to set up 'beds in sheds' task force

    30/04/2012

    Government plans to tackle ‘beds in sheds’ have been unveiled.

  • Petition seeks legal duty to support single homeless

    27/04/2012

    Crisis is calling for the government to change the law to force local authorities to help single homeless people.

  • Fears welfare reforms will increase fast-track evictions

    27/04/2012

    Landlords will fast-track possession claims using ‘draconian’ legal measures to defend their businesses against the impact of welfare reform, the government was warned this week.

  • Government seeks to stop London exodus

    27/04/2012

    Government plans to stop local authorities housing vulnerable people hundreds of miles from their home area could prove ‘impossible’, councils have warned.

  • Sound rulings

    27/04/2012

    The Court of Appeal won’t interfere when judges have used their discretion well, says Dorota Pawlowski

  • Uncertain times for tenants

    27/04/2012

    Co-operatives need clarification over tenure regime for members, says Brynmor Adams, barrister at Five Paper

  • Legal aid cuts threaten thousands of children

    25/04/2012

    Campaigners have warned thousands of children could be hit by restrictions on legal aid in housing cases.

  • Committee calls for Welsh house building target

    25/04/2012

    A Welsh Government committee has called for an affordable housing target for the country.

  • Redressing the balance

    20/04/2012

    An equal pay claim ruling will affect the culture of ALMOs and councils, says Jack Harrington, partner at Pannone

  • Testing the limits

    20/04/2012

    There’s little to be gained by taking proportionality arguments on evictions to court, says Jane Plant

  • The downsizing dilemma

    20/04/2012

    Next April housing benefit recipients under-occupying social homes will be forced to choose between paying a penalty or moving to a smaller property. Here Jules Birch examines the impact on tenants and landlords in the rural south west, where alternative homes are in short supply

  • Homeless men 'treated as slaves' by Travellers

    19/04/2012

    Homeless men were beaten and exploited by a Traveller family who kept them captive, shaved their heads and forced them into work, a court has heard.

  • Landlord wins tribunal over £5m repair row

    19/04/2012

    Leaseholders of eight blocks of maisonettes which underwent a £5 million repair and refurbishment have lost their bid to avoid paying thousands of pounds towards the cost of the work.

  • Car dealer hit with fine over benefit fraud

    17/04/2012

    A man who bought and sold cars worth up to £540,000 has been found guilty of benefit fraud after failing to declare money earned while trading.

  • Council issues eviction warning to tenants

    17/04/2012

    A London council has warned tenants they face eviction from their homes if family members or visitors to their properties commit crime or anti-social behaviour.

  • Appeal court backs landlord over family eviction

    16/04/2012

    A landlord which won the backing of the Court of Appeal to evict a mother of seven following her husband’s conviction for hard drugs, has taken back control of the family home.

  • Tenants in court battle against council

    13/04/2012

    Residents in Barnet have launched a court case against their council over plans to introduce a floating warden to sheltered accommodation.

  • Council faces tenancy agreements court threat

    13/04/2012

    Tenants are planning to take Hackney Council to the High Court in a bid to halt changes to their tenancy agreements.

  • Lambeth tenants challenge evictions

    13/04/2012

    Up to 30 housing co-operatives in London are joining forces to fight attempts by a council to evict hundreds of people from their homes.

  • The stamp of approval

    13/04/2012

    Councils are expected to allow development wherever possible

  • Getting up to speed

    10/04/2012

    With little progress on calls for an exemption, developing social landlords need to be aware of new procurement rules, says Bill Hull

  • More partnership working could help tackle ASB

    05/04/2012

    Greater knowledge of social housing powers and more partnership working could improve the effectiveness of police handling of anti-social behaviour cases, a report has found.

  • Cleared Fabrick boss returns to work

    05/04/2012

    A senior housing director is set to return to work after being cleared of conspiring to supply cocaine.

  • Councils fail domestic violence victims

    05/04/2012

    Victims of domestic violence who need to be re-housed are being turned away by cash-strapped councils.

  • Harm’s way

    05/04/2012

    A new tool will help landlords improve community life by tackling anti-social behaviour, says Sarah Pearson

  • The harassment minefield

    05/04/2012

    Landlords which chase debts reasonably don’t need to fear legal action, says Matthew Lake, solicitor at Weightmans LLP

  • Sector backs plans to criminalise tenancy fraud

    04/04/2012

    Plans to create a new criminal offence for people who commit tenancy fraud have been broadly welcomed by the sector.

  • Legal bid launched to save homes from rail threat

    03/04/2012

    A group of councils has launched a judicial review of the government’s decision to press ahead with a £33 billion rail project which could destroy hundreds of homes.

  • £250,000 damage arson tenant jailed

    02/04/2012

    A tenant who set fire to the flat he privately rented above a petrol station following a row with his landlord has been jailed for four-and-a-half years.

  • Back to Blair

    02/04/2012

    Labour’s focus on crime in its local election campaign all sounds rather familiar.

  • Offenders 'should repair damage to communities'

    02/04/2012

    More offenders who commit crimes in the area where they live should be expected to repair damage caused and meet their victims, the Labour Party leader has said.

  • Letting agent fined over housing benefit data

    02/04/2012

    A Slough letting agent and one of its directors have been found guilty of unlawfully obtaining details about their tenants’ housing benefit from a rogue employee at Slough Council.

  • Caring is sharing

    30/03/2012

    More effective data-sharing between local authorities and housing providers can help tackle problems such as unlawful sub-letting

  • Out in the open

    30/03/2012

    As the housing minister calls for transparency, Victoria Jardine says associations are already subject to disclosure requirements

  • Ruling hands ALMO £10m

    30/03/2012

    A landmark legal ruling on solar subsidies will result in a £10 million profit for an arm’s-length management organisation.

  • Unlocking the green code

    30/03/2012

    Green leases are becoming more common for social landlords with commercial property, says Ben Halsey, senior associate at Lewis Silkin

  • Housing director cleared of cocaine charge

    29/03/2012

    A senior housing director has been cleared of conspiracy to supply cocaine.

  • Armed robber evicted from home

    28/03/2012

    A housing association has gained a possession order against a tenant who allowed friends to live at his home while he was in police custody for an armed robbery.

  • Investigation into flat explosion ongoing

    28/03/2012

    An investigation into an explosion and fire in a council flat where a woman was found dead has yet to reveal a cause.

  • Government loses appeal over FIT rate

    23/03/2012

    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.

  • Cutting tenancies short

    23/03/2012

    The judgement in a starter tenancy possession case is good news for landlords, says Josephine Sharrock, solicitor, Brabners Chaffe Street

  • Housing director gave impotence drug to friends

    23/03/2012

    A senior housing director accused of supplying friends with cocaine was actually providing them with a herbal impotence drug that her police officer husband regularly used, a court has heard.

  • New rules

    23/03/2012

    The Charities Act 2006 will affect landlords registered as Industrial and Provident Societies, says Elizabeth Davis

  • One in a million

    23/03/2012

    Each year thousands of high-risk offenders are released onto London’s streets to complete their sentences. Here, Lydia Stockdale talks to the man whose work to settle them back into the community won him last year’s Butler Bursary

  • Man charged with stealing his own water tank

    22/03/2012

    A man is due in court accused of stealing a copper water tank from his own council flat and selling it for scrap.

  • Court backs council in Travellers' housing row

    22/03/2012

    The Court of Appeal has ruled that a council’s offer of bricks and mortar accommodation to homeless Travellers was appropriate and did not destroy their culture.

  • Lawyers warn allocation guidance lacks detail

    22/03/2012

    Housing lawyers have warned that draft guidance on the allocation of social housing falls short of providing councils with the detailed information they need.

  • Peer withdraws attempt to change squatting law

    21/03/2012

    A peer has withdrawn amendments to a bill which seeks to ban squatting after assurances were given that they could be brought back at a later stage of the debate.

  • Cause for concern

    20/03/2012

    A recent security breach highlights why social housing providers should consider how they handle data, say legal experts Alison Deighton and Amy Carswell

  • Woman found dead after council flat explodes

    20/03/2012

    A woman has died and a man is fighting for his life following an explosion and fire in a council flat.

  • Olympics could provide tenancy fraud headache

    20/03/2012

    Experts on tackling tenancy fraud have questioned whether it will be possible to take action against tenants who sublet their properties during the Olympics.

  • Court told poor work led to carbon monoxide death

    16/03/2012

    ‘Sub-standard and badly-managed work’ contributed to the death of a young woman who died after being overcome by carbon monoxide fumes, a court heard today.

  • Peer tables amendment to remove squatting ban

    16/03/2012

    A peer has tabled an amendment to the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill which calls for the banning of squatting to be removed from it completely.

  • Subletting tenant sentenced to 16 weeks in prison

    16/03/2012

    A council tenant has been sentenced to 16 weeks in prison for subletting a local authority-owned property.

  • Buyer’s market

    16/03/2012

    New procurement legislation aims to make it easier for small housing organisations to compete for contracts

  • Construct a greener future

    16/03/2012

    Building regulations are being tightened in a bid to protect the environment, says Catherine Parker, solicitor at Trowers & Hamlins

  • Difficult choices

    16/03/2012

    Questions remain over the way sex offenders are housed but small, specialist providers have shown they have an important contribution to make

  • Girl’s murder sparks tightening of procedures

    16/03/2012

    The horrific murder of a teenage girl by a serial sex attacker in Leeds has prompted a national shake-up of measures which track the movements of dangerous ex-offenders.

  • Landlord warned of fire risk a year before blaze

    16/03/2012

    A social landlord which saw a fire rip through the roofspace of a large sheltered housing scheme was warned one year ago firestopping in the roof was not good enough.

  • Pickles: councils lack will to tackle ‘beds in sheds'

    15/03/2012

    The communities secretary has accused councils of lacking the ‘willpower’ to tackle rogue private landlords who set up temporary dwellings in back gardens.

  • CIH publishes guide to tackling tenancy fraud

    15/03/2012

    The Chartered Institute of Housing has published a best practice guide on tackling tenancy fraud.

  • An explosive crime

    14/03/2012

    There are occasions when damage to a house cannot be said to have been the fault of the tenant, landlord or contractor.

  • Ujima profit plan attacked as 'nonsense' in court

    14/03/2012

    An agreement to remove profit from a maintenance company after just six months was branded ‘nonsense’ by a witness in a court trial.

  • Two thirds of councils miss all tenancy fraud cases

    14/03/2012

    Seventy one per cent of councils in Britain did not detect a single instance of tenancy fraud last year despite an estimated 28,000 cases in local authority stock.

  • Bungalow explodes after copper pipe theft

    13/03/2012

    A housing association bungalow has exploded after copper thieves stole piping used for the property’s gas supply.

  • Two year sentence for false passport fraudster

    13/03/2012

    A benefit fraudster has been sentenced to two years in jail after using a fake French passport to claim £100,000 in payments.

  • Sign up for our webinar on tackling tenancy fraud

    12/03/2012

    Inside Housing is running a free webinar on identifying and tackling tenancy fraud with data services company Experian next week.

  • Investigation into sheltered housing blaze

    09/03/2012

    An investigation has been launched into the cause of a fire at a social landlord-run sheltered accommodation block.

  • ‘My son’s death haunts me every day’

    09/03/2012

    The brutal murder of eight-year-old Mark Cummings prompted a group of social landlords to question Scotland’s policy on housing sex offenders. Here, Martin Hilditch reports on their long battle for information and the consequences of their campaign

  • Pathfinder court battle looks likely

    09/03/2012

    A group campaigning to prevent the demolition of thousands of homes looks set to take its battle to the High Court after it applied for a judge to grant a judicial review.

  • Pause for thought

    09/03/2012

    Consider the drawbacks before becoming a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation, warns Anne Swarbrick, head of charities at Anderson Strathern Solicitors

  • Sex offenders forced into shared houses

    09/03/2012

    Paedophiles and rapists who used to receive payments enabling them to live on their own could be moved into shared homes with women and children, due to housing benefit reforms.

  • Government's welfare reforms become law

    08/03/2012

    Fundamental changes to the housing benefit system have become law after the Welfare Reform Bill received royal assent.

  • Former Ujima boss in court as £3.5m trial begins

    08/03/2012

    The former chief executive of Ujima Housing Association, Keith Kerr, has appeared in Southwark Crown Court, charged with three counts, ‘a theft, a fraud and a forgery’ amounting to £3.5 million.

  • Lords abandon new bid for statutory welfare review

    06/03/2012

    A renewed attempt to get an independent review of the impact of the government’s welfare reforms enshrined in law has been abandoned.

  • 'Innocent' texts of housing boss on cocaine charge

    02/03/2012

    A high flying housing executive accused of using text messages to supply friends with cocaine may have been referring to her son Charlie, her defence has argued.

  • Man jailed for setting fire to homeless men

    02/03/2012

    A man has been found guilty of murder and assault after he set fire to two homeless people who were living in a lock-up garage.

  • Catch the pigeon

    02/03/2012

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

  • Divided ambitions

    02/03/2012

    When Eric Pickles axed the regional planning system, one Hertfordshire council seized the opportunity to scupper a neighbouring authority’s development plans. Simon Brandon kicks off our south east special by examining the consequences.

  • Legal legroom

    02/03/2012

    Use the Tenancy Deposit Scheme and say goodbye to expensive court cases

  • Plot to strip landlords of ASB injunction

    02/03/2012

    A government minister has ruled out retaining anti-social behaviour injunctions for social landlords, prompting uncertainty about how the social housing sector will be able to tackle problem tenants.

  • The order of importance

    02/03/2012

    The Localism Act allows councils to decide who they allocate homes to, but beware of discrimination, warns Samantha Hall, senior associate at Trowers & Hamlins

  • Last post

    01/03/2012

    And so, having ‘done this to death’, the bedroom tax and the Welfare Reform Bill have passed their final parliamentary hurdle.

  • Welfare bill to become law as Lord Best backs down

    01/03/2012

    The Welfare Reform Bill has completed its passage through parliament after Lord Freud appeased peers by promising to review the impact of the bedroom tax.

  • Electrical safety warning to private landlords

    29/02/2012

    Private rented sector tenants are being exposed to serious electrical dangers through confusion over responsibilities on the part of landlords, a group has warned.

  • Fresh concerns raised over stadium plans

    28/02/2012

    English Heritage has again raised concerns about a housing association’s plans to build on the site of a former iconic dog track.

  • Avoid the levy

    24/02/2012

    Social landlords should be exempt from paying the community infrastructure levy, but they must be vigilant, says Karen Howe

  • Government faces court over demolition plans

    24/02/2012

    A campaign group has issued a legal challenge after the government sanctioned £71 million of public money earmarked for regeneration to be spent demolishing more than 5,000 homes.

  • Left with diddly squat

    24/02/2012

    The government’s bid to criminalise squatting means the weakest members of society face a bleak future, says Julie Fawcett

  • Now it’s time to take notice

    24/02/2012

    Landlords must ensure they are not caught out by changes to building contract payments, says Kim Teichmann, associate at Thomas Eggar

  • Ujima fraud trial set to get underway

    23/02/2012

    The trial of the former chief executive of defunct housing association Ujima is set to begin on Monday 27 February after legal proceedings on an alleged £3.5 million fraud case got underway yesterday.

  • Where next for the green deal?

    22/02/2012

    As the government ponders its response to the green deal consultation, Bill Hull, from law firm TLT, examines the key areas of interest for registered providers

  • Fed warns bedroom tax vote will increase poverty

    22/02/2012

    The government’s rejection of proposals to protect vulnerable people from the bedroom tax risks pushing thousands of families in social housing into poverty, it has been warned.

  • NHF targets Lib Dem MPs in bedroom tax battle

    21/02/2012

    The National Housing Federation is urging people to tweet Liberal Democrat MPs to persuade them to support an amendment aimed at watering down the government’s controversial ‘bedroom tax’.

  • Going spare

    17/02/2012

    The government’s contentious ‘bedroom tax’ on under-occupying tenants is set to become law this month. Alex Turner looks at the disproportionate effect it’s likely to have in the north

  • Housing director in cocaine case

    17/02/2012

    A senior director at a housing group was supplying friends with cocaine obtained from her detective husband who used police records to stay ahead of the law, a court has heard.

  • Legal fear over new ASB power

    17/02/2012

    Landlords in Wales could face lengthy legal challenges when evicting anti-social tenants if judges are not briefed adequately, according to housing sector representatives.

  • Strike while the iron’s hot

    17/02/2012

    Landlords have until 12 December to deliver carbon emission and energy savings targets. Christopher Paul, partner at Trowers & Hamlins explains

  • Take care

    17/02/2012

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

  • Council considering legal challenge against HS2

    16/02/2012

    Camden Council will launch a legal challenge if plans for a high speed rail line between London and the midlands go-ahead.

  • Woman jailed over housing benefit fraud

    15/02/2012

    A woman has been jailed for eight months after she was found guilty of 12 counts of housing benefit and council tax fraud worth more than £100,000.

  • Teenager jailed despite ALMO support

    15/02/2012

    A teenager who was supported by an arm’s-length management organisation to leave a gang has been banned from a local authority area after he was found with a knife.

  • Join our forum on building strong communities

    14/02/2012

    Neighbourhoods will go under the microscope this week as the housing sector looks at ways of building stronger communities.

  • Pickles decides not to fight planning claim

    13/02/2012

    Communities secretary Eric Pickles will not fight the claim that he acted unlawfully when turning down planning permission for 2,000 new homes.

  • Housing boss in court on drug charge

    13/02/2012

    A director of a housing organisation is to stand trial accused of conspiring to supply class A drugs.

  • Call made for Lords to fight squatting ban

    13/02/2012

    A homelessness charity is urging the House of Lords to not criminalise squatting ahead of its reading on proposed changes to legislation this week.

  • Not a sticking plaster

    12/02/2012

    Efforts to tackle anti-social behaviour can seem like fire fighting. It’s expensive to take a more comprehensive and long-term approach by working with a single family to get to the root of their problems. But, as Tony Powell, executive director of neighbourhoods at New Charter Housing Trust, explains, the effect can be transformative.

  • Side effects

    10/02/2012

    Welfare reform may be the biggest challenge facing the sector, but its nature is still uncertain.

  • No magic solution

    10/02/2012

    Proposals to make it easier to evict anti-social tenants are unlikely to work, says Angela Jack, barrister at Five Paper

  • Up to scratch

    10/02/2012

    Duties around property maintenance have now been enshrined in Scottish law, says Ruth McNaught

  • Welfare reform calendar 2011 – 2013

    10/02/2012

    The Welfare Reform Bill is about to receive royal assent and will radically alter the benefits system. Now the government has beaten the Lords, Carl Brown explains why it is important that landlords prepare for the changes

  • Legal warning to landlord over care at home

    08/02/2012

    One of the country’s largest care and support landlords has been told it must make urgent improvements to standards of care at one of its homes or face legal action.

  • Man accused of kidnap to appear in court in May

    08/02/2012

    A man accused of kidnapping a 10-year-old boy who was later found in a housing association flat will return to court in May.

  • Landlord fined for renting unsafe property

    08/02/2012

    A landlord who flouted fire safety rules while renting out an unlicensed home has been fined following an investigation by housing officers.

  • Man due in court over alleged kidnapping

    07/02/2012

    A man is due to appear in court tomorrow accused of kidnapping a 10-year-old boy who was later found in a housing association flat.

  • New energy secretary urged to resolve FIT row

    06/02/2012

    Friends of the Earth has called on the newly installed energy secretary to step up and sort out ‘the mess’ over solar subsidies.

  • Landlords to consider ASB when allocating homes

    06/02/2012

    Landlords in Scotland will be able to take into account anti-social behaviour when allocating tenancies under new plans outlined by the Scottish Government.

  • Anger as government halts welfare bill changes

    03/02/2012

    The government has come under fire for seeking to use a parliamentary mechanism to prevent further attempts by the House of Lords to change the Welfare Reform Bill.

  • Watchdog shuts down sale and rent back market

    03/02/2012

    The Financial Services Authority has shut down the market for businesses that buy homes from struggling homeowners and then rent them back to them.

  • Exit strategy

    03/02/2012

    Tenants are wholly responsible for exercising break clauses, says Matthew Lake

  • Scots councils fear homeless backlash

    03/02/2012

    Councils in Scotland fear they will face legal challenges next year if they fail to house everyone who approaches them as homeless.

  • Window of opportunity

    03/02/2012

    Last month’s court ruling means landlords may have a few weeks to claim the pre-cut feed-in tariff rate, says Rob Beiley, partner at Trowers & Hamlins

  • Small mercies

    02/02/2012

    Yesterday’s events in the House of Commons have left me looking for some good news among the bad.

  • Council house fraud raids lead to five arrests

    01/02/2012

    A series of morning raids on council homes in Southwark have resulted in five arrests for fraud and immigration offences.

  • Agencies to pilot anti-social behaviour 'trigger'

    31/01/2012

    The government is to pilot the use of a ‘community trigger’ to force agencies to take action against anti-social behaviour.

  • Home secretary to reveal plans to fight ASB

    30/01/2012

    Plans to give communities more protection from anti-social behaviour are to be revealed today by the home secretary.

  • Middle ground

    27/01/2012

    A proposed definition of intermediate market rent needs expanding or landlords could risk breaching new standards, says Jonathan Cox

  • The great divide

    27/01/2012

    Making the sub-letting of social homes a criminal offence unfairly singles out the sector, says Andrew Heywood

  • The transfer window

    27/01/2012

    Be aware of employees’ rights when a change of service provision occurs, warns Marc Long, partner at Clarke Willmott

  • Fool's gold

    26/01/2012

    Call me old fashioned, but I think there is something to be said for at least trying to be the bigger person in an argument.

  • Huhne defends Supreme Court appeal bid

    26/01/2012

    The government has defended its challenge to a High Court ruling that a decision to reduce payments to the feed-in-tariff was ‘legally flawed’.

  • Government to take FIT fight to Supreme Court

    25/01/2012

    The government is seeking to take the fight over cuts to the feed-in-tariff all the way to the Supreme Court after losing an appeal against a High Court ruling that the deadline was ‘legally flawed’.

  • Tenancies demoted for parents of ASB children

    24/01/2012

    Residents whose children committed a hate crime against a housing association tenant with learning disabilities have been stripped of their assured tenancies for a year.

  • The other Bill

    20/01/2012

    As we gear up for more battles over the Welfare Reform Bill in the House of Lords, it’s worth remembering it’s not the only controversial Bill currently before their lordships that will have a big effect on housing.

  • Big Issue case could help homeless access benefits

    20/01/2012

    Big Issue sellers who have been denied access to housing benefit could reapply following a court ruling, a legal centre has advised.

  • Battling fraud

    20/01/2012

    New proposals to tackle sub-letting should include grounds for possession to bring stock back into use, says Colin Hammond, head of housing litigation at Penningtons Solicitors

  • Council u-turn over eviction of riot teen

    19/01/2012

    Wandsworth Council has backed down over plans to evict the family of a man convicted of rioting from their council home.

  • Romanian Big Issue seller wins benefit fight

    18/01/2012

    A Big Issue seller has won the right to claim housing benefit after winning a landmark court case.

  • Group to call on Cameron to resolve FIT row

    13/01/2012

    An environmental campaign group will call on prime minister David Cameron to personally intervene to resolve the ongoing legal clash between the government and solar bodies over its early cut to solar subsidies.

  • Wise old owls

    13/01/2012

    Friday 13: a diary date that is usually associated with colossal misfortune.

  • Social housing PV unviable unless FIT rates double

    13/01/2012

    Incentive payments for electricity generated from solar panels need to be set at nearly double the proposed rate for installations to remain viable for social landlords, according to research.

  • Tenant lay dead in flat for one year

    13/01/2012

    A tenant lay dead in his housing association flat for up to a year until his remains were discovered by electricians.

  • Caught out

    13/01/2012

    Social landlords should consider instructing investigators when they suspect fraud, say Samantha Darlington and Neil Lawlor

  • Illegal sub-letting will be hard to prove

    13/01/2012

    Landlords could struggle to prove sub-letting tenants are acting illegally, making proposed new powers difficult to enforce, sector figures have warned.

  • Landlords await feed-in tariff ruling

    13/01/2012

    Social landlords and solar lobbyists will today find out whether the government has successfully appealed a High Court ruling that an early cut to solar subsidies was illegal.

  • Make plans crystal clear

    13/01/2012

    Landlords face needless court action if they fail to consult tenants properly, says Robert Wassall, head of social housing at Blake Lapthorn

  • Mother of rioter told to plead for her home

    13/01/2012

    A council has softened its stance towards a mother fighting eviction from her home after her son was jailed this week for burglary during the summer’s riots.

  • Telling it like it is

    13/01/2012

    Boredom, social inequality, education, lack of opportunity. Were these the causes of August’s English riots? Ahead of next month’s publication of The Riot Report, members of the study’s sounding board give their verdicts to Lydia Stockdale

  • The fight against fraud

    13/01/2012

    Grant Shapps is not the first housing minister to take aim at unlawful sub-letters in social housing.

  • Public body fears hold back subletting plans

    12/01/2012

    The government is holding back from giving housing associations the same powers to tackle subletting as local authorities due to fears over their status.

  • Ready for lift off

    11/01/2012

    House builders must be ready to react if government initiatives deliver a boost to the sector, says property expert Rebecca Kibby

  • Double standards

    11/01/2012

    Two men with double barrelled names admit their guilt. One gets ridicule and a caution and says sorry to his family. The other?

  • Armed siege in ALMO tower block ends in arrest

    11/01/2012

    A man has been arrested following an armed siege at an arms-length management run tower block.

  • Subletting crackdown to criminalise tenancy fraud

    11/01/2012

    The government is proposing to create a new criminal offence of tenancy fraud to crack down on the subletting of social housing.

  • Eviction threat as rioter sentenced to 11 months

    10/01/2012

    The mother of a convicted rioter will have to plead her case against eviction after her son was sentenced to 11 months in a young offender’s institute.

  • 'Armed man' in ALMO tower block siege

    10/01/2012

    A tower block has been cordoned off by police after a man was reported to be holed up in a flat pointing a gun out of a window.

  • Care home staff suspended amid abuse allegations

    10/01/2012

    A care home has suspended four members of staff after an investigation was launched into allegations of physical and verbal abuse of a dementia sufferer.

  • Councillor guilty of housing benefit fraud

    10/01/2012

    A councillor has pleaded guilty to housing benefit fraud – the second time she has been convicted in court.

  • Eviction-threat riot teen to be sentenced

    09/01/2012

    A rioter who faces losing his home after pleading guilty to burglary will be sentenced in court tomorrow.

  • Tax avoidance

    06/01/2012

    A dispute over the cost of amendments to the bedroom tax reveals the true motivation for the policy, says Carl Brown

  • FIT ruling ‘too late’ for sector

    06/01/2012

    Most abandoned social housing solar photovoltaic schemes are unlikely to be revived even if a legal battle leads to government solar subsidy cuts being reversed until April.

  • Rioters given ‘final warning’ possession notices

    06/01/2012

    A local authority has begun eviction proceedings against five households where a tenant has been convicted of a riot-related offence.

  • Rule change

    06/01/2012

    Landlords must prepare for big changes in the way they are regulated, says Ruth McNaught

  • Shout it from the rooftops

    06/01/2012

    Further planning rules under the Localism Act could increase the need to consult residents, says Ben Halsey, senior associate at Lewis Silkin

  • FIT fight

    05/01/2012

    Hold the front page: the government disagrees with the High Court’s ruling that early cut to the feed-in tariff was illegal. Wow. So no one saw that coming?

  • Council loses stock transfer FOI appeal

    04/01/2012

    A local authority has lost an appeal over its refusal to hand over a list of addresses of all council homes to campaigners who were fighting a stock transfer.

  • Care home to discover results of death investigation

    04/01/2012

    A police investigation into the death of an elderly tenant at a housing association-owned care home will decide later this month if any further action is needed.

  • Unresolved issues

    03/01/2012

    Mulled wine induced memory loss appears to have set in at some national news outlets in recent days

  • Government seeking to appeal FIT ruling

    22/12/2011

    The government has said it will appeal a High Court ruling that its consultation into reduced payments to the feed-in-tariff was legally flawed.

  • Campaigners claim FIT legal victory

    21/12/2011

    Campaigners fighting government plans to slash solar subsidies are claiming a major victory in court.

  • Police launch investigation into care home death

    20/12/2011

    A council has launched a joint investigation with police after an elderly woman is thought to have fallen to her death from a window in a housing association-owned care home.

  • Legal challenge to FIT cuts begins

    20/12/2011

    A challenge to government plans to slash payments to the feed-in-tariff has begun in the High Court.

  • Tatchell offers defence for gay marriage row worker

    19/12/2011

    A civil rights campaigner has offered to testify in court to defend a worker who was demoted by a housing association for airing his thoughts on same-sex marriage online.

  • Legal showdown over proposed cuts to FIT

    16/12/2011

    Friends of the Earth and two solar companies are set to clash with the government over its cut to the feed-in-tariff in a legal showdown next Tuesday.

  • Review of the year

    16/12/2011

    What a year. From the economic doom and gloom to the summer’s riots, social landlords have had their work cut out over the past 12 months. Here, Inside Housing looks back at the highs and lows

  • Stuck in the mud

    16/12/2011

    Despite the Localism Act being passed, the role LEPs can play in housing remains uncertain, says Liz Jenkins, partner, and Laura Coates, trainee, at Clyde & Co

  • Lords to ban disgraced peers until cash repaid

    15/12/2011

    A Baroness expenses cheat who was suspended from the House of Lords for claiming second home allowances for a housing association property may not be allowed to return to parliament until she has paid back the money.

  • Council hits private landlord in court

    13/12/2011

    A private landlord has been hit with a fine after failing to fix health and safety hazards in the home he rented to vulnerable tenants.

  • Council continues eviction of riot-teen's family

    13/12/2011

    A council which is threatening to evict a mother and her eight-year-old daughter due to her son taking part in the August riots, is to ramp up its attempt to seek possession of the family home.

  • Legal threat fails to block 6,000 home transfer

    13/12/2011

    Campaigners have dropped a threat to use legal action to halt the transfer of more than 6,000 council homes to a housing association.

  • Eviction-threat teen to be sentenced in January

    12/12/2011

    A teenager who risks being evicted from his home along with his mother and 8-year-old sister will be sentenced for burglary in January.

  • Allocations overhaul to favour ‘responsible’ tenants

    12/12/2011

    Westminster Council has unveiled a range of sanctions and rewards for social housing tenants and applicants as part of a new ‘vision’ for its public services.

  • Coroner attacks vulnerable man's support

    09/12/2011

    A housing association has pledged to work closer with partner agencies after a coroner attacked the support a vulnerable man received before he died after suffering years of abuse from neighbouring youths.

  • Lending laws

    09/12/2011

    Follow these simple rules to ensure negotiations with lenders go smoothly, says Nnenna Morah

  • The mental health maze

    09/12/2011

    Landlords seeking to evict tenants with mental disabilities must tread carefully, says Robert Wassall, head of the social housing sector group at Blake Lapthorn

  • Euro Commission could hit UK over FIT cuts

    08/12/2011

    The European Commission has confirmed that the UK government could face legal action over plans to halve solar subsidies.

  • Landlord fined £20k for 'dirty tricks' campaign

    08/12/2011

    A private landlord which conducted a campaign of harassment against tenants in a bid to force them out of their home has been fined thousands of pounds.

  • Court warning for private landlords over safety

    07/12/2011

    A council has warned private landlords to ‘follow the rules’ after one was fined for putting a tenant’s life in danger.

  • Online poll seeks your views on the riots

    06/12/2011

    Inside Housing is offering the chance to win £100 in Marks & Spencer vouchers in exchange for your views on the riots.

  • Empty homes campaigner attacks squatting plans

    06/12/2011

    The presenter of a Channel 4 programme highlighting the ‘scandal’ of empty homes has slammed government plans to criminalise squatting.

  • Planning framework could face legal challenges

    02/12/2011

    The wording of new planning guidelines could spark legal challenges over the meaning of key terms, senior housing figures have warned.

  • Housing leapfrog

    02/12/2011

    Controversial new allocations policies which prioritise applicants in work are gaining momentum among councils. Emily Rogers kicks off our residents special issue with a look at why working tenants are being allowed to jump up the housing waiting list.

  • New approach

    02/12/2011

    Recognising the importance of people having a stake in their communities is good, but the real trick is delivering this, says Stuart Macdonald

  • Report: ‘Housing staff should police riots’

    02/12/2011

    Front line housing staff should ‘patrol the streets’ to prevent future riots, according to the official report into the summer’s disturbances.

  • Tenant take over

    02/12/2011

    In some circumstances, residents can remove management function from their landlord, says Nicholas Kissen

  • The certainty rule

    02/12/2011

    Limits on the right to serve notice to quit on tenants with periodic tenancies could be problematic, says Andrew Dymond, barrister at Arden Chambers

  • Transfer approval raises threat of legal action

    01/12/2011

    Wycombe District Council has approved the transfer of its homes to a community housing association, raising the prospect of legal challenge to the move.

  • Victims panel warns riots could happen again

    28/11/2011

    Urgent action is needed to prevent a repeat of the riots that swept England during August, according to the independent panel investigating the unrest.

  • Protecting your reputation

    28/11/2011

    How should employers address the threats posed by social networking sites? Lawyer Siobhan Fitzgerald explains

  • Lord Freud resists benefit cap amendments

    28/11/2011

    Welfare reform minister Lord Freud has faced more questions in parliament from peers worried about the proposed benefit cap for workless households.

  • A quick solution

    25/11/2011

    A recent case shows landlords should not have to go through a long process when seeking possession, says Ruth Hills

  • Pepper potting problems

    25/11/2011

    In mixed tenure estates landlords could struggle to recoup costs for upkeep of communal areas, says Simon Bagg, senior associate at Lewis Silkin

  • Campaigners threaten legal action to block transfer

    24/11/2011

    Campaigners are threatening to use legal action to block the transfer of 6,500 local authority homes despite the move being approved by tenants.

  • Union threatening landlord with strike action

    23/11/2011

    A union is threatening strike action against a housing association which it claims is proposing to cut the pay of support staff and increase hours for others.

  • Riot-hit council to review tenancy rules

    23/11/2011

    A council at the centre of the riots that swept England in August is considering changing its tenancy agreements to make it easier to evict badly behaved residents.

  • The right stuff

    22/11/2011

    One of the more interesting bits of David Cameron’s ‘radical’ vision for housing is his reinvention of the 1980’s policy right to buy.

  • Housing strategy to be backed by £400m fund

    21/11/2011

    David Cameron and Nick Clegg will today unveil a £400 million fund to kickstart development schemes which have stalled due to lack of finance.

  • Danger zone

    18/11/2011

    Landlords reveal this week how they are getting their businesses in shape as part of our refurbishment and retrofit special.

  • Panel priorities

    18/11/2011

    Landlords must act fast to salvage what they can from photovoltaic deals before the feed-in tariff is cut, says Rob Beiley

  • What’s in the post?

    18/11/2011

    Landlords’ administrative errors can lead to time-consuming court cases, says Jane Plant, associate at Weightmans

  • Council issues jail threat to returning Travellers

    17/11/2011

    Travellers have been warned they are in breach of a high court order and could face jail after returning to an illegal site which has recently been cleared by the council.

  • Man charged with Oldbury kidnapping

    16/11/2011

    A man has been charged with the kidnap of a 10-year-old boy who was found in a housing association flat.

  • Reasons for rejection

    16/11/2011

    Housing associations can face legal challenges if they don’t give clear reasons for rejecting tender bids. Public procurement specialist Bill Hull explains

  • Legal aid cuts to undermine welfare reform

    15/11/2011

    Cuts to legal aid will undermine the government’s own welfare reforms, a disability charity has warned.

  • Dale Farm cleared as council moves off site

    14/11/2011

    An illegal Travellers’ site which was the subject of a controversial legal wrangle has been cleared by the council.

  • Messy realities

    14/11/2011

    The Localism Bill will just about have got Royal Assent when councillors in Wandsworth meet this week to discuss the council’s plan to evict new tenants who refuse to look for work.

  • Fighting FIT

    11/11/2011

    You can imagine that Greg Barker had been dreading today for some time.

  • Dale Farm legal challenge dropped

    11/11/2011

    Basildon Council has seen off a legal challenge against the clearance of the Dale Farm Travellers’ site.

  • Acting with conviction

    11/11/2011

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

  • Counting the costs

    11/11/2011

    Just because you are successful at trial doesn’t mean you will recover all your legal costs, says Dan Butler

  • Second legal challenge to FIT cuts emerges

    10/11/2011

    The government is facing its second legal challenge in a week over its proposed cuts to the feed-in tariff from a consortium of solar companies.

  • The wrong side of the law

    07/11/2011

    A recent case raises questions about the government’s approach to combating subletting

  • Government issued with legal threat over FIT cuts

    07/11/2011

    The government has been warned to change its plans to cut feed-in tariff payments or risk being taken to court.

  • Criminal conviction for illegally subletting tenant

    04/11/2011

    A local authority has secured a criminal conviction against one its tenants after discovering the man was illegally subletting his home.

  • Look closely

    04/11/2011

    Don’t sign on the dotted line before checking contracts carefully for errors, says Matthew Lake

  • Tenant takes council to court over demolition plan

    04/11/2011

    A tenant is taking Hammersmith & Fulham Council to court over its decision to sign an exclusivity deal with a developer as part of plans to knock down two estates.

  • The get out of jail free card

    04/11/2011

    Associations that enter into leases with councils must beware as authorities have a get-out clause, says Jacqueline Knox, director at Wragge & Co

  • Out of charge

    03/11/2011

    A housing association recently lost a court case it brought against owner-occupiers who were refusing to pay a service charge for the upkeep of green areas on estates.

  • MPs call for national regeneration strategy

    03/11/2011

    A group of MPs has warned the government that it has no strategy for regenerating England’s most deprived communities.

  • Landlord loses grass cuttings fee case

    01/11/2011

    A housing association has lost a court case which it brought against a group of home owners who refused to a pay service charge.

  • Peers halt lifetime tenancy ‘reward’

    01/11/2011

    Ministers have narrowly avoided introducing legislation that would have rewarded anti-social tenants with lifetime tenancies.

  • Government bows to pressure on direct complaints

    01/11/2011

    The Localism Bill has been amended to make it easier for tenants to take complaints to the housing ombudsman.

  • Another law bites the dust

    28/10/2011

    EU rules are forcing a rethink on asbestos regulations, says Claire Gregory, associate at Brabners Chaffe Street

  • Keeping the peace

    28/10/2011

    Darra Singh is the man the government has tasked with discovering what caused the summer’s riots. So who is he and how is his work progressing? Lydia Stockdale finds out

  • Lawyers warn of social networking dangers

    28/10/2011

    Landlords are being warned to set clear policies on the use of social networking sites by staff after a housing association was hit with legal action by a worker demoted for comments he made online.

  • Tax break

    28/10/2011

    Landlords can have their say on a new levy which could increase affordable housing provision, says Katherine Evans

  • The write stuff

    28/10/2011

    Figures published on Monday by the Ministry of Justice showed three-quarters of those charged with offences related to the summer’s riots were under 25.

  • Eviction threat teen pleads guilty to burglary

    27/10/2011

    A teenager whose family face eviction for his part in the London riots has pleaded guilty to burglary.

  • Coroner rules teen's death fall was an accident

    26/10/2011

    A coroner has left open the option to issue a report calling for a council to improve safety of windows after a teenage boy fell to his death.

  • Landlord appeals for return of stolen bridge

    26/10/2011

    A housing association is appealing for the return of a bridge after it was stolen by thieves.

  • Pie in the sky?

    25/10/2011

    Is cloud computing a ray of light or a gathering storm? Alison Deighton, data protection expert at law firm TLT, takes up the case

  • Inquest into teen's death fall begins

    25/10/2011

    An inquest into the death of a teenage boy who fell from a sixth-floor council flat has begun.

  • Alleged rioters come from deprived areas

    24/10/2011

    A disproportionate number of young people accused of criminal offences during the English riots in August come from some of the most deprived areas in the country, a new report shows.

  • Christian worker issues landlord with court threat

    24/10/2011

    A former housing manager is planning to take his employers to court after they demoted him and slashed his pay for comments he made on a social networking site.

  • Government rejects direct payment amendment

    21/10/2011

    Peers have failed in a bid to give tenants the right to have their housing benefit paid direct to their landlord.

  • Mass walkout ends Dale Farm conflict

    21/10/2011

    Battles between residents of the Dale Farm Traveller site and police seem to have ended after the protesters vacated the area.

  • Charity unlikely to appeal benefit case

    21/10/2011

    A charity has said it is unlikely to lodge an appeal against a High Court judgement that government cuts to housing benefit are lawful.

  • Knocking down barriers

    21/10/2011

    Finance Bill reforms aim to make it easier and cheaper to invest in the housing market. James Duncan, partner at Winckworth Sherwood, explains

  • The colour code

    21/10/2011

    The housing sector has appraised the government’s performance to date. Rhiannon Bury investigates the key findings

  • Dale Farm clearance moves into second day

    20/10/2011

    An operation to remove residents and protesters from an illegal Travellers’ site moved into its second day this morning.

  • Violent clashes as Dale Farm eviction begins

    19/10/2011

    The eviction of hundreds of Travellers from the UK’s largest illegal site began this morning with riot police being called in.

  • Viable questions

    18/10/2011

    Much of the debate about the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) so far been about the choice between homes or no homes. Not enough of it has been about what kind of homes.

  • Task force to examine social mobility and housing

    18/10/2011

    A task force for politicians to investigate how the housing sector can improve social mobility has been launched.

  • Tenant evicted for gas safety check snub

    18/10/2011

    A social housing tenant has been evicted from her home for not allowing maintenance workers to carry out gas safety checks.

  • Dale Farm in ‘lockdown’ as legal bid fails

    17/10/2011

    Residents of the Dale Farm Traveller site said they have ‘locked down’ the area after losing their latest legal bid to halt eviction.

  • Councils urged to draw up development plans

    17/10/2011

    Local authorities must ensure they are ready to take on new planning powers, the British Property Federation has warned.

  • Travellers launch bid for eviction appeal

    14/10/2011

    Residents fighting eviciton from the UK’s largest illegal Travellers’ site will be back in court on Monday as they attempt to launch an appeal.

  • Homelessness volunteer jailed for riot offence

    14/10/2011

    A homelessness charity volunteer has been jailed for 16 months after he pleaded guilty to committing burglary during the August riots.

  • Sun block

    14/10/2011

    New guidance issued to lenders will make rent-a-roof schemes much more complicated for landlords, warns Richard Brooks

  • The sale of the century

    14/10/2011

    The government wants to make right to buy popular again, but details on the proposal are sketchy, says Sarah Lines, social housing lawyer with Cobbetts LLP.

  • Charity loses court benefit fight against govt

    13/10/2011

    The High Court has rejected a claim brought against the government by a charity which argued that cuts to housing benefit would disproportionately hit minority families and were beyond the power of the secretary of state.

  • Council calls on Travellers to abide by law

    12/10/2011

    Basildon Council has called for Travellers to leave an illegal site peacefully after the High Court ruled in its favour.

  • High Court rules against Dale Farm Travellers

    12/10/2011

    Residents of the UK’s largest Travellers’ site have lost their case against eviction in the High Court.

  • Eviction-threat teen court date delayed

    12/10/2011

    A man accused of rioting offences will appear in court later this month.

  • Housing benefit consultant jailed for murder

    10/10/2011

    A housing benefit consultant has been jailed for life for the murder of his 94-year-old father.

  • Private landlords face tougher efficiency rules

    07/10/2011

    Rules forcing private landlords to improve the energy efficiency of their homes could be introduced earlier if progress is not made voluntarily.

  • Banishment order

    07/10/2011

    Labour proposals to tackle anti-social behaviour could see perpetrators evicted from their homes and banned from the area, whatever their tenure. Alex Wellman gauges support for the plan. Illustration by Jonathan Edwards

  • The right combination

    07/10/2011

    Landlords should ensure the benefits of combined heat and power systems outweigh the burdens, says Nnenna Morah, senior associate in the housing team at Lewis Silkin

  • Landlord fined £100,000 after man dies from burns

    06/10/2011

    A housing association has been fined £100,000 and ordered to pay £35,000 costs after a man died from burns received from a scalding hot bath.

  • Family to face trial over slavery accusations

    04/10/2011

    A family accused of keeping people as slaves will appear for trial in December.

  • Pickles to crackdown on illegal Travellers' sites

    03/10/2011

    Eric Pickles has pledged to enforce planning law by giving councils more power to prevent unauthorised Travellers’ camps like Dale Farm from being established.

  • Judge rules Dale Farm pitches can be cleared

    03/10/2011

    A judge the High Court has ruled that Basildon Council can clear most of the pitches at an illegal Travellers’ site.

  • Planners hit back at countryside campaigners

    03/10/2011

    The chief executive of the Town and Country Planning Association and a government minister have criticised opponents of new planning rules.

  • Right to buy revival to fund new homes

    02/10/2011

    The prime minister has announced plans to revive the right to buy policy.

  • Lack of detail in NPPF threatens legal problems

    30/09/2011

    Councils could face a raft of legal challenges to planning decisions if the government does not provide more detail around planning legislation, experts have warned.

  • Dale Farm decision expected Tuesday 'at earliest'

    30/09/2011

    A decision on a series of High Court injunctions against a council trying to evict hundreds of Travellers from an illegal site has been put back to Tuesday ‘at the earliest’.

  • Country file

    30/09/2011

    Shared ownership is subject to regulations in protected rural areas, says Jonathan Hulley

  • Don’t be partners in crime

    30/09/2011

    Landlords must review their anti-corruption procedures and that of their partners or risk a large fine, says Kerry Gwyther, partner at TLT Solicitors

  • Lib Dem peers call for increased benefit caps

    30/09/2011

    Rebellious Liberal Democrat peers are demanding that benefit caps are increased by more than £5,000 a year.

  • Welsh AMs unveil housing reforms

    30/09/2011

    The Welsh Government plans to provide financial incentives to encourage councils to bring up to 12,000 empty homes back into use by 2016.

  • Communities shadow calls for planning debate

    29/09/2011

    Caroline Flint has called for further debate on the provision for affordable homes in the national planning policy framework.

  • Flint: social housing should be a ‘positive choice’

    29/09/2011

    The shadow communities secretary has said social housing should return to being a ‘positive choice’ for families.

  • National Trust targets new homes bonus scheme

    29/09/2011

    The National Trust has called for a clause in the Localism Bill that legitimises the new homes bonus incentive scheme to be scrapped.

  • Borough to license all private landlords

    28/09/2011

    A London borough has begun moves to set up a licensing scheme for all private landlords.

  • Shadow ministers seek to delay planning reforms

    27/09/2011

    Shadow ministers have called on the government to extend its consultation on planning reforms.

  • Empty homes requests

    23/09/2011

    A new ruling and proposed changes to the Freedom of Information Act could open the floodgates to squatters, says Emma Duke, associate solicitor atAnthony Collins Solicitors

  • People in glass houses . . .

    23/09/2011

    After the riots the police, press and politicians were quick to point the finger at social housing tenants, but maybe they should look closer to home, argues Julie Fawcett

  • Take the high road

    23/09/2011

    Before starting a development landlords must find out about public rights of way on the land, says Nnenna Morah

  • Landlord sues accountant over tax payout

    22/09/2011

    A housing association is suing its former accountant after it emerged that it unnecessarily paid out more than £100,000 in tax.

  • Wandsworth rejects call to halt riot evictions

    22/09/2011

    A council which is planning to evict a tenant whose son is accused of rioting has rejected a motion which called for the process to be stopped.

  • Council hit by corruption claims

    21/09/2011

    A council repairs department is under investigation by police and an auditing firm following allegations of corruption.

  • Time for clarity

    20/09/2011

    Lawyer Jonathan Hulley will urge ministers to rethink plans for direct payment of housing benefit at the Liberal Democrat conference today, here he explains why

  • Court delays Dale Farm eviction

    20/09/2011

    The residents of Dale Farm have won a last-minute court order delaying their proposed eviction from the Essex site.

  • Council poised to evict Dale Farm residents

    19/09/2011

    Basildon Council is preparing to begin clearing the Dale Farm Traveller site after last minute talks with residents were abandoned.

  • Lib Dems move to block eviction of rioters

    19/09/2011

    Delegates at the Liberal Democrat conference have passed a motion opposing the eviction of social housing tenants involved in the August riots.

  • Private landlords fear evicted rioters

    16/09/2011

    A private landlord group is claiming that the eviction of social housing tenants on the back of the English riots will shift problems into its sector.

  • Do your research

    16/09/2011

    Don’t commit to a development site until you’ve discovered all its restrictions, says John Russell

  • Nest egg necessities

    16/09/2011

    Social landlords have just a year to prepare for pension reforms. Chris Crichton, solicitor at TLT Solicitors, explains more

  • Stop the rot

    16/09/2011

    There are a wide variety of housing scams and we should blame both the cheats and the lack of affordable homes that drives them, says Inside Housing’s anonymous columnist

  • UN members to speak at Dale Farm

    14/09/2011

    Members of the UN are set to make a speech at the site of a controversial Travellers’ site which is due for eviction.

  • Gangs target rough sleepers for slaves - charity

    14/09/2011

    Rough sleepers are being targeted by criminal gangs in a bid to find modern day slaves, a homelessness charity warns.

  • Social housing fraud costs taxpayer £2bn a year

    12/09/2011

    Social housing tenancy fraud costs the British taxpayer more than £2 billion a year, a study has shown.

  • Alliance lobbies for landlord pay option

    09/09/2011

    Private and social landlords have formed an alliance with tenants to challenge the government’s housing benefit reforms.

  • From conviction to eviction

    09/09/2011

    Proposed changes to possession grounds would be of no practical use, says Jane Plant, associate at Weightmans LLP

  • Ombudsman concerned by direct complaint ban

    09/09/2011

    The housing ombudsman has admitted he is worried by government plans to bar tenants from complaining to him directly.

  • Seeing things clearly

    09/09/2011

    Simon Hughes is not one to shy away from fiery debate. Here, the deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats reveals his take on last month’s riots to Lydia Stockdale.

  • Sheltered lives

    09/09/2011

    Care providers must demonstrate they have acted fairly when changing services to avoid costly legal action, says Robert Wassall

  • Up in arms

    08/09/2011

    Rarely can a single eviction notice have caused such a furore.

  • Mother hits out at council's riot eviction threat

    07/09/2011

    The mother who faces losing her council home if her son is convicted of riot-related burglary has criticised Wandsworth Council’s stance.

  • In the line of fire

    07/09/2011

    Social landlords often assume they have sole responsibility for fire safety in their properties, but the legal picture is not so straightforward. Ashley Borthwick from law firm TLT explains

  • Legal ruling could double squatting, says minister

    06/09/2011

    Housing Minister Grant Shapps has hit out at a judge’s ruling that a London council must publish a list of empty homes in its area.

  • Campaigners protest at riot eviction hearing

    06/09/2011

    Campaigners gathered outside Wandsworth Magistrates Court today to protest against plans to evict a suspected rioter and his family from their council house.

  • Labour call for housing surveys defeated in Lords

    06/09/2011

    A call by a Labour peer for local authorities to address the housing crisis by drawing up a detailed analysis of supply and demand was thrown out by the House of Lords yesterday.

  • Ombudsman sets out ‘offer’ to tenants

    05/09/2011

    The housing ombudsman has set out how his organisation will handle complaints from tenants once it takes full responsibility for the sector in 2013.

  • Chancellor defends planning reforms

    05/09/2011

    George Osborne has defended the government’s proposed changes to the planning system, saying they are ‘key to our economic recovery’.

  • Weather any storms

    02/09/2011

    New guidelines will help landlords comply with the Human Rights Act, says Nnenna Morah, senior associate in the social housing team at Lewis Silkin

  • Zero in on tax rules

    02/09/2011

    Landlords can still use subsidiaries to receive VAT benefits but they must seek proper legal advice, say Richard Brooks and Victoria Jardine

  • Rural group brands NPPF attacks 'ill-informed'

    01/09/2011

    The response of some groups to the reform of the planning system is ‘ill-informed’, the Country Land and Business Association has said.

  • Travellers 'tense' as final legal challenge launched

    31/08/2011

    Travellers have launched a final bid to delay a council’s attempt to evict them from their homes.

  • House builders fined for 'appalling' site

    31/08/2011

    Two house builders have been fined after the Health and Safety Executive prosecuted them over ‘appalling’ standards at a building site.

  • Blame game

    26/08/2011

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

  • Unlocking funds to build

    26/08/2011

    Associations must work carefully to secure their development grant, says Gillian Bastow, partner at Lewis Silkin

  • Father killed himself after housing benefit cut

    25/08/2011

    A father killed himself after his housing benefit was cut, an inquest heard on Tuesday.

  • Housing company fined thousands for breach

    25/08/2011

    A housing company has been fined £8,000 for flouting safety rules after turning flats into a hostel for asylum seekers.

  • Amnesty backs calls to halt traveller evictions

    25/08/2011

    Amnesty International has called on Basildon Council to stop the eviction of more than 300 travellers.

  • Council warns riot charge households

    24/08/2011

    A council has written to tenants charged with criminal offences during the recent riots warning that they may face eviction if convicted.

  • Corruption alleged at housing association

    23/08/2011

    A housing association is at the centre of a police investigation into alleged public corruption.

  • ALMO faces sex and race claims

    19/08/2011

    An arm’s-length management organisation is facing sexual and racial discrimination claims from a male employee who was overlooked for a management role.

  • Time to focus

    19/08/2011

    Associations should prepare for freedom of information requests and greater transparency

  • Man on arson charge after fire at flats

    18/08/2011

    A man has been charged with arson with intent to endanger life after a fire broke out at a sheltered accommodation scheme.

  • Fast track to failure

    17/08/2011

    A debate is needed before rushing to evict rioters and looters, says barrister Jon Mack

  • ‘Locality’ clause cut from eviction proposals

    16/08/2011

    The government has revised proposals to allow social landlords to seek fast-track evictions in the light of last week’s riots.

  • Housing association worker charged with £166,000 fraud

    16/08/2011

    A housing association finance officer has appeared in court charged with £166,000 fraud.

  • Dealing with disputes

    15/08/2011

    The standard process for resolving construction disagreements isn’t always the most appropriate, explains Tom Wrzesien, a dispute resolution specialist at law firm TLT

  • Wandsworth seeks eviction over riots

    12/08/2011

    A Wandsworth Council tenant whose son has appeared in court charged in connection with Monday night’s disturbances in Clapham Junction will today be served with an eviction notice.

  • Riots prompt changes to fast track eviction plans

    12/08/2011

    Proposals to fast track evictions for anti-social behaviour are to be amended in the light of the rioting this week, the housing minister has confirmed.

  • MPs to consider removing benefits from rioters

    12/08/2011

    A petition calling for rioters to be stripped of their benefits has received so much support it is eligible to be debated in parliament.

  • Fielding opposition

    12/08/2011

    Proposed legislation on registration of village greens would reduce risk to developers. Eollyn Ives, solicitor in the property team at Devonshires Solicitors, explains

  • On new terms

    12/08/2011

    Proposed amendments to the Localism Bill would make longer fixed-term tenancies possible

  • A local problem

    11/08/2011

    It is quite understandable that so many people want to see those responsible for the riots to be held to account.

  • Homelessness charity volunteer accused of looting

    11/08/2011

    A homelessness charity volunteer has been charged with burglary following a riot in Lewisham.

  • ALMO works with police to evict rioters

    11/08/2011

    An arm’s-length management organisation is working with police to identify its tenants who were involved in riots, and has said it will evict offenders.

  • Shapps backs eviction for rioting tenants

    10/08/2011

    Grant Shapps has pledged to support landlords who evict tenants found to have been rioting.

  • Council threatens looters with eviction

    09/08/2011

    Greenwich Council is promising to evict tenants who are found to have been involved in looting in the London riots.

  • Subletting tenants could face jail

    08/08/2011

    The government is considering introducing prison sentences for tenants who sublet their homes, according to reports.

  • Housing legal advice service closes

    05/08/2011

    The UK’s largest not-for-profit provider of debt, housing employment and care legal advice has gone bust.

  • Evasive action

    05/08/2011

    The lack of scrutiny given to the Localism Bill threatens the rights of the homeless

  • Home sweet home

    05/08/2011

    Welsh first minister Carwyn Jones says his government is making housing its top priority

  • Off the debt hook

    05/08/2011

    Arrears are irrelevant to possession proceedings if they form part of a bankruptcy order, explains Helen Tucker, partner at Anthony Collins Solictiors

  • Tread warily

    05/08/2011

    The transfer of all privately owned sewers to water companies creates a minefield for developers, writes James Menzies

  • Government pays €70k to end ‘torture’ case

    04/08/2011

    The UK Government has agreed to pay €70,000 to settle a human rights case where it was accused of failing to protect a family from ‘torture’ and ‘inhuman’ treatment.

  • Fast eviction proposal will not work, says lawyer

    04/08/2011

    Government plans to allow landlords to take some old convictions into account when repossessing a home due to anti-social behaviour will not make evictions easier, it has been warned.

  • 'Pinnock' defence tenant loses eviction fight

    03/08/2011

    A housing association has won a court battle to recover possession of one its homes from a tenant claiming the ‘Pinnock’ defence.

  • Shapps rules out flexible tenancy changes

    03/08/2011

    The housing minister has rejected calls to amend the Localism Bill to specify that social tenancies should normally be for a minimum of five years.

  • New power proposed to evict 'bad' tenants quicker

    03/08/2011

    Social landlords will be able to take into account tenants’ previous convictions for certain offences to enable them to evict troublesome people quicker, it has been revealed.

  • Social housing charter consultation published

    01/08/2011

    The Scottish Government has published a consultation on the future of tenant services and landlord regulation.

  • Mixed signals

    29/07/2011

    The change of tack on five-year tenancies is a welcome development but one that also confirms yet again the extent to which the government is making things up as it goes along with its social housing reforms.

  • A step too far

    29/07/2011

    The Law Commission is fighting the requirement for tenants to make all complaints in writing, says Lynne Murray

  • Call for new law after gas death

    29/07/2011

    A coroner has called on the government to change health and safety legislation after a social housing tenant died of carbon monoxide poisoning in a newly built block of flats.

  • Who cares, wins

    29/07/2011

    Existing social care laws are too complex and reform is to be welcomed, says Linda Convery, partner at Lewis Silkin

  • Government backtracks on five-year tenancies

    28/07/2011

    The government has revised instructions to the social housing regulator to explicitly state that flexible tenancies should normally last a minimum of five years.

  • Clearing your debts

    27/07/2011

    The Court of Appeal has given some clarification on claiming possession against an assured tenant subject to a bankruptcy order or debt relief order. Jason Hobday explains

  • Asylum seekers at risk with legal aid cuts

    22/07/2011

    Cuts to legal aid are putting asylum seekers at serious risk of harm, a group of top lawyers has argued.

  • DWP defends benefit reforms in court

    22/07/2011

    The Department for Work and Pensions has vigorously defended its housing benefit reforms at the High Court.

  • Court hears DWP failed race equality duties

    22/07/2011

    The Department for Work and Pensions failed to have regard to race equality duties when implementing benefit reforms, the High Court heard today.

  • Associations win battle over sex offender data

    22/07/2011

    Scotland’s largest police force has been ordered to tell three housing associations where convicted paedophiles and sex offenders are living.

  • Branch out via Europe

    22/07/2011

    Social landlords creating companies to run extra services must still note EU procurement rules, says Rebecca Rees, partner at Trowers & Hamlins

  • Protect all the innocent

    22/07/2011

    Debate over sex offenders, especially those who have targeted children, and how society should treat them often seems devoid of logic.

  • Time bomb

    22/07/2011

    Social landlords should beware the 18-month limit to recover service charges, says Emma Duke

  • High Court to hear housing benefit challenge

    21/07/2011

    A High Court challenge against the legality of housing benefits cuts is due to be heard today.

  • Benefit cheat caught modelling on adult website

    20/07/2011

    A glamour model who falsely claimed £62,747 of benefits while receiving money to pose for adult websites has been jailed for 10 months.

  • Legal first in housing benefit scam case

    15/07/2011

    A family of housing cheats has been jailed in a landmark case where the judge delivered the verdict after accusations of jury tampering arose.

  • Law body attacks ombudsman 'filter'

    15/07/2011

    The Law Commission has suggested making tenants take complaints to a local representative before the housing ombudsman could hinder investigations.

  • Solicitor wins legal aid review in battle to save resident wardens

    15/07/2011

    A solicitor campaigning to keep resident wardens in sheltered housing schemes has won the right to appeal a decision to deny her firm legal aid funding.

  • Woking in £60m outsourcing deal

    15/07/2011

    A Surrey council will outsource the management of its 3,394 homes as part of a deal worth up to £60 million. The move comes amid evidence that local authorities are increasingly looking at a wider range of stock management options.

  • Housing groups oppose third party complaints

    11/07/2011

    Three leading housing bodies have united to oppose plans to stop tenants issuing complaints directly to the housing ombudsman.

  • Guilty verdict in Ujima money laundering trial

    08/07/2011

    A woman has been found guilty of laundering £42,000 stolen from Ujima Housing Association.

  • Ujima defendants plead not guilty

    08/07/2011

    Three men accused in relation to a £3.5 million fraud against Ujima Housing Association denied the charges in court yesterday.

  • A new public right of way?

    08/07/2011

    The government’s latest announcement underpins the trend towards treating housing associations as public bodies. Philip Heath, partner, and Jane Plant, associate, at Weightmans, explain

  • L&Q takes trio to court over fraud at failed Ujima

    08/07/2011

    London & Quadrant is suing three people charged with defrauding Ujima Housing Association, a court heard on Tuesday.

  • Warning issued over solid fuel burners after death of tenant

    08/07/2011

    Social landlords are being urged not to neglect the maintenance of solid fuel burners after a housing association tenant died from carbon monoxide poisoning.

  • Ujima accused due in court

    07/07/2011

    Three men accused of a £3.5 million fraud against Ujima are due to ask for their cases to be thrown out of court today (Thursday).

  • Council loses race case against former ALMO employee

    06/07/2011

    A former arm’s-length management organisation employee has won a landmark race case against Leeds Council.

  • Eye opener

    05/07/2011

    Rarely can a housing minister have been so far on the wrong side of the argument as Grant Shapps appeared to be on Landlords from Hell last night.

  • Housing association fined for pensioner death

    01/07/2011

    A housing association has been fined £40,000 and ordered to pay £25,000 costs after one of its tenants died of carbon monoxide poisoning.

  • Charities slam £350m legal aid funding cut

    01/07/2011

    Plans to reduce legal aid will deny vulnerable people legal advice as they struggle to cope with housing benefit cuts, charities have warned.

  • Judge throws out council plans for 3,600 homes

    01/07/2011

    A judge has quashed council plans to build 3,600 homes in Hertfordshire after finding they fell short of environmental requirements.

  • Some food for thought

    01/07/2011

    Landlords should assess their level of risk as the Bribery Act comes into force, says Kirsty Thompson, solicitor at Devonshires

  • MPs warn legal aid cuts will hit vulnerable

    30/06/2011

    Legislation that would slash the number of housing cases eligible for legal aid has received its second reading in the House of Commons, despite widespread opposition.

  • Abandoned pathfinder tenants take legal action

    24/06/2011

    Residents left abandoned in half-finished housing market renewal schemes are preparing to launch compensation claims against their council.

  • Keeping tenants in mind

    24/06/2011

    A recent ruling means landlords of supported living schemes could be denied benefit cash, says John Wearing, partner at Anthony Collins Solicitors

  • Pipe dream

    24/06/2011

    A new law means social landlords will no longer be responsible for repairing certain pipework but there are exceptions

  • Ex-ALMO chief sentenced for benefit scam

    22/06/2011

    The former chair of an ALMO and her husband who pleaded guilty to gaining property by deception and falsely claiming benefits have avoided being sent to jail.

  • ALMO race discrimination case puts council in dock

    17/06/2011

    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.

  • Default hurdles creep up

    17/06/2011

    Lenders are adding to areas which trigger a loan default, says Louise Leaver, partner, head of finance, at Winckworth Sherwood

  • Human rights court to examine eviction

    16/06/2011

    The European Court of Human Rights is to scrutinise the procedures social landlords use to evict unruly tenants.

  • Landlord ordered to repay tenants’ rent

    15/06/2011

    The owners and managers of an unlicensed house in multiple occupation have been ordered to repay rent to tenants.

  • Trial into carbon monoxide death held back

    10/06/2011

    The trial into the case of a young woman who died of carbon monoxide poisoning in a shared ownership flat may not begin until next year after prosecution lawyers called for an adjournment.

  • Beware broken promises

    10/06/2011

    The Defective Premises Act may not apply to negligent building work in existing homes. Emma Wiltshire, senior associate at Clarke Willmott, explains

  • False start

    10/06/2011

    Landlords must keep all documents relating to tenancies to avoid future disputes, says Jane Plant

  • Housing association gets injunction to stop tenant abuse

    10/06/2011

    A major social housing provider has reported a former tenant to the police following years of online harassment of its chief executive.

  • No trouble

    10/06/2011

    The government is drawing up new measures to streamline approaches to anti-social behaviour. ASB advisor Chris Grose answers your questions about how they might work

  • Landlord received no warning ahead of double murder

    08/06/2011

    A landlord said it received no warning from partners that a tenant and her daughter who were shot and killed had complained to police of harassment.

  • Charity wins fight to take government to court over benefit reforms

    03/06/2011

    The government will be forced to fight for its controversial housing benefit reforms in court, after a child poverty charity won the right to challenge their legality.

  • Do it yourself housing

    03/06/2011

    The government wants to help people build their own home and housing associations can help

  • Labour: coalition’s £30m is peanuts to pathfinders

    03/06/2011

    Labour has launched a campaign to secure extra cash for councils dealing with the aftermath of the axed housing market renewal programme.

  • Apollo lands contracts worth £22 million

    27/05/2011

    Apollo has been awarded two contracts in Wales worth a total of £22 million.

  • Cala appeal dismissed in court

    27/05/2011

    A developer has lost its appeal against communities secretary Eric Pickles’ decision to scrap regional planning targets.

  • Avoid a brush with the law

    27/05/2011

    Should social landlords be responsible for keeping disabled tenants’ homes in good decorative order?

  • Fairytale ending?

    27/05/2011

    As the third sector’s Cinderella services struggle in the face of cuts social landlords have the opportunity to ride in like the proverbial prince and rescue them.

  • Flood defences

    27/05/2011

    Six months ago a court ruling opened the floodgates for tenants to challenge their eviction. So is there a deluge of cases on the horizon and what can social landlords do to protect themselves?

  • Housing officer in jail threat over ant infestation

    27/05/2011

    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.

  • Landed with the bill

    27/05/2011

    A recent case highlights the need to make sure building agreements are as accurate as possible

  • Power cut

    27/05/2011

    Government proposals are sounding the death knell for the ASBO and offering social landlords a new, streamlined approach to anti-social behaviour. Against a backdrop of cuts, Alex Turner asks if they are being offered the legal powers they need

  • Power to the people

    27/05/2011

    Working in housing can be a legal minefield but do you know your rights? Here our legal experts explain how to fight your corner in two common scenarios - whether you are an employer or an employee

  • Ripping off the band aid

    27/05/2011

    A day in the life of a lawyer who works with people in housing need: Peter Szoltysek reveals how cuts to legal aid will hit his clients

  • Inquest to be held into death of boy who fell from window

    20/05/2011

    An inquest into the death of a teenage boy who fell from a window in a tower block will take place in October.

  • Keeping it simple

    20/05/2011

    Landlords pursuing the affordable rent model should consider streamlining their stock, says John Russell, partner at Blake Lapthorn

  • Temporary solution

    20/05/2011

    New agency worker rules come into force in the autumn. Anita Pati explains why social landlords should be aware of the implications now

  • Romanian benefit fraudsters jailed for total of ten years

    18/05/2011

    Members of a Romanian-based gang who illegally claimed £800,000 in housing benefit, tax credits, income support and child benefit payments have been jailed for a total of 10 years.

  • Former Lambeth Living chair pleads guilty to fraud

    17/05/2011

    The former chair of Lambeth Living and her husband have pleaded guilty to falsely claiming housing benefit and obtaining property by deception.

  • Implementing affordable rent

    17/05/2011

    As the Localism Bill returns to parliament, Samantha Hall examines some of the problems facing landlords seeking to introduce fixed term tenancies

  • Landlords offered free advice on tenancy fraud

    13/05/2011

    Social landlords are being given access to free advice on making the best use of their stock by tackling tenancy fraud and helping people downsize.

  • Charity threatens councils with court over homeless teens

    13/05/2011

    Councils have been warned that homelessness charities will take them to court if they continue to flout their legal obligations to help homeless teenagers.

  • Home Office cuts ASB team in half

    13/05/2011

    The Home Office is slashing the number of people who work in its anti-social behaviour team by half.

  • 'No one should have to go through what David did’

    13/05/2011

    A year ago David Askew died after suffering years of abuse from youths outside his home. Now a report examining the circumstances around his death has been published, Lydia Stockdale visits his landlord to find out what lessons can be learned. Photography by Gabriel Szabo

  • Who benefits?

    13/05/2011

    Despite the scrapping of the worker registration scheme, benefits remain dependent on work status

  • Councils still failing homeless teenagers

    11/05/2011

    Councils have been urged to meet their legal obligations to homeless 16 and 17 year olds, following a court judgement last week.

  • Police ASB powers could harm children

    09/05/2011

    Vulnerable children could be exposed to greater danger if government plans to curb anti-social behaviour go ahead, a children’s charity has warned.

  • Common ground

    06/05/2011

    Mediation is becoming an increasingly popular way of settling disputes. But what’s involved? Roger Levitt and Greg Campbell explain

  • Going by the book

    06/05/2011

    Redundancy terms for Supporting People staff must comply with the law, says Natasha Halliday

  • Landmark legal bid puts hostel providers at risk

    06/05/2011

    Organisations which house vulnerable people could face costly legal challenges from their neighbours if a church succeeds in a landmark bid to take a homeless hostel to court.

  • Out of control

    06/05/2011

    New anti-social behaviour tools may not be available to housing associations. Jonathan Hulley, partner at Clarke Willmott, explains

  • Thanet scheme faces legal action

    06/05/2011

    A seaside authority’s decision to tighten controls on its private rental market is set to be challenged in a High Court case backed by four private landlords’ groups.

  • Developer fights Pickles' decision in court

    05/05/2011

    A long-running battle against the government’s decision to scrap English regional planning targets reached the Court of Appeal today.

  • Cheats, victims and painters

    05/05/2011

    Pick your media coverage today: the policeman who unlawfully subletted his council flat in London or the artist nominated for the Turner Prize for paintings of the Coventry council estate where he grew up.

  • CIH brands subletting 'worse than theft' as Panorama documentary broadcasts

    04/05/2011

    The Chartered Institute of Housing has attacked people who unlawfully sublet social housing and pledged to help root them out.

  • Council targets cheats after policeman accused of subletting

    04/05/2011

    A London authority is cracking down on housing cheats after a film crew claimed to have discovered a police officer was subletting his council flat.

  • Testing times

    03/05/2011

    As the deadline passes for bids for development under the affordable rent programme, Katherine Evans examines how the planning process could hinder the new regime

  • Homeless man helps police jail stab priest

    28/04/2011

    A priest who stabbed a homeless man and emptied a boiling kettle over him for sleeping outside his church has been jailed following a campaign by his victim.

  • Court off guard

    28/04/2011

    The stated aim of the current Home Office consultation document on anti-social behaviour is to ‘…help professionals and, where necessary the courts, stop anti-social behaviour earlier, and better protect victims and communities’.

  • Court system puts ASB victims’ lives at risk

    28/04/2011

    The ‘dire’ state of the county court system in England is putting the lives of vulnerable victims of anti-social behaviour at risk, landlords and their lawyers have warned.

  • Get ready to raise the roof

    28/04/2011

    Landlords who want to rent out their roof should think about undertaking a competitive tender, say Rebecca Rees and Chris Paul, partners at Trowers & Hamlins

  • Former Lambeth Living chair appears in court

    27/04/2011

    The former chair of Lambeth Living and her husband have appeared in court charged with obtaining property by deception.

  • A huge relief

    21/04/2011

    Though the government is not scrapping the community infrastructure levy, social housing will qualify for relief from paying it, says Paula Ghosh, senior associate at Lewis Silkin

  • CIH launches LGBT advice for housing associations

    20/04/2011

    The Chartered Institute of Housing has published advice for housing associations on how to provide services to lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender tenants.

  • Rational thinking

    20/04/2011

    Stock rationalisation is becoming increasingly popular as housing associations look to cut costs. Kate Silverman offers advice on making sure transfers run smoothly

  • Carbon monoxide death case delayed

    18/04/2011

    A plea hearing in the case of a young woman who died of carbon monoxide poisoning in a shared ownership flat has been delayed.

  • An expensive business

    15/04/2011

    New regulations could make employing agency workers a lot dearer, says Tanya Harley, solicitor at Lewis Silkin

  • Legal warning over tenant repairs scheme

    15/04/2011

    Landlords could end up in court if tenants are injured after hiring cowboy builders to carry out repairs under plans to hand them responsibility for maintaining their homes.

  • Super powers

    15/04/2011

    Despite some legal hurdles the future looks bright for a new joint ALMO in Kent, says Ian Doolittle

  • Labour launches anti-social behaviour review

    13/04/2011

    Yvette Cooper has launched a review of the Labour Party’s anti-social behaviour policy.

  • Reality TV show ‘star’ jailed

    13/04/2011

    The grandson of a tenant who appeared in a reality television show about the work of housing officers has been jailed.

  • Pinnock family evicted after legal battle

    13/04/2011

    The family at the centre of a landmark court ruling have been evicted after a six-year battle.

  • Councils fail to overturn HMO rules

    12/04/2011

    Three councils have failed in High Court bid to quash rules that make it easier for landlords to set up houses in multiple occupation.

  • Tenant who built swimming pool jailed

    12/04/2011

    A council tenant who dug a swimming pool in his back garden has been jailed his part in a multi-million pound car theft operation.

  • Centre of attention

    08/04/2011

    Last week a young girl was shot in a south London shop. Nick Duxbury visits a nearby estate to find out if new anti-social behaviour powers can stamp out the area’s growing gang culture.

  • Keep things in proportion

    08/04/2011

    After Pinnock landlords could face more court cases as short-term tenancies are introduced, says Kate Thompson, solicitor at Eversheds

  • Town halls face legal threat over cuts

    08/04/2011

    Local authorities face being taken to court over their spending cuts, following a landmark court case.

  • Councils will not get RDA land

    06/04/2011

    The government has ruled out transferring regional development agency land assets to local government when the agencies wind up next year.

  • Scottish manifestos launched

    06/04/2011

    The Scottish election could see right to buy reinstated and empty homes brought into use as the main parties launch their manifestos.

  • Tenant wins right to keep chickens

    01/04/2011

    A woman has won a fight against her housing association to be allowed to keep chickens in her back garden.

  • Contest searches for new star

    01/04/2011

    A competition to find housing’s next leaders is being launched by the Chartered Institute of Housing and Inside Housing this week.

  • Double trouble

    01/04/2011

    The double subsidy prohibition should not arise if landlords play their cards right on feed-in tariffs

  • Turning up the heat

    01/04/2011

    Benefit from a new scheme early by installing green heat technology to serve multiple homes, says Caroline Mostowfi, solicitor at Devonshires Solicitors

  • Pinnock in practice

    29/03/2011

    A recent case suggests the impact of the Pinnock case on repossession hearings could be less dramatic than feared. Daniel Skinner explains

  • Appeal to Pinnock fails to stop repossession

    29/03/2011

    A tenant has failed to overturn a repossession order despite appealing to the landmark Pinnock ruling.

  • Planning permission needed to knock down buildings

    29/03/2011

    Developers will have to gain planning permission before demolishing buildings after a judgement in the Court of Appeal last week.

  • A spanner in the works

    25/03/2011

    Landlords must take care when passing repair costs on to tenants, says Simon Bagg, senior associate in the property litigation team at Lewis Silkin

  • Asylum housing uncertain as Glasgow talks break down

    25/03/2011

    Talks between Glasgow Council and an accommodation provider over housing hundreds of asylum seekers have broken down over pensions.

  • Calm down

    25/03/2011

    There’s no need for housing associations to panic about losing their charitable status, says Keith Jenkins

  • Builder sees cover pricing fine slashed

    24/03/2011

    Affordable housing developer Galliford Try has had a fine for cover pricing slashed from £8.3 million to £1.4 million.

  • Nottingham SP judicial review rejected

    24/03/2011

    A judicial review request to challenge Supporting People cuts made by Nottingham Council has been turned down by a High Court judge.

  • Northern Ireland Executive completes first stock transfer

    23/03/2011

    The Northern Ireland Housing Executive has completed the first large scale transfer of its homes to a housing association after a £100 million hole in its budget delayed its maintenance programme.

  • Budget to unveil sweeping planning changes

    23/03/2011

    Major changes to the planning system are expected to be announced today as the chancellor unveils a Budget intended to promote growth.

  • Green candidate for mayor cites housing as key battle

    22/03/2011

    The Green Party’s candidate for the London Mayoral elections has pledged to make housing a key battlefield in her campaign.

  • Protestors oppose soup run ban

    21/03/2011

    Protestors vowed they will clog up the courts if Westminster Council proceeds with a proposed ban on rough sleeping and soup runs in parts of the borough.

  • Keeping it clean

    18/03/2011

    Social landlords must protect themselves against money launderers, says David Biggerstaff, partner at Trowers & Hamlins

  • Changing the rules

    16/03/2011

    As the first gang injunctions begin to be issued, Daniel Skinner outlines how the new orders work

  • Teenager given first gang injunction

    16/03/2011

    An 18-year-old from south London has become the first person to be issued with a gang injunction, after the orders were introduced at the end of January.

  • Former housing boss fined for forest fire

    15/03/2011

    A retired housing association chief executive who started a massive forest fire in Spain was last week given an 18 month prison sentence, suspended for three years, a bill for £9.1 million, and a £1,550 fine.

  • Kier wins reduction on cover pricing fine

    14/03/2011

    Repairs and construction group Kier has won an appeal to reduce a fine obtained after an investigation into cover pricing.

  • Landlords face increasing legal challenges, warns tenants' champion

    11/03/2011

    The introduction of flexible tenancies and housing benefit changes will increasingly lead to legal challenges from tenants, according to Cora Carter.

  • Scottish social housing charter

    11/03/2011

    A new charter will set out a code of conduct for landlords to abide by, says Jackie McGuire

  • Banning the bailiffs

    11/03/2011

    New laws in Scotland will make it harder for landlords to evict tenants. It’s familiar territory for Stirling Council, which outlawed evictions two years ago. Tony Cain, head of housing services, explains how it managed

  • The new time stretcher

    11/03/2011

    A new exemption to the 20-year rule will allow Scotland’s social landlords to lease properties for longer, says Derek Hogg, partner at Harper Macleod

  • Unison to fight ‘three monkeys’ tribunal ruling

    11/03/2011

    Unison has pledged to drag its former representative at the Tenant Services Authority through the courts after losing an employment tribunal.

  • Tory policy will create fairer system for tenants, says minister

    10/03/2011

    Housing minister Grant Shapps has vowed Conservative policies will create a fairer system for tenants in his first column for Inside Housing.

  • Government accused of lifetime tenancy U-turn

    09/03/2011

    The shadow housing minister has accused the government of a breaking a promise to protect the rights of existing tenants.

  • High Court bans Gypsies from green belt

    09/03/2011

    The High Court has granted Gravesham Council an injunction stopping a Gypsy couple living in a caravan on green belt land.

  • Welsh assembly gets greater powers over housing

    07/03/2011

    The Welsh Assembly Government has won the power to legislate over a number of areas including the ability to abolish the right to buy.

  • Housing benefit caps face legal challenge

    07/03/2011

    Anti-poverty campaigners have launched legal action against the government’s plans to cap housing benefit from April.

  • Direct approach

    04/03/2011

    Paying housing benefit to landlords will help retain lender confidence and ensure more homes are built, says Joanna Till

  • Landlords wary of flexible tenancy trap

    04/03/2011

    Government plans to introduce fixed-term tenancies could be derailed by a series of human rights rulings.

  • Some fuel for thought

    04/03/2011

    Companies will install solar panels for free to reduce tenants’ bills, but are rent-a-roof schemes the way forward? Kate Silverman and Alison Deighton, lawyers at TLT Solicitors, explain

  • Welsh seek more power over housing

    02/03/2011

    Wales could gain further legislative powers over housing if the Welsh people vote ‘yes’ in a referendum tomorrow.

  • Ujima suspects apply for case to be thrown out

    01/03/2011

    Three men accused of a £3.5 million fraud at failed housing association Ujima have applied for the case to be thrown out of court.

  • Human rights ruling halts eviction

    28/02/2011

    Councils could face increased pressure not to evict tenants who go into arrears after a Supreme Court ruling.

  • Gang nets £1m from housing benefit scam

    28/02/2011

    A gang has conned the government out of £1 million after claiming that 500 people lived in a three-bedroom ex-council flat.

  • Take proper control

    25/02/2011

    A Supreme Court ruling makes it easier for social landlords to provide services to each other, says Mark London, partner at Devonshires

  • Welsh homes to be fitted with sprinklers

    24/02/2011

    Wales is to bring in a law requiring developers to fit a sprinkler system in all new homes. 

  • Remaining Ferrier tenants told to leave

    21/02/2011

    Greenwich Council is to issue possession notices to the remaining tenants of the Ferrier estate after resolving the last outstanding legal challenge.

  • Council failed in duty to pregnant woman

    18/02/2011

    Richmond Council failed in its duty to house a pregnant woman who tried to make a homelessness application, the Local Government Ombudsman has found.

  • Livingston compulsory purchases blocked

    18/02/2011

    The Scottish Government has blocked a council from purchasing homes which would have left the owners homeless and in poverty.

  • Muddy waters

    18/02/2011

    Important questions remain over the funding, form and function of local enterprise partnerships. LIz Jenkins and Charlotte Davey, from Clyde & Co, explain.

  • Safety first

    18/02/2011

    Social landlords must comply with gas regulations to avoid prosecution in case of an explosion, says Matthew Lake

  • Landlords hit out at ASB reforms

    11/02/2011

    Government reforms to tackle nuisance behaviour could cost social landlords £10 million.

  • New order

    11/02/2011

    Restrictions to empty dwelling management orders tie councils’ hands when dealing with new build properties, says Sarah Lines

  • Passport control

    11/02/2011

    Housing providers must ensure they don’t employ staff who have no right to work in the UK, says Matthew Wort, associate at Anthony Collins

  • Hossack loses legal aid appeal

    09/02/2011

    A solicitor known for fighting to keep resident warden services in sheltered housing has lost her appeal over a decision to deny her firm legal aid contracts.

  • Institute backs anti-social behaviour reforms

    08/02/2011

    Housing leaders have welcomed plans to reform measures used to tackle anti-social behaviour.

  • Legal bid to reinstate housing targets fails

    07/02/2011

    Planners can take into account the government’s intention to scrap housing building targets when making decisions, a court has ruled.

  • ASBOs face axe as new powers unveiled

    07/02/2011

    The government will announce measures to tackle anti-social behaviour this morning, including the abolition of the ASBO.

  • Double jeopardy

    04/02/2011

    A new mandatory ground for possession means tenants may be punished twice for the same offence

  • Police hunt Ujima cash

    04/02/2011

    Police have pledged to recover money they believe was stolen from Ujima Housing Association.

  • Turning down trouble

    04/02/2011

    A mandatory ground for possession in cases of anti-social behaviour is unworkable, says barrister Jon Mack

  • Ujima trial ends in two year sentence

    02/02/2011

    A consultant at the centre of a £208,000 alleged fraud at the failed Ujima Housing Association has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison.

  • Ujima fraud trial delayed until 2012

    01/02/2011

    The trial of the former chief executive of failed housing association Ujima could be delayed until January 2012, a judge said today.

  • Police gain new powers to tackle gangs

    01/02/2011

    Powers have come into force that could ban gang members from entering certain areas, wearing ‘gang colours’, and going out in public with dangerous dogs.

  • Threat of violence justifies homelessness claim

    31/01/2011

    The Supreme Court has ruled a local authority should consider someone fleeing threats of domestic violence as homeless.

  • Guilty verdict in Ujima trial

    31/01/2011

    The jury in the Ujima money laundering trial has found one of the two accused guilty.

  • Woman jailed for knife threat

    31/01/2011

    A woman who brandished a knife at housing association workers when they told her to leave her home has been jailed for 15 months.

  • Teenagers breach majority of ASBOs

    28/01/2011

    Almost three quarters of anti-social behaviour orders issued to young teenagers are being breached, government statistics show.

  • Councils take legal action over new shared house rules

    28/01/2011

    The government faces a High Court challenge over new rules which allow private landlords to easily convert rented properties into houses in multiple occupation.

  • Joining forces

    28/01/2011

    If housing providers are seeking inspiration for how they can work with a large public service provider in the wake of last week’s Health and Social Care Bill, they could do worse than look at the example of Glasgow Housing Association and Strathclyde Police.

  • May the force be with you

    28/01/2011

    Social landlords are being urged to take a stand against anti-social behaviour. Nick Duxbury joins a drugs bust to see how a unique collaboration between Glasgow Housing Association and Strathclyde Police is leading the charge.

  • Positive discrimination

    28/01/2011

    Landlords must prove they provide specific benefits to avoid being caught by the Equality Act, says Philip Heath, partner at Weightmans

  • The 80% challenge

    28/01/2011

    New affordable rents could lead to human rights challenges, say Helen Tucker and Jane Plant

  • Ombudsman plans come under attack

    27/01/2011

    Plans to require tenants to secure the backing of a local politician before taking complaints to the housing ombudsman have come under fire.

  • Mears wins damages from Leeds Council

    27/01/2011

    Leeds Council will be ordered to pay damages to Mears after the authority was found to have breached regulations when tendering for a contract.

  • Ministers warned over tenancy plans

    26/01/2011

    Ministers have been warned against introducing rigid fixed-term tenancies, as detailed discussions begin on the Localism Bill.

  • Council fined after pensioner death

    26/01/2011

    A council has been fined £80,000 after an elderly lady died from falling through an access hole in her hallway.

  • Ujima suspect thought cash was bonus

    25/01/2011

    One of the suspects in the Ujima money laundering case believed payments of stolen money into her bank account were a bonus for her husband, a court heard today.

  • Authority to license all HMOs

    24/01/2011

    A council has become the first to require every house in multiple occupation to be licensed.

  • Ujima suspect defends innocence

    21/01/2011

    One of the defendants in the Ujima money laundering case has claimed in court he had no reason to suspect he was handling stolen money.

  • Cause and effect

    21/01/2011

    Each year the Chartered Institute of Housing’s UK housing review analyses the trends in social housing. Here Hal Pawson, Steve Wilcox and John Perry give a sneak preview of this year’s report, which looks at the impact major government reforms will have on the sector.

  • Expert opinion

    21/01/2011

    Appointing the wrong expert witness can cost landlords dearly in court disputes over repairs and maintenance, says Baljit Basra

  • Former Ujima chief charged with fraud

    21/01/2011

    The former chief executive of failed housing association Ujima has been charged with a £3.5 million fraud along with two other men.

  • Rent changes stop Teign merger

    21/01/2011

    A Devon housing association has pulled out of merger talks after deciding the government’s affordable rent model will allow it to develop independently.

  • Under the spotlight

    21/01/2011

    Housing associations should review their policies before exercising the new flexible tenancies, say Suzanne Gregson and Alison Oldfield, partners at Eversheds

  • Minister apologises for 'distressing' asylum seeker letter

    20/01/2011

    The immigration minister has apologised for an ‘inappropriate’ letter which demanded asylum seekers in Glasgow leave their homes in a matter of days.

  • Carbon monoxide death inquest opens

    19/01/2011

    The inquest for a worker thought to have died from carbon monoxide poisoning in a housing association property was opened and adjourned this week.

  • Housing association serves order on tenant in hospital

    18/01/2011

    A housing association served an alleged noisy neighbour a court order on New Year’s Eve – while he was in hospital.

  • Ujima suspects deny knowingly handling stolen money

    17/01/2011

    Two people accused of money laundering at failed housing association Ujima have denied they knew they were handling stolen money.

  • Labour politicians attempt to block Localism Bill

    17/01/2011

    Labour politicians have tabled a motion to block the second reading of the government’s Localism Bill, due to have its second reading this afternoon.

  • HCA sets up engineering panel

    17/01/2011

    A total of 15 companies have won a place on a new panel designed to make it easier for councils and housing associations to access technical engineering services.

  • Follow rules to the letter

    14/01/2011

    Cutting corners to save costs could end up costing you dear, says Yetunde Dania

  • Prize fight

    14/01/2011

    Council tenants fighting uncooperative local authorities for the ownership of their homes struck an early blow with the introduction of new rules. Carl Brown investigates.

  • Regulator failed to act on fire register pledge

    14/01/2011

    The Tenant Services Authority missed all three of its self-imposed deadlines to compile a fire safety register it promised to set up but later abandoned.

  • What’s your vision?

    14/01/2011

    Thirty-six years in social housing gives me a long perspective on the greatest changes. The 1974 Housing Act created the housing association sector in its present form. The 1980s saw the introduction of the right to buy, compulsory competitive tendering, stock transfer, shared ownership and private finance.

  • Ujima pair due to stand trial for money laundering

    13/01/2011

    Two suspects in the Ujima fraud case are due to stand trial at Isleworth Crown Court for money laundering on Monday.

  • Fast-track evictions unlikely to work, says housing association

    13/01/2011

    The government’s plans to allow social landlords to fast-track evictions is unlikely to work because of recent case law, says Riverside Housing Association.

  • Stunell urges public to report empty homes

    12/01/2011

    Communities minister Andrew Stunell has urged the public to report empty homes to local authorities to take advantage of the financial incentives being offered to tackle the problem.

  • Thousands could be hit by legal aid cuts, says Unite

    12/01/2011

    Thousands of the most vulnerable people - including those in social housing- could be hit by the government’s legal aid reforms, workers’ union Unite said.

  • Government reveals plans to evict ASB tenants more quickly

    11/01/2011

    Landlords could be able to evict tenants who commit anti-social behaviour more quickly and easily in plans outlined by housing minister Grant Shapps today.

  • Ferrier tenant evicted from demolition area

    11/01/2011

    A council criticised for using court action to remove tenants from an estate scheduled for demolition has successfully evicted a tenant from one of the homes.

  • Quango cull will not achieve savings

    07/01/2011

    The government’s ‘bonfire of the quangos’ has been badly managed and will not achieve the intended savings, a committee of MPs has found.

  • A new year erupts

    07/01/2011

    Are you ready for another explosive year? To stop you getting lost amid the shifting landscape, Lydia Stockdale has the essential guide to the months ahead

  • Build community strength

    07/01/2011

    The Localism Bill could lead to radical changes for landlords and tenants, says Lynne Murray, partner at TLT solicitors

  • On better terms

    07/01/2011

    The withdrawal of the two-tier code will enable landlords to make savings on their recruitment costs, says Stuart McBride

  • Landlord takes action after pet microwaved

    06/01/2011

    A housing association has issued a demotion order to a tenant for cooking a hamster in a microwave.

  • Community leader charged with fraud

    06/01/2011

    The former head of a Welsh regeneration scheme has appeared in court facing 13 fraud and theft charges.

  • Liverpool criticises ‘interfering’ Shapps

    06/01/2011

    Liverpool Council has hit back at the government’s decision to halt an £87 million housing market renewal regeneration scheme which would knock down the former home of Beatles drummer Ringo Starr.

  • Class divide

    04/01/2011

    Last year saw a range of changes to laws governing houses in multiple occupation. Katherine Evans clarifies the situation

  • Police seconded to housing association

    24/12/2010

    A housing association has seconded 12 police constables to tackle anti-social behaviour in what it claims is a first for a housing organisation in the UK.

  • Catching up with subletters

    23/12/2010

    Earlier this month the government announced its latest crackdown on unlawful subletting. Here Emma Vick, counter fraud team manager in Newham, explains how her authority has been tackling the problem

  • Housing sector rejects fixed-term tenancies, says report

    20/12/2010

    Almost three quarters of housing professional said they do not support the government’s plan for fixed-term tenancies, a report has suggested.

  • ALMO race case employee dismissed

    20/12/2010

    An ALMO employee who is bringing a case of racial discrimination against a former colleague has been dismissed by his employer.

  • Cash back?

    17/12/2010

    A new ruling means overpayments of benefits are no longer recoverable unless the claimaint agrees, says Paul Hayes

  • Filling the emptiness

    17/12/2010

    There are thousands of empty homes in the UK but now three new solutions are at hand, says Sarah Lines, director at Cobbetts

  • Going local

    17/12/2010

    The publication of the Decentralisation and Localism Bill this week neatly bookends a momentous year for social housing professionals - and gives them plenty of food for thought over the festive season.

  • Government faces grilling over cost of Localism Bill

    17/12/2010

    The government is to be quizzed about the cost of neighbourhood plans following claims they will cost the Treasury a six-figure sum.

  • The year that changed social housing forever

    17/12/2010

    With a new government, massive reforms and brutal cuts, the past 12 months has seen unprecedented change to the social housing landscape. Inside Housing looks back at the major events of 2010

  • Plumber pleads not guilty over gas death

    16/12/2010

    A plumber has pleaded not guilty to the manslaughter of a young woman who died of carbon monoxide poisoning in a shared ownership flat.

  • Shapps launches crackdown on subletting

    16/12/2010

    Housing minister Grant Shapps has today launched the government’s latest crackdown on the unlawful subletting of social housing.

  • Flint attacks ‘cynical’ Localism Bill plans

    14/12/2010

    Shadow communities secretary Caroline Flint has dismissed the government’s commitment to localism as cynical and unfair, following the introduction of a landmark bill yesterday.

  • Pickles issues delayed Localism Bill

    13/12/2010

    Communities secretary Eric Pickles has introduced the Localism Bill to parliament, paving the way for a radical overhaul of social housing.

  • Funding cuts may undermine Localism Bill

    13/12/2010

    Local government funding cuts due to be announced today could undermine the objectives of the Localism Bill, a think tank has warned.

  • Right to buy act becomes law

    13/12/2010

    An act that will ditch the right to buy for new social housing tenants in Scotland has become law.

  • Localism Bill date confirmed on Twitter

    10/12/2010

    The long-awaited Localism and Decentralisation Bill will be published on Monday, the government has confirmed.

  • A fair share?

    10/12/2010

    Rural planners are causing shared landlords an unnecessary headache, says Ian Deuchar

  • Baring teeth

    10/12/2010

    The fashion for aggressive ‘status’ dogs is a growing problem for many social housing tenants. Lydia Stockdale investigates the phenomenon and what social landlords can do about it.

  • Crucial rights case in EU court

    10/12/2010

    The UK government has been caught up in an embarrassing human rights case over claims it failed to prevent a vulnerable family suffering inhumane and degrading treatment.

  • Held to account

    10/12/2010

    Two months ago I outlined to new Labour leader Ed Miliband how progressive housing policies could help return his party to power. Following the news this week of a two-year housing policy hiatus, we at least know what Mr Miliband thought of my ideas.

  • Law firms win legal aid battle

    10/12/2010

    Three more law firms have secured contracts to provide legal advice to applicants for housing services, after threatening the Legal Services Commission with legal action.

  • Miliband slated over two-year housing policy vacuum

    10/12/2010

    Labour is unlikely to combat the coalition government’s radical reform programme with a coherent policy of its own for two years, a leading academic has claimed.

  • Passing the fitness test

    10/12/2010

    A new definition of charity means landlords must make sure their managers are fit for purpose, says Philip Heath, corporate partner at Weightmans

  • Shapps rapped by Commons watchdog

    10/12/2010

    Housing minister Grants Shapps has been chastised for failing to answer adequately his Labour counterpart’s questions in parliament.

  • Claimants can keep benefit overpayments

    09/12/2010

    The Supreme Court has ruled that the government cannot sue benefit claimants for money it has wrongly overpaid them.

  • Lakanal relatives demand inquest date

    08/12/2010

    Barristers for the families of the people who died in a tower block fire in south London have called for an inquest date to be set.

  • Localism Bill hit by further delays

    08/12/2010

    The publication of the government’s Localism and Decentralisation Bill has been pushed back, amidst criticism from academics and planners.

  • Enrolment costs

    08/12/2010

    Chris Crighton, specialist pensions lawyer at national law firm TLT, sets out what employers in the social housing sector will need to do to prepare for automatic enrolment in pension schemes

  • Councils seek early exit from HRA

    08/12/2010

    Three local authorities will today ask the government to allow them to leave the council housing finance scheme early.

  • Pickles planning row goes back to court

    07/12/2010

    Developer Cala Homes has applied for a second judicial review to clarify planning rules following its victory in the High Court last month.

  • Paper backs down on Seabeck claim

    07/12/2010

    The Sunday Times has apologised for suggesting the shadow housing minister abused her position as an MP.

  • Communities given power over planning

    06/12/2010

    Plans to give communities powers to shape their neighbourhoods were unveiled by the government today.

  • Localism Bill to be unveiled this week

    06/12/2010

    Legislation that will radically alter the shape of the social housing sector is to be published this week.

  • Self service

    03/12/2010

    A change to HCA rules has given social landlords greater freedom over the services they charge for, says Tim Miles

  • Shadow of her former self

    03/12/2010

    As housing minister, Caroline Flint drew flak for proposing radical tenure reforms, but now she is on the other side, leading the attack. The shadow communities secretary spoke to Nick Duxbury.

  • The devil’s in the dust

    03/12/2010

    A wide range of legislation covers asbestos. Providers need to be abreast of it all, says Amanda Stubbs, partner at Trowers & Hamlins

  • Watchdog to examine Connaught audit

    30/11/2010

    A watchdog has launched an investigation into Pricewaterhouse Cooper’s auditing of Connaught’s accounts before its demise.

  • Tenant evicted for blocking gas work

    29/11/2010

    A tenant who refused to let a landlord in to carry out gas servicing has been evicted from his Liverpool home.

  • Out with the old

    26/11/2010

    The Scottish Housing Bill marks the dawn of a new era for social landlords north of the border, says Jackie McGuire

  • Probe exposes rifts over RSS court case

    26/11/2010

    Civil servants and ministerial special advisers clashed over the handling of the scrapping of regional housing targets, a review ordered by ministers has revealed.

  • The Pinnock ripple effect

    26/11/2010

    Why the Pinnock case could undermine the use of starter tenancies. Jane Plant, associate solicitor, and Helen Tucker, partner, at Anthony Collins explain

  • The way I see it

    26/11/2010

    Landlords must increase energy efficiency now, before their tenants are left counting the costs, says Nick Sutton, a project manager at Trent & Dove Housing

  • Ministers seek right to buy powers

    25/11/2010

    The Welsh Assembly Government has introduced legislation to allow the suspension of the right to buy, and give it greater power over housing associations.

  • Human rights laws threaten tenancy reform

    24/11/2010

    Landlords have warned human rights laws could undermine government plans to introduce fixed-term social tenancies.

  • Contractor fined after decent homes workers exposed to asbestos

    19/11/2010

    A decent homes contractor has been fined £360 after workers were exposed to asbestos during improvement works for North Tyneside Homes.

  • Foul play

    19/11/2010

    Cala Homes chalked up a High Court victory against Eric Pickles last week, but the communities secretary is set to brush aside the challenge and abolish regional house targets anyway. Rhiannon Bury investigates where next for planning reform.

  • Priced out of the market

    19/11/2010

    The universal credit will simplify things but could spell trouble for landlords in expensive areas, says Jo Till, solicitor at Trowers & Hamlins

  • Public protect

    19/11/2010

    The message of joining forces to fight fraud must not be lost with the Audit Commission, says Andrew Gillett

  • Regulator raps Greenwich Council

    19/11/2010

    The Tenant Services Authority has upbraided Greenwich Council for the way it has sought to repossess homes on an estate the London borough wants to knock down.

  • Housing advice faces legal aid cut

    16/11/2010

    Housing is among the raft of areas which will lose out in the government’s plans to bring down the £2 billion legal aid bill.

  • Out of the frying plan

    16/11/2010

    The High Court’s decision to overturn the abolition of regional spatial strategies has left the planning system in chaos

  • Councils in planning chaos

    12/11/2010

    England’s councils are being warned to expect a wave of legal challenges after the government’s decision to scrap regional housing targets was ruled unlawful.

  • Eviction overhaul

    12/11/2010

    The Pinnock ruling means social landlords will find it harder to evict tenants, says Paul Hayes, head of housing litigation at Lewis Silkin

  • New regulator handed power to transfer assets

    12/11/2010

    The Scottish Government has ignored objections from housing providers and handed a raft of easy to deploy powers over governance to the new Scottish Housing Regulator.

  • Radical change threatens rents

    12/11/2010

    Ministers plan to enlarge the areas used to calculate housing benefit payments for private tenants.

  • Glasgow asylum deal terminated

    11/11/2010

    Hundreds of asylum seekers in Glasgow will have to be rehoused after the government terminated its contract with Glasgow Council to provide them accommodation.

  • Ministers set out to tackle squatting

    11/11/2010

    Housing minister Grant Shapps has launched an online guide for homeowners, aimed at stopping squatters ‘invading’ their property.

  • Cracking down on corruption

    10/11/2010

    Kerry Gwyther, head of regulatory law at TLT, examines issues for registered providers and their boards in the Bribery Act 2010

  • Traveller row lands council with legal bill

    10/11/2010

    A council is facing a legal bill running into tens of thousands of pounds after failing to pay £600 in compensation to two Travellers.

  • Move to scrap housing targets ‘unlawful’

    10/11/2010

    Communities secretary Eric Pickles’ decision to scrap regional spatial strategies was unlawful, a court has ruled.

  • Former minister thrown out of Parliament

    05/11/2010

    A former local government minister has been ejected from Parliament for making false statements about his opponents in the run-up to the general election.

  • Court rules on ‘failures’ of Birmingham Council

    05/11/2010

    The High Court has ruled Birmingham Council acted unlawfully by preventing three vulnerable men from making homeless applications.

  • Court sets high bar for eviction

    05/11/2010

    Social landlords will find it harder to evict tenants following a landmark judgement this week.

  • Dawn of a brave new world

    05/11/2010

    There are big changes afoot in the world of rents and regulations. Keith Jenkins, partner at Winckworth Sherwood, explains

  • Safety first

    05/11/2010

    The health and safety review will help simplify legislation for social landlords, says Mark London

  • Government shifts responsibility for ASB

    02/11/2010

    Communities and local agencies should take the lead in tackling anti-social behaviour, the minister responsible for crime prevention has said.

  • Don't hold back

    29/10/2010

    With a few adjustments, shared ownership schemes for people with disabilities can work well. Nicki Winstanley and Camilla Thornberry, lawyers at Trowers & Hamlins, explain how

  • It’s time to get even

    29/10/2010

    The Equality Act 2010 took effect this month but how will it affect social landlords? Sian Jones, partner at Morgan Cole, gives her view

  • Planning target row in High Court

    29/10/2010

    Edinburgh developer Cala Homes has appeared in the High Court to challenge Eric Pickles’ decision to scrap regional spatial strategies.

  • Time to retire?

    29/10/2010

    Clarification of changes to the Local Goverrnment Penion Scheme are eagerly awaited, says Patricia Critchley

  • Finance officer stole to fund cocaine habit

    28/10/2010

    A man has been jailed for a year for helping himself to £57,742 from the till of a café at a housing association.

  • Councils recover 1,600 sublet homes

    27/10/2010

    Councils in England recovered 1,600 social homes that had been unlawfully sublet last year.

  • Cash back

    22/10/2010

    If a lender repossesses a home bought under right to buy, they must pay back the discount, says Michelle Knight

  • Stick to the slow lane

    22/10/2010

    Social housing providers should be wary of acting too hastily if they agree to set up a car club, says Roger Yates, partner at Carter Lemon Camerons

  • Baroness suspended for social home claims

    19/10/2010

    A Labour baroness who claimed second home allowances for a housing association property in London is to be suspended from Parliament.

  • Three strikes rule to target benefit fraud

    18/10/2010

    Ministers are to launch a tough new strategy for tackling benefit fraud.

  • Private rented sector faces tougher rules

    15/10/2010

    The Scottish Government has introduced legislation to tackle unscrupulous landlords in the private rented sector.

  • Be careful not to get stung

    15/10/2010

    A court ruling means dismissed employees can now recover unlimited damages. Phil Allen and Emlyn Williams, partners at Mace & Jones, explain

  • Watch this space

    15/10/2010

    The Supreme Court is considering cases which could have a big impact on landlords, say Jane Plant and Helen Tucker

  • HCA confirmed to take on TSA regulation

    14/10/2010

    The Homes and Communities Agency has been saved in the bonfire of quangos and will take on regulation from the Tenant Services Authority, it has been confirmed.

  • Gypsies and Travellers to get more rights

    13/10/2010

    Communities minister Andrew Stunell has announced plans to give Gypsies and Travellers the same rights as social housing tenants.

  • HMO licensing changes face legal challenge

    13/10/2010

    A group of councils is to sue the government over changes to legislation on houses in multiple occupation.

  • Tenant evicted for using home as a brothel

    13/10/2010

    Birmingham council has evicted a tenant accused of using his home as a brothel.

  • Housing executive faces governance audit

    08/10/2010

    The Northern Irish social development minister has launched an immediate inquiry into the Northern Ireland Housing Executive.

  • A growing problem

    08/10/2010

    A social landlord in the west midlands is cracking down on the tenants cultivating drugs in its properties - and saving thousands of pounds. Chloë Stothart reports

  • Don’t down tools

    08/10/2010

    Removing the powers available to social landlords to tackle anti-social behaviour would be a backwards step

  • Giving notice

    08/10/2010

    A new act gives tenants more protection if their landlord faces repossession, says Karen Neald

  • NI housing director faces inquiry over links to contractor

    08/10/2010

    A housing director at the Northern Ireland Housing Executive has been suspended over allegations about his relationship with a contractor.

  • Tackling gang violence

    08/10/2010

    Housing associations cannot apply for new injunctions to tackle gang violence. Jane Plant, associate solicitor at Anthony Collins Solicitors, explains why

  • Word on the street

    08/10/2010

    With the possible scrapping of ASBOs and the recent plea from the chief inspector of constabulary for us to ‘reclaim the streets’, the debate on community safety is a hot topic. Simon Brandon asks six people on the front line how we can make our neighbourhoods safer

  • Residents to work with police on ASB

    06/10/2010

    The home secretary has unveiled reforms which she says will make police more accountable to residents.

  • Law change protects private tenants

    04/10/2010

    Rules have come into force that prevent private tenants being thrown out of their home because their landlord has not kept up with mortgage payments.

  • Landlords to fight Lovell debt demand

    01/10/2010

    Lovell is demanding some landlords repay money they owed to failed contractor Connaught, after taking over their contracts.

  • People power

    01/10/2010

    With housing inspections in limbo after the demise of the Audit Commission it’s time to go local, says Hugo Stephens

  • Developers challenge axed planning strategies

    29/09/2010

    The government is facing a wave of legal challenges over its planning policy after two more developers launched action against its decision to scrap regional spatial strategies.

  • Arrest made in regeneration case

    28/09/2010

    A man has been arrested and six officers at Stoke-on-Trent’s regeneration department suspended as part of an inquiry.

  • Police unaware of most anti-social behaviour

    27/09/2010

    A study by the Inspectorate of Constabulary has found only a small proportion of anti-social behaviour is reported to the police.

  • Court threat for commission

    24/09/2010

    The Legal Services Commission could face a wave of legal action from housing advice firms after awarding a contract to an organisation that had taken it to court.

  • Doing things by the book

    24/09/2010

    Public/private development partnerships can constitute public works and must adhere to EU procurement rules. Martin Vincent, head of procurement at Mace & Jones, explains.

  • Ex-church tenants in successor row

    24/09/2010

    Tenants in homes sold by the Church of England Commissioners have accused their new landlord of dropping a pledge about successor tenancies in the original tenants’ handbook.

  • Tenants handed human rights boost

    24/09/2010

    Landlords could find it much more difficult to evict tenants following a landmark judgement from the European Court of Human Rights.

  • Tenant wins 17-year right to buy battle

    22/09/2010

    A tenant has won a 17-year battle to buy his cemetery lodge home through the right to buy.

  • Harman opposes HMO rule changes

    21/09/2010

    The acting leader of the Labour Party has put forward a motion in Parliament calling for the reversal of changes to the licensing of houses in multiple occupation.

  • Subletting drive secures four homes

    20/09/2010

    Four tenancies have been voluntarily given up following a subletting crackdown in Surrey.

  • Beat the domino effect

    17/09/2010

    Housing providers must make contingency plans after the collapse of contractor Connaught. Andrew Millross and Richard More, from Anthony Collins Solicitors, explain how.

  • Landlords reject Lovell deal over EU legal issue

    17/09/2010

    Former clients of stricken maintenance contractor Connaught are refusing to transfer their contracts to Lovell because of fears they may breach European Union law.

  • Ousted residents fear homelessness

    17/09/2010

    Residents of a London estate undergoing a controversial £1 billion regeneration programme have been served eviction notices as the council begins the demolition of their homes.

  • The price is right

    17/09/2010

    Landlords must be aware that tenancies with an annual rent of more than £25,000 will now be assured, says Neil Lawlor

  • Islington PFI probe reveals overcharging but no fraud

    16/09/2010

    A fraud investigation into two Islington private finance initiative schemes has found some leaseholders were overcharged for work and did not benefit from discounts obtained from sub-contractors.

  • Green planning statement shelved

    13/09/2010

    The government has shelved plans to publish a legally-binding statement on its planning policy on climate change and renewable energy, Inside Housing has learned.

  • Hossacks faces bankruptcy over legal aid

    10/09/2010

    The leading firm of solicitors representing sheltered housing tenants is facing bankruptcy because of legal aid delays.

  • Landlords put faith in contingency plans

    10/09/2010

    Landlords which hold contracts with social housing maintenance firm Connaught say they are confident they will not lose out financially as a result of the contractor’s demise.

  • Provider beware

    10/09/2010

    Landlords face increased risks under the home ownership for people with long-term disabilities scheme, says David Percival

  • Public sector workers unite

    10/09/2010

    Government suppport for workers’ co-operatives creates new opportunity, says Simon Randall, a consultant at Winckworth Sherwood

  • Sacked surveyor in asbestos claims

    10/09/2010

    A health and safety worker is claiming a housing association sacked him for raising the alarm about its asbestos management.

  • Legal body backs down over advice contract

    09/09/2010

    The Legal Services Commission has avoided a judicial review by backing down on its decision not to award a housing advice firm a social welfare contract.

  • Legislation to tackle rogue landlords

    08/09/2010

    The Scottish Government has pledged to tackle unscrupulous landlords in its programme of government released today.

  • Study uncovers private rented sector abuse

    08/09/2010

    More than 90 per cent of environmental health officers have encountered landlords harassing or illegally evicting tenants, a study has found.

  • Ready for reform

    07/09/2010

    With an announcement on the future of council housing finance due this month, social housing lawyer Kate Silverman examines what the current proposals would mean for local authorities and housing associations.

  • Benefit rulings could cost DWP

    03/09/2010

    The government may have to refund overpayments of housing benefit it has already clawed back, following legal action.

  • Gang ban

    03/09/2010

    Clauses stopping tenants from being gang members will be difficult to enforce, says Robert Wassall

  • Justice panels ‘will put people at risk’

    03/09/2010

    Government plans to hand communities responsibility for tackling anti-social behaviour put some individuals in danger of reprisal attacks, social landlords have warned.

  • High Court to rule on legal aid cuts

    02/09/2010

    The High Court will examine whether legal aid contracts for social welfare have been awarded lawfully at a judicial review next week.

  • Knight evicted from council flat

    01/09/2010

    A self-styled knight has been evicted from his council home after officers discovered he owned four properties, including one worth £700,000.

  • An end to ASBOs?

    27/08/2010

    The review of anti-social behaviour powers must not impact the ability of social landlords to tackle the problem

  • Islington gag order dropped

    27/08/2010

    United House has agreed to stop issuing gagging orders to tenants to whom it has paid compensation.

  • Legal aid cull prompts fears

    27/08/2010

    A legal aid cull will see homelessness rise and people in desperate housing need face problems in accessing help, lawyers and charities have warned.

  • Unlock sex offender data

    27/08/2010

    Scottish housing providers were refused statistics on sex offenders but have won an appeal. Emma Gilpin, senior solicitor in public law at Brodies, explains.

  • Labour launches bid to save the ASBO

    25/08/2010

    The Labour Party has claimed government plans to scrap anti-social behaviour orders would ‘leave communities helpless and vulnerable’.

  • A breach in security

    20/08/2010

    Scrapping security of tenure will lead to a huge increase in litigation.

  • Battle to overturn decision on legal aid

    20/08/2010

    Sheltered housing campaigners are fighting to get 5,000 people to sign a petition in protest at their claim for legal aid being turned down on a technicality.

  • Council faces court over ‘contaminated’ estate

    20/08/2010

    North Lanarkshire Council is facing possible court action after being accused of allowing homes to be built on contaminated land.

  • Liverpool in talks over £30m bond

    20/08/2010

    Liverpool Council hopes to raise £30 million on the UK bond market to fund the building of new homes.

  • Who will succeed?

    20/08/2010

    If a tenant dies, the tenancy vests in the surviving joint tenant regardless of where they live, says Yetunde Dania

  • Highlands to get 400 homes with £40million deal

    18/08/2010

    Albyn Housing Society has agreed a £40m loan with the Royal Bank of Scotland and half the loan will be used to fund 400 homes for shared equity sale or for rent.

  • CIH seeks 'urgent information' on Audit Commission

    17/08/2010

    The Chartered Institute of Housing is seeking urgent clarification about the effect the scrapping of the Audit Commission will have on housing inspections.

  • Clegg: housing 'is UK's biggest problem'

    17/08/2010

    Access to affordable housing is one of the biggest problems faced by the UK, Nick Clegg said yesterday.

  • Housing officer sacked for preaching faith loses tribunal

    16/08/2010

    A housing official sacked after telling a terminally ill woman to ‘put her faith in God’ has lost a legal challenge against his former employer.

  • Tories exposed for mis-selling security

    13/08/2010

    The Conservative Party held pre-election meetings with key housing figures about its plans to remove security of tenure from future social housing tenants.

  • ALMO battles gagging order

    13/08/2010

    An arm’s-length management organisation has demanded a contractor stop gagging tenants to whom it has paid compensation following complaints about work.

  • Lib Dem deputy to create benefit reform plan

    13/08/2010

    The deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats is drawing up alternatives to the government’s plans to reform housing benefit because of his concern about their impact in London.

  • Council loses legal battle against housing association

    12/08/2010

    A council has lost a legal battle with a housing association over who is liable for paying a £2.4m pension fund deficit.

  • Falling repossessions could rise again, warn charity

    12/08/2010

    Council of Mortgage Lender figures show repossessions continued to fall in the second quarter of 2010.

  • Mortgage lending increases, says CML

    12/08/2010

    Mortgage lending increased significantly in June compared to the previous year, according to statistics released by the Council of Mortgage Lenders.

  • Scottish council commissions contamination tests

    11/08/2010

    A Scottish council will do more tests on land under a housing estate, which residents believe could be contaminated.

  • Housebuilder in legal bid against government

    10/08/2010

    A leading housebuilder has launched a legal challenge against the government’s decision to scrap regional spatial strategies.

  • Campaigners appeal against Neath ballot

    06/08/2010

    Anti-stock transfer campaigners in Neath Port Talbot are appealing against a tenant ballot after the council was found to have wrongly withheld key information.

  • Charities seek test case as UKBA forces out migrants

    06/08/2010

    Charities supporting migrants are looking to mount a test legal case after 13 homeless European nationals were forcibly removed from the UK.

  • Last resort

    06/08/2010

    The outcome of an anti-social behaviour case brought by a tenant could see landlords default to possession orders, says Neil Brand

  • Lightening the load

    06/08/2010

    Housing associations are missing a trick with the mortgage rescue scheme, says Sian Evans, partner at Weightmans

  • Daughter loses succession case

    04/08/2010

    The Court of Appeal has told a woman that she cannot take over her late mother’s council property because her father lost his secure tenancy by leaving the family home.

  • Council investigates former housing panel chair

    02/08/2010

    Bradford council is investigating the resignation of a housing panel chair after he was fined for letting out homes in a poor condition in Liverpool.

  • Common sense approach

    30/07/2010

    Landlords are in limbo as the government fails to clarify ISA registration rules, says James Lynas

  • The pensions minefield

    30/07/2010

    Close a final salary scheme with a deficit and you may trigger an almighty fall-out, says Doug Mullen, associate at Anthony Collins Solicitors

  • History of violence

    23/07/2010

    A Court of Appeal ruling means landlords can seek possession on grounds of domestic violence even after the victim has fled, says Ian Larkins

  • Islington launches fraud inquiry into housing PFIs

    23/07/2010

    Islington Council’s anti-fraud team is reviewing its two housing private finance initiative schemes after leaseholders raised concern about the way they were charged for improvement works.

  • Landlords face new duty due to ASB showdown

    23/07/2010

    Landlords face becoming legally liable for failing to tackle anti-social behaviour on their land after a tenant won a landmark High Court case.

  • Life on the open road

    23/07/2010

    New regulation gives housing association board members more freedom, says Emma Tarran, partner at Trowers & Hamlins

  • The clock is ticking

    16/07/2010

    Landlords who deal with care must beware of new law requiring registration, says Lynn Aglionby, partner at Trowers & Hamlins LLP

  • The right side of the law

    16/07/2010

    A new High Court case sets another human rights precedent, says Scott Greenwood

  • Serial killer police search garden

    12/07/2010

    Police investigating the background of serial killer Peter Tobin have today begun to search gardens of two properties in Brighton, one of which belongs to a housing association.

  • Loan sharks double risk of eviction

    12/07/2010

    The number of families in danger of eviction can double when a loan shark operates in an area, a specialist team has warned.

  • The key to fraud detection

    09/07/2010

    When Newham Homes overhauled its security arrangements it hoped to expose some tenancy fraud. But, as Katie Puckett reports, it uncovered much more than expected

  • Domestic violence ruling overturns eviction ban

    08/07/2010

    Perpetrators of domestic violence can be evicted even if they have moved out of a property and split up with their partner, a court has ruled.

  • Government to review ASB

    02/07/2010

    The government will review the powers available to tackle anti-social behaviour, the policing and criminal justice minister has announced.

  • Is the money in the bag?

    02/07/2010

    At what point does HCA grant approval become legally binding? Naomi Goode explains

  • New precedent for tenancy succession

    02/07/2010

    The Supreme Court has granted victory to a man fighting to take over the tenancy of his late brother’s flat, in a case that could pave the way for hundreds of similar claims.

  • The price is right

    02/07/2010

    Community land trusts are to play a bigger part in the provision of affordable homes, says Tim Davies

  • U-turn over Welsh housing powers

    02/07/2010

    The UK government has made an eleventh-hour U-turn over a refusal to allow the Welsh Assembly to adopt new powers over the right to buy.

  • Qatari Diar loses Chelsea Barracks case

    30/06/2010

    A developer of London’s Chelsea Barracks has won a High Court battle against the Qatari Diar development company following the withdrawal of a planning application for the £3 billion scheme.

  • Welsh face restrictions on right to buy powers

    28/06/2010

    The Welsh Assembly Government has been forced to water down a bid for increased legal powers over housing.

  • Gang warfare

    25/06/2010

    Gang membership clause in tenancy agreements will fight the problem head-on

  • Opposition in the house

    25/06/2010

    As the fight for the Labour Party leadership hots up, bookies’ favourite David Miliband tells Inside Housing he’ll make housing a top priority if he wins, while Lydia Stockdale rates the contenders’ housing credentials.

  • Play by the rules

    25/06/2010

    Social landlords can advise tenants on money issues but must follow guidelines from the financial regulator, says Miguel Pereira

  • The fraud files

    25/06/2010

    Local authorities must share data to fight fraud and save millions, says Andrew Gillett, partner and head of casualty fraud, Weightmans

  • Landlords welcome change in HMO laws

    18/06/2010

    Councils will be free to decide whether to restrict the number of houses in multiple occupation in their area, the housing minister has announced.

  • Beware a break in the chain

    18/06/2010

    Beware of transfers as they could prove costly if you lose a contract, says Steven Lorber, partner at Lewis Silkin

  • Turning the tables on tragedy

    18/06/2010

    Since her daughter died in the crossfire of a gangland shooting, Beverley Thomas has dedicated her life to addressing the social conditions that give rise to violent crime. She tells Lydia Stockdale her story

  • Coalition urged to deliver promised housing powers

    17/06/2010

    Welsh housing bodies have urged the UK government to make good on a promise to devolve more powers to the country.

  • Fraud amnesty sees eight homes returned

    17/06/2010

    Eight properties were returned to an Essex council after it held a two-week amnesty for sub-letters to come clean before a major crackdown.

  • Landlord drops Weaver test case

    17/06/2010

    A case that was expected to test whether housing associations are public bodies will not come to court after the landlord withdrew its action.

  • Age of consent

    11/06/2010

    The TSA’s new regulations cut through a lot of red tape for social landlords, writes Robert Wassall

  • Control your data

    11/06/2010

    Keep your data protection policies under review or face fines up to £500,000, says Carolyn Fink, associate at Penningtons Solicitors

  • Police watchdog investigates anti-social behaviour work

    11/06/2010

    The police watchdog is investigating how well officers work with social landlords to tackle anti-social behaviour.

  • Tenants moved after prostitute murders

    11/06/2010

    A Bradford-based housing association has had to rehouse tenants from a block of flats at the centre of a high-profile investigation into the murder of three prostitutes.

  • Association built £1m block without permission

    10/06/2010

    A housing association built a £1 million block of flats on potentially contaminated land without planning permission.

  • Residents face court over grass cutting charges

    09/06/2010

    A housing association in Gloucestershire is taking its freeholders to court after they refused to pay service charges for grass cutting.

  • Councillor convicted of benefit fraud

    08/06/2010

    A former district councillor has been convicted of falsely claiming more than £6,000 in housing and council tax benefit while serving on his local authority.

  • Gang members banned from social housing

    08/06/2010

    A housing association has introduced a clause banning gang membership to all its tenancy agreements.

  • Genesis fined £12,000 over Legionnaires' outbreak

    04/06/2010

    Genesis Housing Group has been fined £12,000 after an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease at one of its sheltered housing schemes.

  • Closure order secured over ASB tenant

    04/06/2010

    An association in West Yorkshire has become one of the first housing providers to successfully apply for the closure of a property for anti-social behaviour.

  • Unison urges TSA members to return

    04/06/2010

    Unison has written a begging letter to 41 Tenant Services Authority staff who walked out of the union after it banned their branch secretary.

  • £285m mortgage funding gap looms

    04/06/2010

    The Council for Mortgage Lenders is to lobby the government in a bid to ensure the £285 million mortgage rescue scheme is not axed.

  • Hip new rules

    04/06/2010

    HIPs may be history but social landlords still need to watch out for Energy Performance Certificate rules, says Sheila Whitton

  • Home Group to sell 10 per cent of stock

    04/06/2010

    Home Group will sell more than 10 per cent of its properties and raise £100 million in the biggest stock rationalisation deal ever seen.

  • Shapps to be focal speaker at Harrogate

    04/06/2010

    Housing minister Grant Shapps is to give a keynote speech at this year’s Chartered Institute of Housing conference and exhibition in Harrogate.

  • The dawn of a new era

    04/06/2010

    What details should we look out for in the new legislative programme?

  • Lawyers want court ruling on section 4 support fast-tracked

    03/06/2010

    Lawyers working with asylum seekers who must travel to Liverpool to give fresh evidence on their claims want the High Court to bring forward a decision on support for the destitute.

  • Government stalls recruitment of Audit Commission head

    02/06/2010

    The Government has thrown into disarray the appointment of the new head of the Audit Commission over a £240,000 pay packet.

  • Government guns for CEOs' pay

    02/06/2010

    The Government has launched a broadside on highly paid housing association chief executives.

  • Four CLG staff on £150,000 a year list

    01/06/2010

    Four civil servants in the department for Communities and Local Government have appeared on a Government list of mandarins earning more than £150,000.

  • General election slowed housing market

    01/06/2010

    Uncertainty caused by the general election caused a slowdown in the housing market in May, according to the latest figures.

  • All’s fair under EU law

    28/05/2010

    Make sure you don’t fall foul of EU laws in offering tenders for public works, says Philip Heath

  • Build your legal muscle

    28/05/2010

    There’s a lot of choice when it comes to in-house legal training for housing staff. Anita Pati asks workers in a range of roles for their top picks of the courses on offer

  • Catching the fraudsters

    28/05/2010

    All manner of scams are being worked by tenants keen to procure, hand on or profit from a tenancy. But there are ways for landlords to catch them - especially if they are prepared to turn detective. Katie Puckett reports

  • Court rejects data block

    28/05/2010

    Housing organisations in Scotland could be given data on sex offenders living in their areas, unless the country’s information watchdog can convince law lords that the information should not be released.

  • Cut price advice

    28/05/2010

    Inside Housing’s exclusive legal fees survey reveals social landlords now have the upper hand when it comes to procuring legal services. Nick Duxbury finds out why - and examines whether the trend is set to continue

  • Don’t get court out

    28/05/2010

    It is now more important than ever for social landlords to prepare properly for possession claims. Dean Underwood gives a step-by-step guide to the procedure

  • Driving a hard bargain

    28/05/2010

    Ask a lawyer whether they are being paid less now for doing the same job they did two years ago and you will probably be met with an icy silence.

  • Put it in the diary

    28/05/2010

    The Labour government passed a record 4,300 laws between 1997 and their defeat in this month’s general election. And there are a few more in the pipeline, still to be passed. Here is the key legislation to look out for alongside some important cases that could have serious legal implications for housing in the UK

  • Shopping around for legal advice

    28/05/2010

    Social landlords face a huge amount of choice when procuring legal services. Ben Cook explores the options

  • Stand firm

    28/05/2010

    Landlords must make sure their policies on medical assessment are robust enough to withstand unforeseen changes, says Polly Glynn

  • The view across the fence

    28/05/2010

    Employment tribunals are on the rise. Here two specialist lawyers in the field explain the process for both the employer and the employee

  • Tenant given ASBO for dog attacks

    27/05/2010

    A tenant who set her dog on parents and children as they walked home from a nearby school has been given a two-year anti-social behaviour order.

  • Housing associations cut legal spending

    27/05/2010

    Nearly three quarters of social housing providers are expecting to spend less on legal fees in the next financial year according to figures from Inside Housing’s first annual legal fees survey.

  • From pillar to post

    25/05/2010

    Recent guidance has clarified who should provide support for homeless 16 and 17 year olds. Hannah Britz explains why it was needed.

  • Queen's speech bill will shift power to councils

    25/05/2010

    Legislation to shift responsibility for housing from central to local government and give communities the power to build homes have been set out in the Queen’s speech.

  • Fraud drive recovers 97 sub-let homes

    24/05/2010

    A government anti-fraud drive helped to recover 97 unlawfully sublet social homes in 2008/09.

  • Top CLG official to step down

    24/05/2010

    The most senior civil servant at the Communities and Local Government department is leaving to take up a new post.

  • Cabinet’s missing minister

    21/05/2010

    Housing minister Grant Shapps will not attend cabinet meetings unlike his four Labour predecessors. Does it matter and what does it say about the importance of housing within the new coalition government? Chloë Stothart finds out

  • First Weaver test case to reach court

    21/05/2010

    A High Court case is set to reveal whether housing associations will be treated as public bodies in certain circumstances.

  • Housing’s super heroes

    21/05/2010

    Our annual Housing Heroes awards celebrate those individuals and teams who have made a super human effort. Lydia Stockdale shines a spotlight on this year’s winners

  • Simply the best

    21/05/2010

    They came, they saw - and they inspired.

  • The net is closing in

    21/05/2010

    Charitable housing providers must be prepared for regulation, says Peter Hubbard

  • Watchdog to probe hostel man’s death

    21/05/2010

    The police watchdog is to investigate a complaint about a force’s contact with a homeless man before he was found dead in a car park.

  • Housing finance reform among coalition priorities

    20/05/2010

    The coalition government has set out its housing priorities including a review of the housing revenue account subsidy system.

  • Dispute Service to appoint chief executive

    20/05/2010

    The company that resolves complaints and disputes in the private rented sector is to appoint a chief executive for the first time.

  • Ex-Peabody worker arrested at tribunal

    19/05/2010

    A one-time employee of a London-based housing association is awaiting deportation after coming back into the country to sue her previous employers.

  • Royal intervention triggers legal fight

    18/05/2010

    A developer of London’s Chelsea Barracks has launched an £81 million legal claim following the withdrawal of a planning application for the controversial £3 billion scheme.

  • Council launches two week fraud amnesty

    18/05/2010

    An Essex council has started a two-week amnesty for council tenants committing fraud to come clean before a major crackdown.

  • Teather secures education role

    14/05/2010

    Former Liberal Democrat housing spokeswoman Sarah Teather has landed a job at the newly renamed Department for Education.

  • Sector backs Shapps appointment

    14/05/2010

    The appointment of Grant Shapps as housing minister has been greeted enthusiastically by organisations in the sector.

  • A whole new rule book

    14/05/2010

    ALMOs are now subject to the Tenant Services Authority’s regulations. Gareth Hall, partner at Devonshires, explains.

  • Council broke rules over medical checks

    14/05/2010

    An east London authority’s policy of outsourcing medical checks on housing applicants to a private company has been ruled unlawful by the High Court.

  • Councils face increased human rights burden

    14/05/2010

    Councils could be landed with a much more onerous legal duty to prove they have not breached the human rights of residents with introductory tenancies.

  • Duty free?

    14/05/2010

    A recent case means councils could be held responsible for their ALMOs’ employees, says Stuart Jones

  • Going underground

    14/05/2010

    The residents of a Motherwell estate believe contaminated land under their homes is making them ill - and they’ve hired a lawyer to help them prove it. Emily Twinch reports.

  • Outspoken Pickles takes reins

    14/05/2010

    The Conservative Party has appointed one of the most vocal critics of Labour house building targets as Communities and Local Government secretary.

  • Social housing bill tops list of new laws

    14/05/2010

    A scheme to help social housing tenants move to new homes elsewhere in the country could be one of the first pieces of legislation tabled by the new government.

  • Shapps set to be new housing minister

    13/05/2010

    The Conservatives’ former shadow housing minister Grant Shapps is to be the new minister for housing.

  • Housing minister loses cabinet status

    13/05/2010

    The housing minister appears to have lost the right to attend cabinet meetings.

  • Plumber appears in court over gas death

    13/05/2010

    A plumber has appeared in court charged with the manslaughter of a young woman who died of carbon monoxide poisoning in a shared ownership flat.

  • Clarke and May lead fight against crime

    12/05/2010

    Senior Conservatives Kenneth Clarke and Theresa May are to lead the new government’s fight against crime and anti-social behaviour.

  • Coalition PM promises stronger communities

    12/05/2010

    David Cameron has begun his time as prime minister with a promise to build a more responsible society with stronger communities.

  • Cracking the code

    11/05/2010

    From 1 April many builders of new homes have been required to meet a new consumer code. Graham Walters, partner at law firm TLT, explains the implications.

  • Landlord jailed after tenant trapped in fire

    10/05/2010

    A landlord has been jailed after a fire at one of his properties left a teenager on the brink of death.

  • Charity fears Tory rule would bring confusion

    07/05/2010

    The lack of Conservative support in Scotland could lead to confusion if the party forms a UK government, a housing charity has warned.

  • Labour offers DUP funding sweetener

    07/05/2010

    The Labour party has offered to protect Westminster funding for Northern Ireland as part of deal with the Democratic Unionist Party.

  • Welsh look to revitalise law making bid

    07/05/2010

    Welsh housing leaders have urged whoever forms the next Westminster government to increase the powers of the Welsh Assembly.

  • CLG committee chair loses seat

    07/05/2010

    The MP who chairs the communities and local government select committee has lost her seat in yesterday’s election.

  • In the balance

    07/05/2010

    In recent weeks the leaders of the three main political parties have all been interviewed by Inside Housing. With the make-up of the next UK government still in doubt, here is what the various options could mean for the housing sector.

  • Labour’s legacy

    07/05/2010

    In 1997 we were promised that things could only get better for social housing. So after 13 years in power - and nine housing ministers - did Labour deliver? Keith Cooper looks back on a time of both great achievement and missed opportunity

  • Straight to work

    07/05/2010

    No matter which party is declared the victor following yesterday’s general election, the new housing minister faces a mammoth task. Chloë Stothart finds out which issues are top of the to-do list

  • Landlords call for dog law extension

    06/05/2010

    Social landlords are lobbying for laws on dangerous dogs to be strengthened to protect housing officers and tenants from attacks.

  • Pensioner evicted for anti-social behaviour

    06/05/2010

    A pensioner who was given a curfew after assaulting a housing officer is to be evicted from his council flat.

  • Genesis in court over Legionnaires’ outbreak

    06/05/2010

    Genesis Housing Group has been taken to court by Basildon Council over claims it failed to protect sheltered housing tenants from an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease.

  • Police delays hold up Lakanal inquest

    05/05/2010

    Harriet Harman has hit out at delays to the inquest into the death of six people in a tower-block fire after it emerged police investigations will not be complete until September.

  • Arrest made over housing association theft

    05/05/2010

    Police have arrested a 34-year-old former employee in connection with theft from a café at a housing association in south Wales.

  • False homelessness claim leads to £2,000 fine

    04/05/2010

    A Hertfordshire council has successfully prosecuted a woman who falsely claimed she was homeless, in a first for the local authority.

  • Two arrested after fire in flats

    30/04/2010

    Two men have been arrested on suspicion of arson after a fire at a block of flats in Falmouth.

  • Court in middle

    30/04/2010

    Landlords seeking evictions are in a difficult position as judges decide which court does what, says Ian Larkins

  • Disabled man fights benefit rule

    30/04/2010

    The mother of a disabled student is considering a legal challenge against the government over its failure to consider the impact of housing benefit regulations on disabled people.

  • Human traffickers use social homes to house victims

    30/04/2010

    Landlords must make more checks to stop human traffickers using their properties, a police officer leading an EU investigation into people smuggling revealed.

  • Not on target

    30/04/2010

    The news that Westminster Council has barred anyone from renting a council house unless they are in temporary accommodation is distressing.

  • Removing the straitjacket

    30/04/2010

    Landlords must adopt new probity policies to adhere to TSA regulations, says Peter Hubbard

  • Westminster to restrict lettings

    30/04/2010

    A council has banned overcrowded families and those with serious medical conditions from bidding for new housing.

  • Plumber charged over carbon monoxide death

    29/04/2010

    A plumber has been charged with the manslaughter of a young dance teacher who died of carbon monoxide poisoning in a shared-ownership flat.

  • Welsh parties seek legal powers

    27/04/2010

    The two leading parties in Wales want to see legislative powers over housing devolved to the country.

  • Cost of living

    27/04/2010

    A recent case demonstrates the consequences local authorities can face if they fall foul of contracts with their tenants.

  • Cancer sufferer to appeal after sacking

    27/04/2010

    A council housing director who was sacked while receiving cancer treatment has announced she is appealing against the decision.

  • Democratic behaviour

    23/04/2010

    Nick Clegg may be riding high in the televised party leaders’ debates, but in the second of Inside Housing’s leader series, we ask: can the Liberal Democrats win housing’s vote?

  • Do as I say, not as I do

    23/04/2010

    The tables have been turned and for once it is the officials at housing inspection body the Audit Commission who have some difficult questions to answer.

  • Fear and loathing

    23/04/2010

    Anti-social behaviour can blight people’s lives and destroy neighbourhoods. Caroline Thorpe speaks to victims and housing professionals to discover how social landlords are contributing to the national fight against troublemakers to improve community life

  • Good cop bad cop?

    23/04/2010

    Policing anti-social behaviour needs to be reviewed and it’s time social landlords had a say

  • Leeds under fire over procurement

    23/04/2010

    Leeds Council has been told it should tighten up its procurement procedures following concerns about a temporary accommodation contract.

  • Moving the goalposts

    23/04/2010

    Landlords should take note of changes brought by the new Equality Bill, says Chris Syder

  • Poll jumping politics

    23/04/2010

    Nick Clegg has spent the past week dodging bouquets following his winning performance in the UK’s first televised leadership debate.

  • Association fined £70,000 for carbon monoxide death

    21/04/2010

    A housing association has received a £70,000 fine following the death of a security guard from carbon monoxide poisoning.

  • Lib Dem role in government could boost housing

    21/04/2010

    A hung Parliament could be good for housing because the Liberal Democrats would be given responsibility for the sector, the head of the CIH has claimed.

  • Southampton fire inquest adjourned

    20/04/2010

    The inquest into the death of two firefighters who died in a Southampton council tower block has been opened and adjourned.

  • Welsh renew bid for housing powers

    20/04/2010

    Housing organisations across Wales have renewed their demands for housing policy to be devolved after the general election.

  • Denham accuses Tories of caving in to landlords

    19/04/2010

    John Denham has accused the Conservatives of a ‘devious misuse’ of parliamentary process over regulation of shared housing.

  • HCA excluded top salaries in review

    16/04/2010

    The Homes and Communities Agency excluded the salaries of three of its highest paid staff from an internal review in which it compared its director’s pay to other organisations.

  • Leeds Council to face ALMO employee race discrimination case

    16/04/2010

    Leeds Council must defend itself against an accusation of workplace racial discrimination brought by an employee of its arm’s-length management organisation, the Court of Appeal has found.

  • On the public highway

    16/04/2010

    Registered housing providers are increasingly moving from private to public status

  • Parties reveal vision for future of housing

    16/04/2010

    The three main political parties outlined radically different proposals for social housing in their manifestos this week.

  • Police hunt finance chief over Ujima ‘fraud’

    16/04/2010

    Police have appealed for help tracking down the former finance director of failed housing association Ujima, who has gone on the run.

  • Housing boss says sorry for Nazi photos

    15/04/2010

    A housing boss has apologised for ‘the profound hurt and upset’ caused after photos of him dressed as a Nazi as part of a sex game were published in a Sunday newspaper.

  • Greens pledge to plough £4 billion into social housing

    15/04/2010

    The Green Party would launch a £4 billion social housing programme and focus on expanding the role of council delivery if it came to power.

  • Voodoo neighbour given suspended possession order

    15/04/2010

    A housing association has gained a suspended possession order against a tenant whose three-year long vendetta against her neighbour included the use of a voodoo doll.

  • Numbers of mortgages increased in February, say CML

    15/04/2010

    The number of residential mortgages taken out in February increased by 12 per cent on the previous month signalling a modest recovery, said the Council of Mortgage Lenders.

  • Tories pledge to respect social housing tenures

    13/04/2010

    The Conservative Party has pledged to ‘respect’ the tenures and rents of social housing tenants if it wins power.

  • Welsh bid for increased housing powers fails

    12/04/2010

    A Welsh Assembly Government bid to gain wide-ranging powers over housing in Wales has failed.

  • Repossession bill to become law

    12/04/2010

    Private tenants are to get greater protection from eviction after a private members’ bill was passed before the pre-election closure of Parliament.

  • Tenant evicted over 38 dogs

    09/04/2010

    A housing association in Oxford has evicted a tenant whose 38 dogs sparked numerous complaints from neighbours.

  • Deal with pet peeves

    09/04/2010

    A recent dog owner case shows housing providers are beholden to head lessor, explains Scott Greenwood

  • Declare your deposits

    09/04/2010

    Landlords could be fined if they fail to register deposits in time, says Paul Hayes

  • Guidance fails to clarify responsibilities to house homeless teens

    09/04/2010

    The government has rejected calls that it should require social service departments to take full responsibility for looking after homeless 16 and 17-year-olds.

  • Guidance defines support for homeless teenagers

    06/04/2010

    The government has issued guidance to clarify the roles housing departments and social services should play in helping homeless 16 and 17-year-olds.

  • Birmingham seeks to ban sex attacker

    01/04/2010

    A sex attacker has been allowed to return to the block of council flats in which his victim lives, just days after being found guilty of her assault.

  • Let’s ditch the red tape

    01/04/2010

    Conservative planning policy would not be a ‘free-for-all’ — it would simply speed up development

  • Tenant protection bill clears Lords

    31/03/2010

    Legislation that would give tenants of private landlords greater protection if their home is repossessed has successfully passed through the House of Lords.

  • Subletting to become a criminal offence

    29/03/2010

    Unlawfully subletting a council home will become a criminal offence under government plans.

  • Sacked housing boss ‘not a Nazi’

    29/03/2010

    Gareth Mead, the council housing boss sacked after revelations about his private life, is neither a racist nor a Nazi, a close friend has claimed.

  • Appeal court considers if foster children can succeed to tenancies

    26/03/2010

    Foster children could win the right to take over their foster parents’ tenancies, if a case in the Court of Appeal is successful.

  • Learning at arm’s-length

    26/03/2010

    Can the remit of ALMOs be extended to projects such as building schools? Paul Butterworth, head of social housing at TLT, explains.

  • Think twice

    26/03/2010

    Landlords should beware of seeking possession against tenants with disabilities, says Sian Evans

  • Peak Valley defends ASB record after death

    23/03/2010

    A housing association has defended its record on anti-social behaviour after a man collapsed and died following alleged taunts from youths.

  • Camden reclaims 100 sublet council homes

    22/03/2010

    A London council has reported it has saved nearly £7.5 million by taking possession of a record number of unlawfully sublet homes.

  • Change the law

    19/03/2010

    Unlawful sub-letting must be criminalised to get to the heart of the problem

  • Dropping anchor

    19/03/2010

    Two landmark cases have opened up eligibility for social housing for non-European migrants

  • Warden row pensioner is facing eviction

    19/03/2010

    A council has threatened a pensioner with court action for refusing to pay for support services following the removal of the resident warden at his sheltered housing scheme.

  • Splitting the difference

    16/03/2010

    Last month the Homes and Communities Agency introduced a new model shared ownership lease. Graham Walters, a partner at law firm TLT, explains the changes

  • Green paper to set out future for housing

    16/03/2010

    The Scottish Government will publish a green paper looking for new ways to address the need for housing in the country, the housing minister has announced.

  • Building regs changes to cut emissions

    15/03/2010

    The housing minister has announced plans to improve the energy efficiency of new and existing homes.

  • Teenager charged over Peak Valley death

    15/03/2010

    A teenager has been remanded in custody after a 64-year-old man died outside his housing association home last week.

  • All change, please

    12/03/2010

    From curtailing the right to buy to setting up an investment bank, Alex Neil wants to modernise every part of Scotland’s housing. Launching our special focus on Scotland, Martin Hilditch meets a man on a serious charm offensive.

  • Government could adopt Cobalt ASB pilot

    12/03/2010

    The government is considering a scorecard system to identify the most vulnerable victims and witnesses in anti-social behaviour cases, having been stirred into action in the wake of the Fiona Pilkington case.

  • Parallel pathway

    12/03/2010

    Here, Jim Bauld looks at Scotland’s right to buy rules

  • Red card troublemakers

    12/03/2010

    A Glasgow case sets a useful precedent when pursuing full ASBOs

  • Tougher laws to tackle 'weapon' dogs

    10/03/2010

    The home secretary has set out plans to toughen laws on dangerous dogs, in response to fears that animals are being used to ‘intimidate communities’.

  • Youth charged over sheltered housing deaths

    09/03/2010

    A 15-year-old boy has appeared in magistrates’ court charged with killing a couple living in sheltered housing in Warwickshire.

  • Report calls for subletting to be a criminal offence

    09/03/2010

    The unlawful subletting of council homes should be made a criminal offence on a par with benefit fraud, according to a think tank.

  • Scots target private rented sector

    08/03/2010

    The Scottish Government is consulting on legislation to improve the standard of the private rented sector.

  • Council flaws led to £1m legal failure

    05/03/2010

    Auditors have criticised Cheltenham council for running up a £1 million legal bill in a failed attempt to sue an ex-chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing.

  • Norwich rocked by procurement row

    05/03/2010

    Norwich Council’s housing department has become embroiled in a second major dispute in just over a year after being prevented from awarding a £17.5 million housing maintenance contract.

  • Sweeping changes

    05/03/2010

    The regulation of health and social care providers faces an overhaul. Linda Convery explains the implications

  • Victims should have ‘guarantee of protection’

    05/03/2010

    The Home Office is preparing to tell housing departments how to deal with vulnerable victims of anti-social behaviour in the wake of the Fiona Pilkington case.

  • Tories fail to block right to buy bid

    03/03/2010

    An attempt by the Welsh government to gain the power to end the right to buy has moved a step closer to success, despite Conservative opposition.

  • High Court to rule on section 4 support changes

    01/03/2010

    The High Court has granted refugee status to a failed asylum seeker as it considers whether changes to the housing and support system are lawful.

  • Court rules Somali woman has right to housing

    26/02/2010

    A court has ruled a Somali woman is entitled to a council house and other state benefits, even if she is a ‘burden on the state’.

  • Adding years

    26/02/2010

    Landlords need to get to grips with lease extensions if they don’t want to lose out, says Simon Bagg

  • Levy with an escape route

    26/02/2010

    Developers face a new tax, but local authorities are not obliged to charge it, explains Neil Cohen

  • Housing Heroes shortlist unveiled

    25/02/2010

    The shortlisted entrants for awards that recognise the unsung ‘heroes’ of the housing sector have been announced.

  • Two jailed for Novas hostel arson attack

    23/02/2010

    Two men guilty of an arson attack on a homelessness hostel have been sentenced to three years each in prison.

  • Mentally ill woman faces eviction over dog

    22/02/2010

    A woman facing eviction from her housing association flat because she keeps a dog risks becoming ‘severely depressed’ without him, the Court of Appeal has been told.

  • Belt and braces

    19/02/2010

    Landlords should take every possible precaution with their procurement policies to avoid falling foul of new laws, advises James McMorrow

  • HCA settles with plumber over asbestos illness

    19/02/2010

    The Homes and Communities Agency has settled out of court with a plumber who had claimed up to £100,000 damages after developing an asbestos-related illness.

  • No strings attached

    19/02/2010

    Housing associations no longer have to mirror local authority pay rises for stock transfer staff

  • Dog attack tenant goes on the run

    17/02/2010

    A housing association tenant whose dog attacked a housing officer has gone on the run after being sentenced to 14 days in prison.

  • A second bite at the cherry

    12/02/2010

    Social landlords are used to appeals but how do you know when a judgement is worth challenging?

  • New human rights guidance

    12/02/2010

    The human rights watchdog will write guidance for housing associations about how to uphold the rights of their residents, following a ruling they are public bodies in some circumstances.

  • Politicians back Welsh drive to control right to buy

    10/02/2010

    A National Assembly for Wales committee has backed the Welsh government’s drive to suspend the right to buy in parts of the country.

  • Extending planning permission

    10/02/2010

    Christian Silk, associate at legal firm TLT, explains how cash-strapped developers can use new rules to extend planning permissions until they can secure the funds to begin work

  • Two found guilty of hostel arson

    10/02/2010

    Two men who set fire to Novas Scarman’s flagship hostel Arlington House are due to be sentenced for arson.

  • Christine Laird loses costs appeal

    09/02/2010

    A former chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing has failed to overturn a costs ruling in a case against another former employer.

  • ALMO threatens to seize home in drugs case

    08/02/2010

    A London arm’s-length management organisation has taken action against a tenant whose home was used for drug dealing.

  • Keep it secure

    05/02/2010

    Follow basic steps to keep personal information safe to avoid breaching the Data Protection Act, says David Hall

  • Maximum protection

    05/02/2010

    Choose a main contractor early on in a project to prevent problems later

  • Healey plans more protection for private tenants

    03/02/2010

    Housing minister John Healey has announced plans for more help and protection for private tenants.

  • Burglars lose homes in council clampdown

    02/02/2010

    Council tenants who commit burglaries will face eviction from their homes as part of a clampdown by Barking and Dagenham council.

  • MP attacks 'foolish' block of planning bill

    01/02/2010

    A London MP has accused the government of blocking the progress of his proposals to change planning law.

  • Government backs tenant protection bill

    01/02/2010

    The government has given its formal support to a backbench bill seeking to give greater protection to private tenants.

  • Police suspect second fraud case at Ujima

    29/01/2010

    Police are investigating a second suspected fraud at Ujima housing association, prosecution barristers have revealed.

  • Warden ruling may face appeal

    29/01/2010

    Two councils are considering whether to appeal court rulings which said they had acted unlawfully when planning to remove resident warden services in several sheltered housing schemes.

  • For the record

    28/01/2010

    In the second of a mini-series on the Data Protection Act 1998, we consider how you should maintain data under the act’s principles.

  • Beware boomerang bills

    28/01/2010

    Consult with leaseholders before charging for works - or pay the consequences

  • Barnet considers warden ruling appeal

    25/01/2010

    A London council which was ruled to have acted unlawfully when it planned to end its resident warden service is applying for leave to appeal the decision.

  • Ujima fraud case to be heard in 2011

    25/01/2010

    A trial into fraud at failed housing association Ujima won’t be heard until 2011, after two of the suspects pleaded not guilty to nine counts of money laundering.

  • Clear the high hurdles

    22/01/2010

    Avoid being tripped up by new pension rules which come into force in 2012

  • Building leeway

    15/01/2010

    Efforts to broaden section 73’s remit on planning rumble on, says Rupert Wilson

  • Detecting the sub-letters

    15/01/2010

    If they take the right measures, landlords can crack down on sub-letting

  • We need answers

    15/01/2010

    It may be a new year but there is one question hanging over from 2009 that refuses to go away: are housing associations public or private bodies for the purposes of the Human Rights Act?

  • Weaver battle looms

    15/01/2010

    The controversy over whether housing associations are public bodies is set to drag on throughout 2010 after a new court case ducked the issue.

  • Housing ombudsman sees surge in complaints

    13/01/2010

    The number of complaints dealt with by the Housing Ombudsman Service increased 21 per cent last year, its annual report has shown.

  • Residents question impact of £100m crime drive

    08/01/2010

    Only 19 per cent of residents in areas targeted by a £100 million government anti-social behaviour drive believe the situation has improved.

  • Forged in a new mould

    08/01/2010

    A new era of freedom beckons for the structural set-up of social landlords

  • High Court orders housing support for failed asylum duo

    08/01/2010

    The High Court has ordered the government to give two failed asylum seekers housing support, while it considers whether to grant a judicial review into changes to the asylum system.

  • Police investigate housing association fraud

    06/01/2010

    The police are investigating potential fraud at the shared equity arm of a Welsh housing association.

  • Briefing: the Roanne judgement

    05/01/2010

    How a European ruling on a French regeneration scheme is affecting social housing development in the UK

  • Government shuts repossession loophole

    30/12/2009

    The government has moved to close a legal loophole that allows lenders to repossess a home without going through the courts or telling the owner.

  • Light touch regulation

    18/12/2009

    What will the TSA’s reduction in regulatory burden mean for providers?

  • Sector pension trustees broke data law

    18/12/2009

    The trustees of the Pensions Trust have been found in breach of the Data Protection Act, after the theft of details of thousands of social housing pension scheme members.

  • Hossack wins latest warden cases

    17/12/2009

    Campaigners for sheltered housing wardens have won legal cases against Barnet and Portsmouth councils.

  • Ujima trial will go to crown court

    17/12/2009

    A housewife and a consultant who were charged with money laundering after an investigation into suspected fraud at Ujima Housing Association will go to crown court.

  • Builder wins Supreme Court sewage case

    14/12/2009

    A house builder has won a case in the Supreme Court against a Welsh sewerage company over where to position drains.

  • Council seizes home after homophobic abuse

    14/12/2009

    Birmingham City Council has been awarded possession of a tenant’s home, following a ‘reign of homophobic abuse and anti-social behaviour’.

  • Rough sleepers given human rights guide

    11/12/2009

    A human rights leaflet has been handed out to rough sleepers because charities are increasingly concerned about their treatment by the authorities.

  • 2009: the verdict

    11/12/2009

    In our rundown of 2009 we present a guide to everything you need to know about the legal year

  • Circle 33 acted unlawfully in warden case

    11/12/2009

    A housing association broke the law by removing a live-in warden service from a sheltered housing scheme without consulting tenants first.

  • Council faces child housing questions

    11/12/2009

    A teenager who bullied another girl until she killed herself was living in Greenwich Council temporary accommodation, despite a legal ruling that social services should care for 16 and 17-year-olds.

  • Justice for all

    11/12/2009

    For 60 years, legal aid has helped social housing tenants take their cases to court. But will a radical shake-up to try to contain the £2 billion annual budget now make justice less likely? Keith Cooper investigates.

  • Taking legal advice

    11/12/2009

    Lawyers see everything unfold behind the scenes, but who knows what they really think? In an exclusive survey to kick off our legal special, Philippa Ward got some expert opinions

  • Law trainer dies following cancer battle

    07/12/2009

    Housing law trainer and consultant Margaret Biggs has died, following a year-long battle with cancer.

  • Association fined £50,000 for boiler-blast death

    07/12/2009

    A housing association has been fined £50,000 after a boiler explosion in one of its properties killed an elderly woman.

  • Killer’s family removed

    04/12/2009

    How Riverside Group secured a high-profile possession order

  • Landlords’ body blasts ‘potentially damaging’ Payne justice report

    04/12/2009

    A social landlords’ organisation has hit out at allegations made by the mother of a murdered schoolgirl claiming that the sector does not do enough to evict anti-social tenants.

  • Polluting partners

    04/12/2009

    Both parties in a contamination dispute are responsible, says Pamela Coulthard

  • High Court to rule on Hossack warden cases

    03/12/2009

    The first two court cases against social landlords that have removed live-in wardens in sheltered housing schemes began yesterday.

  • Welsh seek power to legislate on social housing

    01/12/2009

    The Welsh Assembly Government is to ask Westminster for powers which will allow it to legislate on housing for the first time.

  • A room with a view

    27/11/2009

    Could social housing developments be stopped if deemed ‘annoying’ to neighbours?

  • Walk the line

    27/11/2009

    Social landlords at last have guidance on when EU rules apply, says Andrew Harbourne

  • Public bodies fight could go to Supreme Court

    26/11/2009

    Housing associations could challenge a court ruling that they are public bodies following a clarification from the judges involved in the case.

  • Overdraft ruling risks homelessness

    26/11/2009

    A ruling in the Supreme Court could mean vulnerable people are at risk of becoming homeless, a charity has warned.

  • Curing conflict

    24/11/2009

    Could tougher regulation reduce legal disputes between housing associations and tenants?

  • Council uses Facebook to catch subletting tenant

    24/11/2009

    A London council has used social networking site Facebook to catch a tenant who was illegally subletting her property.

  • Court date for warden cases

    20/11/2009

    At least 40 court cases linked to the removal of wardens from sheltered housing schemes can go ahead following a Supreme Court decision to block an appeal against a ruling that housing associations are public bodies for some purposes.

  • Lambeth to sue TMO chair

    20/11/2009

    Lambeth Council is to take legal action against the former chair of its tenant management organisation, who was convicted of benefit fraud last week.

  • No through road

    20/11/2009

    Landlords should not panic about the decision in L&Q v Weaver

  • Ujima fraud suspects in court

    19/11/2009

    Two suspects accused of money laundering following a suspected fraud at Ujima Housing Association have appeared in court.

  • Leaseholders dispute fire safety charges

    17/11/2009

    Leaseholders from a Southwark tower block have made a bid to challenge bills for work being done on their building.

  • Birmingham loses eviction appeal

    13/11/2009

    Birmingham Council has lost an appeal to evict tenants housed as part of a ‘cash for homes’ scandal.

  • Gone but not forgotten

    13/11/2009

    Landlords can bring ASBIs against former tenants, says Deborah Powell

  • Ruling could land public with £53bn debt

    13/11/2009

    Housing associations could see their £53.1 billion debt added to the public balance sheet, after the Supreme Court rejected an appeal against a ruling that the organisations are public bodies for some purposes.

  • Security bypass

    13/11/2009

    Great Places has completed a merger without having to guarantee £10 million in pensions debt. Here’s how

  • Thames Valley wins development case

    13/11/2009

    A firm of solicitors has paid £1.35 million to a bank after it failed to carry out part of its conveyancing procedures when a housing association bought land.

  • Two charged in Ujima fraud investigation

    13/11/2009

    Fraud detectives have charged a housewife and a consultant with money laundering following a 17-month investigation into suspected fraud at Ujima Housing Association.

  • Court blocks L&Q's public bodies appeal

    06/11/2009

    The Supreme Court has rejected an application by London & Quadrant to appeal against a ruling that housing associations are public bodies.

  • Aldwyck seeks BME peers’ help on equality

    06/11/2009

    Landlord found guilty of race discrimination asks for advice and prepares for greater TSA scrutiny

  • HCA shelves task force

    06/11/2009

    The Homes and Communities Agency has suspended a task force set up in London to help arm’s-length management organisations improve their performance, after a disagreement about £150 million of funding led to a legal challenge.

  • In good health?

    06/11/2009

    Now is a good time to give leasehold service charge systems the once over

  • Seat of learning

    06/11/2009

    Sponsorship of an academy has a lot to offer housing associations, says Richard Freeth

  • All in the name

    30/10/2009

    Confusion over the status of Local Housing Companies has stopped them from aiding development, says Helen Meyler

  • Duty of care costs set to soar

    30/10/2009

    Two court rulings on duty of care for young people could lead to significant cost increases for local authorities, a report has warned.

  • DWP is probed for ‘neglecting equality’

    30/10/2009

    The human rights watchdog is investigating whether the government failed to meet its equality duties towards disabled people when it introduced the local housing allowance.

  • Housing benefit squeezed

    30/10/2009

    A recent court ruling has financial implications for social landlords providing supported housing

  • Kerr dismissal ‘not discrimination’

    30/10/2009

    London & Quadrant Group has been cleared of racial discrimination in an employment tribunal brought by the former chief executive of Ujima Housing Association.

  • Court rules hostel rooms are homes

    29/10/2009

    A homeless person’s room in a hostel has the same legal protection as other homes, the High Court has ruled.

  • Building relationships

    23/10/2009

    Landlords must heed the implications of price-fixing uncovered in the building industry

  • Council probes refurb deals

    23/10/2009

    Islington Council has launched an investigation into decent homes deals agreed between its arm’s-length management organisation and three contractors named in the Office of Fair Trading’s price fixing probe.

  • For your eyes only

    23/10/2009

    Social landlords must make sure they are guarding data properly says David Hall

  • GHA inquiry could hit transfer deals

    23/10/2009

    A European Commission investigation could affect the transfer of homes from the UK’s largest housing association to smaller organisations.

  • Leeds launches fresh race case appeal

    21/10/2009

    Leeds City Council has launched its fourth appeal in a racial discrimination case concerning an employee of its arm’s-length management organisation.

  • ALMOs take legal action over decent homes cut

    19/10/2009

    Arm’s-length management organisations have applied for a judicial review of the government’s raid on their decent homes funding.

  • Apprentice star loses benefit fraud appeal

    16/10/2009

    A former star of BBC show The Apprentice has lost his appeal against a benefit fraud conviction.

  • Extinguish fire risks

    16/10/2009

    Following the Lakanal House fire, landlords should ask themselves some key safety questions

  • Legal battle against rent cuts mooted

    16/10/2009

    The government could be open to legal challenges from housing associations if it implements proposals which will lead to rent cuts.

  • Offence taken

    16/10/2009

    Tenants can expect past sexual convictions to affect their housing applications, says Scott Greenwood

  • Play by the rules

    16/10/2009

    The European Commission has recently called into scrutiny the award of a number of service contracts by Glasgow Housing Association.

  • Revealed: the fire safety frenzy after Lakanal

    16/10/2009

    As Inside Housing’s Safe as Houses campaign gains momentum, Emily Twinch investigates the impact on fire authorities of the fatal blaze at Lakanal House. Using freedom of information laws she uncovers the low priority often given to high-rise fire safety before the tragedy, and the frantic action taken by authorities since

  • Whitehall renews push on ASBOs

    16/10/2009

    Social landlords will be pushed to take a stronger line against problem tenants, as part of a drive to prosecute anyone who breaches an anti-social behaviour order.

  • Glasgow stock transfer could breach EU law

    14/10/2009

    The European Commission is examining whether the transfer of stock from Glasgow Housing Association breaches procurement law.

  • Mother of Rhys Jones' killer evicted

    14/10/2009

    The mother of the killer of 11-year-old schoolboy Rhys Jones has been evicted from her housing association home.

  • Home secretary urges local action on ASB

    13/10/2009

    Housing associations are being asked to ensure people who breach anti-social behaviour orders are prosecuted.

  • Evicted tenant convicted of theft

    12/10/2009

    An evicted tenant who stole furniture from her council house has been convicted of theft.

  • Mean streets

    09/10/2009

    Community safety depends on agencies working together - and the government wants to see more of that. Christopher Smith spent the day with a housing association leading the way on such partnerships to see how it’s done.

  • Retaining freeholds

    09/10/2009

    Shared owners of houses can now be excluded from enfranchisement, say James Driscoll and Jessica Lockley

  • Safe to speak

    09/10/2009

    Supporting the victims and witnesses of crime can give them the courage to come forward and create safer communities, as one Liverpool-based landlord has discovered. Steph Harrison reports

  • Side by side

    09/10/2009

    Councils can deliver new build mixed tenure schemes by setting up a special purpose vehicle, says Anne Bowden

  • Mother of Rhys Jones' killer faces eviction

    08/10/2009

    The mother of Rhys Jones’ killer is facing eviction from her Merseyside home after running up more than £2,000 in rent arrears.

  • Court fines private landlord £32,400

    05/10/2009

    A private landlord in Camden has been hit with £32,400 of fines for managing an unlicensed house and neglecting fire risks.

  • Council faces race tribunal

    02/10/2009

    Leeds Council and its arm’s-length management organisation West North West Homes are due to face a racial discrimination tribunal brought by former principal regeneration officer Michael Woodhouse.

  • Crackdown on sale and rent back schemes

    02/10/2009

    The financial services watchdog has launched a crackdown on sale and rent back schemes.

  • Southwark granted more time for fire safety work

    02/10/2009

    Southwark Council has been handed a two-month extension to compulsory work it is carrying out to make three of its tower blocks fully fire resistant.

  • Walk this way

    02/10/2009

    Always check for public rights of way before buying land to develop, says Nnenna Morah

  • Water-tight agreements

    02/10/2009

    Social landlords must protect their rent and service charges from tenant challenges, says Geraldine Haden

  • Recruitment agencies fined for price fixing in construction

    01/10/2009

    The Office of Fair Trading has fined six recruitment agencies a total of £39.27 million for boycotting another company supplying candidates for the construction industry.

  • Radio pirate banned from London roof tops

    30/09/2009

    A pirate radio operator who installed illegal equipment on a Camden council tower block has been banned from every roof top in London.

  • Laird granted leave to appeal court costs

    28/09/2009

    A former Chartered Institute of Housing chief executive who won a case brought by former employer Cheltenham Council has been granted leave to appeal against her legal costs.

  • Celebrations on ice

    25/09/2009

    Employers could benefit from a rise in the minimum age their staff can take their pension

  • Councils set to sue bid-riggers

    25/09/2009

    Social housing providers are considering legal action against construction firms guilty of colluding over building contracts.

  • Sales pitch

    25/09/2009

    Landlords will be able to dispose of land without always seeking the consent of the TSA, says Ben Halsey

  • Ruling halts removal of sheltered housing wardens

    23/09/2009

    A London council’s plan to model its sheltered housing services on budget airline easyJet has been grounded by a legal challenge.

  • Yvonne Hossack wins disciplinary hearing

    18/09/2009

    Solicitor Yvonne Hossack is free to continue her work campaigning against the removal of wardens from sheltered housing after winning a disciplinary tribunal.

  • Competition laws threaten council deals

    18/09/2009

    Councils engaged in major regeneration projects could see their contracts with housing developers annulled if they fall foul of European procurement laws.

  • Councils ‘not paying the full cost of care’

    18/09/2009

    Housing associations could be in line for a huge increase in the fees they are paid for care services, if they win a court battle against councils.

  • Handle with care

    18/09/2009

    New laws improve the vetting process for staff working with vulnerable people

  • Home secretary rallies to Hossack’s defence

    18/09/2009

    Home secretary Alan Johnson this week came to the aid of a solicitor and leading home care campaigner who was facing a disciplinary panel.

  • Take care

    18/09/2009

    It is not every day that the home secretary appears in court as a witness, but that is precisely what happened in London on Tuesday.

  • Landlord wins case to ban paedophile from home

    15/09/2009

    A housing association has succeeded in using anti-social behaviour laws to bar a convicted paedophile from returning to his family home.

  • Court fight to keep live-in wardens

    11/09/2009

    Residents of sheltered housing developments have begun a legal fight to retain their live-in wardens.

  • Outrage at pact to divulge tenants’ debt

    11/09/2009

    Housing associations have struck a deal with mortgage lenders to disclose information about shared ownership residents who have fallen into arrears.

  • Court threat in carers row

    04/09/2009

    A housing association is planning a legal fight against the government over an immigration rule change which has hit thousands of foreign care workers.

  • Solid grounds

    28/08/2009

    Orders against nuisance behaviour must be crystal clear, says Ian Larkins

  • Whose duty is it anyway?

    28/08/2009

    A Lords decision should end confusion about who is responsible for housing 16- and 17-year-olds

  • Disability rules could force landlords to convert all homes

    26/08/2009

    The body that represents private landlords is warning that its members could be forced to convert their properties to suit disabled tenants, even if they don’t have any.

  • Leaseholder fined for right to buy claim

    25/08/2009

    A leaseholder has been ordered to pay Haringey Council more than £58,000 after a wrongful claim on a right to buy discount.

  • ‘I don’t want my mum to die in vain’

    21/08/2009

    More questions have been raised over health and safety practices in high rise housing blocks after a woman was crushed to death by a lift. Emily Twinch reports

  • Charities warn social services: stop passing buck on young people

    21/08/2009

    Charities have warned social services teams to stop offloading young people in need of support onto housing departments.

  • Facing the consequences

    21/08/2009

    The Corby birth defects scandal underlines landlords’ environmental liabilities

  • Knightstone bids to ban sex offender

    21/08/2009

    A housing association has taken court action in a bid to prevent a convicted paedophile from returning to his family home.

  • Open season

    21/08/2009

    Disappointed public contract tenderers will soon have their chances of legal redress expanded, says Andrew Harbourne

  • Inquest finds rent rise death was suicide

    20/08/2009

    An inquest into the death of a housing association tenant who killed himself after losing a legal battle against rent increases has recorded a suicide verdict.

  • Ombudsman raps Lambeth for allocation failing

    19/08/2009

    The Local Government Ombudsman has ordered Lambeth council to house a young haemophilia A sufferer after finding it mishandled his homelessness application.

  • Damage case ends with landlord in debt to tenants

    19/08/2009

    A landlord whose property was damaged by her tenants has found herself owing money to the perpetrators.

  • ALMO claims legal first for anti-social behaviour charge

    18/08/2009

    An arm’s-length management organisation in Solihull has secured an anti-social behaviour order attached to a criminal conviction, which it claims is a housing first.

  • Councils to be held to account over ALMOs

    14/08/2009

    Councils will be held directly accountable by the social housing regulator if their arm’s-length management organisation steps out of line, according to new government plans.

  • Intervention contracts flop

    14/08/2009

    Only a handful of social landlords have issued new tenancies designed to tackle anti-social behaviour, despite government estimates that 600 a year could be used.

  • Ujima fraud suspect skips bail

    14/08/2009

    Fraud investigators are hunting for a man arrested on suspicion of money laundering and conspiracy to defraud Ujima Housing Association after he skipped bail.

  • Threat to advice providers delayed

    07/08/2009

    Housing advice providers have received a stay of execution after the Legal Services Commission delayed legal aid reforms which could drive smaller providers out of business.

  • MP pushes for fire super-inquest

    05/08/2009

    Harriet Harman MP has called for a ‘super inquest’ into the deaths of those killed in a tower block fire in London.

  • Repossessed renters to get new rights

    05/08/2009

    The government has laid down plans to give private rental tenants greater protection if their landlord defaults on mortgage repayments.

  • 35,000 HMOs still unlicensed

    31/07/2009

    Three years after multiple occupancy licences became compulsory, landlords across England are still operating illegally

  • A chance for all

    31/07/2009

    The Equality Bill affects landlords as employers and as public servants, writes Rebecca McGuirk

  • London mulls legal battle over decent homes cash

    31/07/2009

    London leaders are considering legal action because the government did not consult them before redirecting funding for decent homes to house building.

  • Out of sight

    30/07/2009

    Social landlords have been given a reprieve from freedom of information laws, says Lynn Aglionby

  • MPs frustrated by regional plan delays

    29/07/2009

    The government has defended delays to the south west regional spatial strategy caused by a court ruling on the east of England plan.

  • Healey to launch subletting crackdown

    29/07/2009

    The government is to scrutinise housing benefit records and set up fraud squads as part of an autumn crackdown on unlawful subletting.

  • ARHAG chief's theft trial delayed over health concerns

    28/07/2009

    The theft trial of former ARHAG housing association chief executive Ronnie Moodley has been delayed again due to him being ‘unfit’ for trial.

  • A blow to well-being

    24/07/2009

    A recent procurement decision has shaken councils - and could affect social landlords as well, says Celia Cullen

  • A tough sell

    24/07/2009

    The Council of Mortgage Lenders has produced a briefing to persuade councils not to use section 106 Town & Country Planning Act agreements to keep affordable housing as such permanently.

  • Welsh seek powers to hit efficiency goal

    23/07/2009

    The Welsh government has asked for the power to set building regulations to be transferred from Westminster.

  • Can’t stay, won’t stay

    17/07/2009

    Two cases clarify landlord responsibilities regarding intentional homelessness, writes Robert Latham

  • Crime watch

    17/07/2009

    Landlords can now demand immediate possession of a house if it has been used to assist criminal activity, says Karen Neald

  • Dark days

    17/07/2009

    Caroline Thorpe reports on the housing staff being trained to spot the signs of human trafficking as they join the fight against the crime

  • Early intervention resolves majority of ASB cases

    13/07/2009

    Early intervention in anti-social behaviour resolves almost three quarters of cases, a survey has found.

  • Now for the good news

    10/07/2009

    The Finance Bill takes affect later this month - what will it mean for social landlords? Neil Cohen reports

  • Refuges ruling leaves councils open to housing claims

    03/07/2009

    Councils could have to accept homelessness applications from people staying in refuges and temporary accommodation, following a ruling on the case of a woman refused housing in Manchester.

  • Pulled in two directions

    03/07/2009

    Robert Latham examines how a legal battle has thrown the status of social landlords into disarray

  • Judgement setback for live-in carers

    03/07/2009

    The rights of live-in carers to succeed dying family members’ tenancies could be weakened by a judgement against the daughter of a council tenant.

  • Spot the difference

    03/07/2009

    Weaver v L&Q. Housing associations are now considered public bodies under the Human Rights Act. Does that make their responsibilities and borrowing rights indistinguishable from those of local authorities? Martin Hilditch reports on the impact of this landmark decision for landlords

  • Council bans rent arrears evictions

    02/07/2009

    Stirling Council has put a ban on evicting its tenants for rent arrears.

  • Conservatives claim allocation plans are illegal

    30/06/2009

    The Conservative Party has claimed government proposals to reform the allocation of social housing are illegal.

  • L&Q to appeal over public bodies ruling

    29/06/2009

    Mega-landlord London & Quadrant Group is to appeal to the House of Lords against a landmark ruling that housing associations are public bodies.

  • Carer loses fight to succeed late father's tenancy

    26/06/2009

    A woman who moved into her father’s social home to nurse him for the last year of his life has lost her fight to succeed his tenancy after it emerged she owns another flat.

  • An ill wind blows no good

    26/06/2009

    Question marks over their viability threaten to make eco-towns undeliverable. Ahead of a government announcement on their future next month, Chris Ames investigates.

  • Into the breach

    26/06/2009

    How serious must a breach of tenancy be before a council can issue a possession order, asks Sian Evans

  • More questions than answers

    26/06/2009

    So the are-they-aren’t-they question of housing associations’ status as public or private bodies has been answered. They are public - at least as far as two of the three judges ruling last week on the appeal by London & Quadrant Group are concerned.

  • Ruling hailed a ‘major victory’ for resident wardens campaign

    26/06/2009

    Sheltered housing residents are claiming a ‘major victory’ in the ongoing battle to reinstate their wardens, following last week’s Court of Appeal judgement that housing associations are public bodies.

  • Tenant managers lose budget cuts battle

    26/06/2009

    A tenant management organisation has failed in its legal bid to prevent Lambeth Council from slashing its budget by a third.

  • Under cover

    26/06/2009

    There are strategies out there to shelter landlords from the financial storm, writes Andrew Shaw

  • War chest to fight L&Q ruling

    26/06/2009

    The biggest housing associations in London are considering ploughing funds into a war chest to challenge a court ruling that means they are now public bodies.

  • Proposals to end excess housing allowance payments

    25/06/2009

    A consultation document containing proposals that would end the payment of excess local housing allowance to tenants has been published by the government.

  • Briefing: Weaver v L&Q

    23/06/2009

    Barrister Abimbola Badejo examines the details and implications of a Court of Appeal ruling that housing associations can be seen as public bodies

  • Court advice funding doubled to counter repossession threat

    23/06/2009

    Funding for legal advice in courts has been doubled to provide struggling homeowners with last-minute rescue from repossessions.

  • Welsh renew bid to end right to buy

    22/06/2009

    The Welsh Assembly Government has renewed its bid to gain more powers on housing after an initial attempt failed because of confusion over plans to alter the right to buy.

  • Tenant groups take Lambeth to court over budgets

    19/06/2009

    Two tenant management organisations are taking Lambeth Council to court in an attempt to stop the authority cutting millions of pounds from their budgets.

  • Behind the blue door

    19/06/2009

    Tory housing policy would require radical changes

  • X & Y v Hounslow Council (Court of Appeal)

    19/06/2009

    Bob Hetherington looks at how far a council’s duty of care extends towards tenants at risk of violence

  • Court rules housing associations are public bodies

    18/06/2009

    Housing associations are public bodies and susceptible to claims under the Human Rights Act, London’s Court of Appeal confirmed today.

  • Council loses £1m case against former CIH boss

    15/06/2009

    A former chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing has been vindicated after a successive employer failed in its attempt to sue her for allegedly hiding her mental illness on her application form.

  • ALMOs hit by Leeds ruling

    12/06/2009

    An employment case involving Leeds Council and its ALMO could have far-reaching implications

  • Political positioning

    12/06/2009

    A general election is guaranteed by this time next year and housing will be a key battleground. As politicians begin to clamour for votes, Caroline Thorpe examines the three main parties’ policies.

  • Right to a lawyer

    12/06/2009

    Employees accused of misconduct around children could be allowed a lawyer during internal disciplinary hearings, writes James Lynas

  • The Holyrood files

    12/06/2009

    Housing associations have complained of favouritism towards councils north of the border. Now Martin Hilditch delves into a dossier of previously unpublished memos that lift the lid on the row and helped forge Scottish housing policy

  • Identity fraudsters target social tenants

    10/06/2009

    People living in council flats or social housing are among the most likely to have their identity stolen, a study has found.

  • A step too far

    05/06/2009

    The TSA is failing to balance the needs of tenants and landlords, says Andy Ballard

  • Regulation of letting and management agents to cost £1.2m

    04/06/2009

    Plans to regulate letting and management agents will cost £1.2 million a year, the government has revealed.

  • Powers introduced to allow sale and rent back regulation

    03/06/2009

    The government has introduced legislation that will allow tough regulation of firms that buy properties from struggling homeowners and rent than back to them.

  • Association wins development battle with council

    01/06/2009

    A housing association has been granted permission to build 112 homes in Surrey after a battle with the local council.

  • Camden claims legal first for property takeover

    01/06/2009

    Camden Council has taken over the management of a cockroach-infested property in what it claims is a legal first.

  • Age-old problem

    29/05/2009

    Patricia Critchley welcomes a simpler approach to pension law

  • Illegal lettings cases rocket

    29/05/2009

    Growing numbers of social housing tenants are letting their properties out unlawfully to turn a profit, lawyers have claimed.

  • L&Q tenant killed by carbon monoxide

    29/05/2009

    A housing association tenant died of carbon monoxide poisoning three months before a similar death in a flat with the same type of heating system prompted a national health and safety warning.

  • Warden solicitor complains about ‘bullying’

    29/05/2009

    A solicitor challenging sheltered housing landlords’ decisions to remove resident warden services has complained to the Solicitors Regulation Authority about what she describes as attempts to ‘bully’ her away from her mission.

  • Eco-town developers misled public

    27/05/2009

    The developers behind one of the government’s proposed eco-towns have been criticised by the advertising watchdog for misleading the public.

  • Property sector calls for regeneration shake up

    27/05/2009

    The British Property Federation has issued a manifesto calling for a range of financial and legislative changes to kick start regeneration.

  • Failures left family of six in two-bed flat

    26/05/2009

    Council failures left a family of six in severely overcrowded conditions for years, the Local Government Ombudsman has found.

  • High Court backs council opposition to building plans

    22/05/2009

    A High Court judge has demanded that plans to build thousands of new homes in Hertfordshire are reconsidered.

  • Flat broke

    22/05/2009

    Social landlords need to prepare a strategy to deal with bankrupt tenants, warns Matthew Barker

  • GHA set to lose new build programme

    22/05/2009

    Responsibility for building new homes could be stripped from Glasgow Housing Association as early as next month.

  • Residents’ anger set to force sub-let U-turn

    22/05/2009

    Notting Hill considers allowing shared owners to escape troubled development by sub-letting their homes

  • To the rescue

    22/05/2009

    It helped just one family in three months, so what’s the point of the government’s mortgage rescue scheme? To find out we asked Sara Bowrey, head of housing needs at one of the first councils to use the scheme, to keep a diary of the process.

  • Citizens Advice slams letting agent charges

    21/05/2009

    Letting agents are ripping off private tenants by imposing unjustified charges for poor or non-existent services, according to a report from Citizens Advice.

  • Travellers lose appeal over Essex site

    18/05/2009

    Gypsies and Travellers living on one the country’s largest unauthorised sites have lost their battle against eviction.

  • Private landlords face compulsory licensing

    14/05/2009

    Rogue private landlords could clock up points for poor performance and eventually lose their licence to house people.

  • Labour peer faces eviction

    08/05/2009

    A Labour peer is being investigated and could face eviction after naming her housing association property as her second home.

  • Evictions soar in buy-to-let centres

    07/05/2009

    Cities that built large numbers of flats in recent years are facing a boom in evictions, according to a business which help landlords with problem tenants.

  • Peer under fire for social home expenses claim

    05/05/2009

    A Labour baroness has been claiming sums approaching £30,000 a year in second home allowances for a housing association property in London.

  • Tax change paves way for ALMO-led building

    05/05/2009

    Arm’s-length management organisations have been freed to build more homes after the government changed tax rules that placed them at a disadvantage compared with councils and housing associations.

  • Tenant commits suicide after losing legal challenge

    01/05/2009

    A Salford housing association tenant has been found hanged after he lost a legal challenge against the size of his rent increase.

  • Charity demands review of landlord registration

    30/04/2009

    The Scottish Government needs to urgently review a registration scheme which is failing to protect tenants from bad landlords, according to a new report.

  • Housing policies to address class divide

    28/04/2009

    The government is planning a new duty for councils that could force them to address class inequality through their housing policy.

  • Arson suspected as fire guts building site

    27/04/2009

    A new shared ownership development being built in Blackpool has been burnt to the ground in a suspected arson attack.

  • Leeds Council found responsible for ALMO employees

    24/04/2009

    Leeds Council has lost its appeal against a tribunal judgment which will see the authority face allegations of racial discrimination from an employee of its arm’s-length management organisation.

  • Age concern

    24/04/2009

    A Court of Appeal decision means that councils must be careful when housing minors, writes Dean Underwood

  • Rent Service 'dictatorial'

    24/04/2009

    Furious councils are preparing to hit the government’s Rent Service with fresh legal challenges.

  • ASBO issued after threats to ALMO staff

    23/04/2009

    A Manchester resident has been given a four-year anti-social behaviour order after an ongoing campaign of abuse directed towards tenants and housing staff.

  • Extra charge

    17/04/2009

    Changes to right to buy legislation can assist leaseholders who have been hit by service charges, explains James Driscoll

  • Into the void

    17/04/2009

    Empty dwelling management orders were introduced by the Housing Act 2004 to enable local housing authorities to take over the management of empty residential properties.

  • Review halted over public body ruling

    17/04/2009

    A Court of Appeal decision on whether a major housing association should be classed as a public body could determine the fate of resident sheltered housing wardens.

  • Row delays Colchester decent homes plan

    17/04/2009

    An arm’s-length management organisation has had to push back the completion date on its decent homes programme after its relationship with a contractor broke down.

  • Relief tactics

    10/04/2009

    New debt relief orders will give debtors a one-year respite from unsecured creditors, writes Julie O’Hare

  • Ten ways to get diversity right

    10/04/2009

    Reckon you’ve got a three-star rating in the bag? If your diversity record - showing that your services value people’s differences - isn’t up to scratch then think again. Audit Commission chief housing inspector Roy Irwin reveals.

  • Home buyers could sue over HIPs questionnaire

    08/04/2009

    Home sellers could avoid being sued  by buyers by not answering a new property questionnaire, a law firm says.

  • Protect your position

    03/04/2009

    Your contractor is at risk of insolvency. As a housing association, how can you protect yourself?

  • Right to possess

    03/04/2009

    There is a growing trend of using human rights law as a defence in possession cases, writes Scott Greenwood of Coffin Mew

  • Council criticised in homelessness case

    01/04/2009

    A council has been criticised by the local government ombudsman for mishandling the housing claim of a woman who had fled domestic violence.

  • GHA transfers first homes to local groups

    31/03/2009

    Legal agreements were signed on Monday for the transfer of Glasgow Housing Association homes to the first four community organisations.

  • ‘We were young and radical’

    27/03/2009

    Two decades ago, 67 staff sharing two computers embarked on the first ever stock transfer from Chiltern Council to a newly formed housing association. Today a handful of the original team still work for the same landlord. Emily Twinch meets some of them to reminisce.

  • 1,000 clients join fight for wardens

    27/03/2009

    The solicitor poised to take social landlords to court over their decision to remove resident wardens from sheltered housing has gathered more than 1,000 clients across the country.

  • Cash flow solution

    27/03/2009

    A new bill aims to simplify payments and improve access to adjudication

  • Squatters told: use FOI rules to reveal empties

    27/03/2009

    Squatters are being advised to use freedom of information requests to obtain lists of empty property addresses from councils.

  • Those were the days

    27/03/2009

    From the Thatcher years to John Prescott’s communities plan, ALMOs to ASBOs, and homes for votes to decent homes. Since it was first published in 1984, Inside Housing has covered all the issues that have gripped the housing world, taking in five redesigns and seven editors along the way. Katie Puckett charts an incredible 25 years.

  • Welsh right to buy ban left in limbo

    24/03/2009

    Plans to suspend the right to buy in Wales have run into further problems after a key House of Lords debate was shelved.

  • Lambeth hands list of homes to squatters

    24/03/2009

    A council has been forced to hand over a list of empty property addresses to someone it ‘strongly suspects’ is part of a squatters’ group after a request under the Freedom of Information Act.

  • No man’s land

    20/03/2009

    Without a secure tenancy, leases cannot be inherited, says Andrew Logan of Weightmans

  • Tethered to the mast

    20/03/2009

    It may seem like an attractive offer - but mobile phone masts can bring legal headaches. Kate Silverman, senior associate at Lewis Silkin, explains

  • We love wardens

    20/03/2009

    Louis Loizou’s tenant action group has persuaded Brighton & Hove Council to retain onsite wardens - here’s how

  • Court to rule on social landlord status

    19/03/2009

    London’s Court of Appeal has been asked to decide whether registered social landlords are ‘public bodies’, and susceptible to claims under the Human Rights Act.

  • Right to buy veto may be unlawful

    18/03/2009

    The Welsh Assembly Government may be able to push ahead with plans to suspend the right to buy even if Westminster objects.

  • Lender caution slows repossession rate

    18/03/2009

    The number of repossessions fell in the final quarter of 2008, according to figures from the Financial Services Authority.

  • Sacked housing boss loses appeal

    17/03/2009

    A housing chief sacked for moving into decommissioned sheltered housing has failed in a legal bid to get her job back.

  • Tories demand help for private tenants

    16/03/2009

    The Conservatives are calling on the government to protect tenants living in privately rented properties if their homes are seized from their landlord.

  • Calling card

    13/03/2009

    The well-known CORGI gas safety scheme is about to vanish and landlords need to introduce the new regime to their tenants. Wayne Hughes reports

  • Decision on Newham’s 'unlawful' lettings system overturned

    06/03/2009

    Councils will have much greater freedom over the way they choose to allocate housing, following a landmark court case.

  • Family sued for living in a caravan

    06/03/2009

    A family forced to live in a caravan for more than a year after their home was hit by flooding have been sued by a neighbour because it blocked their view. 

  • House share

    06/03/2009

    Housing authorities should not be pressured by family courts to allocate housing in a particular way, notes Angela Penn of Weightmans LLP

  • Shelter from the storm

    06/03/2009

    Over the past few weeks, junior housing minister Baroness Andrews has received more than 500 letters from some of the 500,000 people in sheltered housing in England and the political alarm bells have begun ringing loudly.

  • Empty homes powers only used 17 times

    03/03/2009

    Powers given to local authorities in 2006 to allow them to bring empty homes back into use have only been used 17 times.

  • Mobile park owners jailed for arson and blackmail

    27/02/2009

    Seven men have been given long jail sentences for terrorizing older residents at a mobile home park and blackmailing some into selling their homes for just £1.

  • Court battle on cards in £20m right to buy row

    27/02/2009

    Housing associations in Scotland say they will face the Scottish Government in court if it attempts to claw back millions of pounds it claims they owe from right to buy sales.

  • In a bind

    27/02/2009

    Mortgagee protection clauses allow social landlords to get better loan deals

  • Treatment of gas tenants ‘a shambles’

    26/02/2009

    Residents on an estate where a young woman died of carbon monoxide poisoning have been ‘mistreated’, an MP has claimed.

  • Association told to represent tenants

    25/02/2009

    Embattled housing association Island Homes has come under further pressure to ensure it properly represents the views of its tenants.

  • High Court to rule on warden support

    25/02/2009

    A High Court judge will decide next month whether a housing association was justified in its decision to end the services of a resident warden.

  • VAT can be cut on housing repairs

    20/02/2009

    The UK government is now legally allowed to cut the rate of VAT on housing repairs and maintenance following a vote in the European Parliament.

  • Extended rights

    20/02/2009

    Employees with disabled dependents now have recourse to the Disability Discrimination Act, explains Stuart Jones of Weightmans LLP

  • Legal battle looms over loss of wardens

    20/02/2009

    Landlords that dropped sheltered housing warden schemes are facing a judicial review of their decisions.

  • Moat told to slash charges or face court

    20/02/2009

    Housing association Moat has been threatened with legal action if it doesn’t reduce service charges to almost 200 tenants in Greenwich’s Millennium Village.

  • Refugees suffer as homes run out

    20/02/2009

    Asylum seekers are being moved from region to region - in contravention of government guidance - because providers are running out of homes.

  • Uncertain future

    20/02/2009

    Buy-to-let tenants could face eviction after repossession, writes Mike Donnellan

  • Killing verdict spares landlords duty of care

    18/02/2009

    The law lords have ruled that social landlords do not have a duty of care to their tenants, in a case where an elderly man was murdered by his neighbour.

  • Clampdown on sale and rent back to save £1.4bn

    13/02/2009

    Recession-hit homeowners could save £1.4 billion under government plans to regulate firms that buy their properties and rent them back.

  • Courts could save 100,000 households from homelessness

    13/02/2009

    Government plans to tackle repossessions not enough, but courts could do more, says think tank

  • Tender spot

    13/02/2009

    All details of the evaluation process must be disclosed to bidders under EU rules, explains Susie Smith of Bevan Brittan

  • Use it or lose it

    13/02/2009

    Barrister Peter Marcus expalins how county court ASBOs for under-18s would help fight anti-social behaviour

  • Sale and rent back regulation

    10/02/2009

    How demands for the regulation of sale and rent back firms have gathered momentum over the last two years

  • Repossession threat to 145,000 homes

    09/02/2009

    More than 145,000 homeowners will be repossessed this year, a think tank has claimed.

  • Gas death estate still without heat

    06/02/2009

    Residents of an estate where a young woman died from carbon monoxide poisoning are still living without a gas supply, a year after her death.

  • Sale and rent back firms to be regulated

    06/02/2009

    The Treasury is on the cusp of introducing plans to regulate firms that buy up homes from struggling owners on the promise they will be able to rent them back.

  • Shut down

    06/02/2009

    Premises closure orders can provide respite from anti-social behaviour, writes Scott Greenwood of Coffin Mew

  • Circle 33 in court over warden row

    05/02/2009

    Circle 33 Housing Trust is facing legal action after being accused of retiring a sheltered housing warden against her will.

  • Former CIH chief faced council leaks

    05/02/2009

    Confidential information about the former chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing was leaked to the press, an advisor to her recent employer admitted.

  • Asking questions

    03/02/2009

    Birmingham-based Ashram Housing has been advising film makers on the sensitive issue of honour killings. Beena Nadeem finds out more

  • Branch of the law

    30/01/2009

    Neglecting the trees on your land could lead to prosecution, advises Keiron Hart

  • Ex CIH boss sued for £1m over job 'fraud'

    29/01/2009

    A former chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing is being sued for nearly £1 million by Cheltenham Council for allegedly lying on her job application.

  • Asylum contract terminated as police investigation begins

    29/01/2009

    The Home Office has ended its contract with a company employed to house failed asylum seekers following a police investigation.

  • Banks can’t have their cake and eat it

    23/01/2009

    For housing association bail outs to work, aggressive loan repricing must stop

  • On the safe side

    23/01/2009

    Penalties for health and safety offences have been increased, explains Emma Davies of Manches

  • 'One-strike' benefits regime on the cards

    23/01/2009

    People who commit a single act of fraud face having their housing benefit slashed as part of a tough new regime.

  • Review finds housing market regulation is illogical

    21/01/2009

    Regulation of the housing market needs to be reformed and rationalised, a government-backed review has found.

  • Heffernan explained

    16/01/2009

    The government is facing fresh legal challenges after dodging a House of Lords ruling on housing benefit. Emily Rogers examines how it got into this mess

  • DWP rewrites legislation to avoid Lords’ benefit ruling

    16/01/2009

    The government could face a raft of legal challenges over its housing benefit regime after reworking legislation to avoid implementing a House of Lords judgement.

  • Lawyer of last resort

    16/01/2009

    This year 75,000 people are set to have their homes repossessed by anxious lenders. John Egboche tells Simon Brandon how he is fighting to make sure Brent Council residents aren’t among them.

  • Moral banking

    16/01/2009

    Neill Gibson of Trowers & Hamlins says landlords and Islamic finance institutions could work together

  • Nottingham scandal ‘a police matter’

    15/01/2009

    Nottingham Council is looking to call in the police to investigate its own housing service following a damning Audit Commission report into the way social tenancies were handed out.

  • Government promises help for buy-to-let tenants

    14/01/2009

    Tenants renting buy-to-let properties are to get more protection if their landlord faces repossession.

  • Councils face duty to tackle disadvantage

    14/01/2009

    Housing departments could be subject to a new legal duty to make them put social mobility policies at the heart of everything they do.

  • Graffiti used to secure eviction

    12/01/2009

    A housing association employed a handwriting expert to help convict an anti-social resident who was posting abusive graffiti.

  • Cash-rich landlords agree to bail out peers

    09/01/2009

    A trio of cash-rich housing associations have agreed to make bail out loans to struggling competitors after a request by the social housing regulator.

  • Higher fees mooted for at-risk landlords

    09/01/2009

    Housing associations deemed financially risky may have to pay higher fees to the housing regulator, under a new charging regime.

  • New code requires providers to protect child asylum seekers

    09/01/2009

    Housing providers working with asylum seekers will have to meet a tough new legal requirement to ensure homes are safe for children.

  • Plotting a new course

    09/01/2009

    Wendy Wilks of Maclay, Murray & Spens offers six tips on how to negotiate the new legal regime

  • TSA reveals its cash concerns

    09/01/2009

    The Tenant Services Authority has said it is concerned about the financial viability of Three Valleys Housing, in its first ever regulatory judgements.

  • Watchdog to intervene in L&Q case

    09/01/2009

    The government’s human rights watchdog will step in to a legal battle to decide whether housing association tenants have the right to challenge their landlords’ decisions in court.

  • Rental areas changed to duck Lords ruling

    08/01/2009

    The government has changed the definition of rental areas used to set housing benefit levels, to avoid a House of Lords decision that would have forced them to redraw the boundaries.

  • Closing the door

    07/01/2009

    The first landlord to use a premises closure order to evict problem tenants explains how the powers work

  • Buy-to-let tenants turfed out as landlords default

    19/12/2008

    Buy-to-let tenants are coming home to find the bailiffs have changed their locks because their landlords have failed to make mortgage payments.

  • Rules of engagement

    19/12/2008

    Mark Lupton and Samantha McGrady test the strength of the new regulator’s powers

  • Avoiding eviction

    17/12/2008

    Shelter Scotland has accused housing associations of evicting too many tenants. Here Ore Valley housing association explains how it avoids taking such action.

  • Landlords taken to task as evictions skyrocket

    17/12/2008

    Scotland’s largest homelessness charity is on a collision course with the country’s social landlords, after it accused them of resorting to ‘Dickensian’ methods of management.

  • House of Lords verdict on tolerated tresspassers

    15/12/2008

    Robert Latham, of Doughty Street Chambers, examines how a House of Lords ruling has affected the concept of tolerated tresspassers

  • Lords to rule on legal status of refuges

    15/12/2008

    A woman refused council housing because she had been thrown out of a refuge is taking her case to the House of Lords.

  • Lords reassert rights of assured tenants

    12/12/2008

    The highest court in the land has reinforced the rights of thousands of tenants subject to possession orders, overturning two previous rulings.

  • Lords to rule on legal status of refuges

    12/12/2008

    A woman refused council housing because she had been thrown out of a refuge is taking her case to the House of Lords.

  • A question of privilege

    12/12/2008

    Emily Twinch investigates tenants’ rights and finds that, although security of tenure continues to be divisive, lawyers agree that simplifying the laws surrounding tenancies would be a good thing.

  • Burden of proof

    12/12/2008

    A refusal to grant an anti-social behaviour injunction could have long-term consequences, writes Peter Marcus of Arden Chambers

  • Leasehold enfranchisement

    12/12/2008

    Should social landlords be looking at leasehold extension, asks James Driscoll of Trowers & Hamlins

  • Triumph over adversity

    12/12/2008

    From unsold homes and mortgage rescue to employment and governance, Philippa Ward finds that the credit crunch is keeping lawyers busy

  • Within the law

    12/12/2008

    To launch this week’s legal focus, Victoria Madine profiles some of the leading social housing practices across the country - and looks at where business is booming

  • Council staff move into evicted tenants’ homes

    08/12/2008

    The head of strategic housing at Norwich Council has been suspended amid claims that she moved into the home of tenants evicted by her department.

  • Fit for purpose

    05/12/2008

    Councils must give prospective tenants sufficient assurance that their homes will be suitable, writes Angela Penn of Weightmans

  • The Queen's speech 2008

    04/12/2008

    Public policy experts from law firm Clifford Chance outline the 15 bills listed in the Queen’s speech, giving the key elements and policy background to the proposed legislation.

  • Queen's speech bill enshrines tenant rights

    03/12/2008

    The Queen has announced that new laws on local democracy, economic strategy and welfare reform will be brought before Parliament next year.

  • Mitchell killing case reaches House of Lords

    02/12/2008

    A Scottish family’s bid to force landlords to act on anti-social behaviour complaints has reached the highest court in the country.

  • Bits and pieces

    28/11/2008

    Charging part of a scheme can be complicated and expensive, says Vicky Kells of Eversheds

  • Variation on a theme

    28/11/2008

    Existing ASBOs can be extended without appeal, writes Peter Marcus of Arden Chambers

  • Planning Bill receives royal assent

    27/11/2008

    Ministers have promised the planning process will become greener and more straightforward after royal assent was granted for the Planning Bill.

  • FOI extension to Scots landlords on the cards

    21/11/2008

    The Scottish Government has suggested extending freedom of information laws to housing associations, saying they could be described as public bodies.

  • Judicial review of warden removal gains momentum

    21/11/2008

    A high profile solicitor is poised to front a judicial review of the removal of wardens from sheltered housing schemes.

  • Worries over ‘Whitehall-led’ tenant voice

    21/11/2008

    The government has been accused of bypassing tenants so it can choose for itself who will represent them on a new national tenant council.

  • Tougher guidance to halt repossessions

    19/11/2008

    Struggling homeowners who are facing repossession have been given stronger legal support.

  • Continental cause

    14/11/2008

    Tenant activists are pushing for a right to housing to be enshrined in a European constitution. From Brussels, Simon Brandon seeks reasons to be optimistic

  • Knowledge unlocked

    14/11/2008

    Harry Karaolou and Georgie Collins of Lawrence Graham look at new data protection guidance

  • Lenders allowed to ‘sidestep’ courts on mortgage defaults

    12/11/2008

    The Ministry of Justice is looking to increase legal protections for homeowners after fears that a High Court ruling would allow lenders to ‘side­step the courts altogether’.

  • A good grasp

    07/11/2008

    ASBO recipients must have sufficient mental health to understand the terms, writes Sian Evans of Weightmans

  • Landlords’ duty to protect contested

    07/11/2008

    A group of Scottish housing associations have joined a landmark legal battle which will decide whether landlords have a legal duty to protect their tenants.

  • Unsafe boilers could cause more fatalities

    07/11/2008

    An exploding boiler which killed a housing association tenant had not been properly decommissioned, an inquest into her death found.

  • Legal advice body hit by job cuts

    06/11/2008

    The Legal Services Commission has insisted the loss of over a third of its workforce will not affect housing advice services.

  • Council wins ASBO extension ruling

    05/11/2008

    A council has won a landmark case against a tenant who challenged the fairness of extending his anti-social behaviour order.

  • The A to Z of VAT

    31/10/2008

    The rules about when to pay, reclaim or ignore the tax can be complex

  • Tenant empowerment

    29/10/2008

    A New Local Government Network paper outlining how the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 can help empower tenants.

  • Judge backs council over drugs appeal

    24/10/2008

    A north London council has won its case against a man who claimed that being at risk of a drugs relapse made him a priority for housing.

  • Ongoing debate

    24/10/2008

    The Housing and Regeneration Act offers partial solutions to the tolerated trespassing problem, writes Abimbola Badejo

  • Under the EU microscope

    24/10/2008

    The European Union has had to refine its stance on development joint ventures

  • MPs block Welsh right to buy veto

    23/10/2008

    Attempts by the Welsh Assembly Government to gain the power to scrap the right to buy should be blocked, according to MPs.

  • Court protocol strengthens repossession rights

    22/10/2008

    Homeowners threatened with repossession are to receive stronger legal protection.

  • Judge adjourns Gentoo libel hearing

    20/10/2008

    A man accused of making defamatory comments about staff of Gentoo housing association has seen his trial adjourned today after his father suffered a heart attack.

  • Peers mull verdict on tolerated trespassing

    20/10/2008

    The House of Lords is to rule on a legal loophole that leaves tenants in limbo when they are facing eviction.

  • A fair say

    17/10/2008

    The public’s right to be consulted is up against the desire to get eco-towns built without delay, says Christopher Proudley

  • Corruption claims probed by council

    17/10/2008

    A London council has launched a fraud investigation after complaints from sub-contractors working on its social housing maintenance contracts.

  • Taking the strain

    17/10/2008

    With adjustments, the real estate investment trust model could ease housing market pressure

  • Sale and rent back firms prey on vulnerable

    15/10/2008

    Businesses are exploiting vulnerable homeowners who are struggling with mortgage debt, an official study has found.

  • Seal of approval

    10/10/2008

    Energy performance certificates are now compulsory, but will they be effective, asks Steven Wood

  • The go-between

    10/10/2008

    Adjudication can be a quicker and less hostile way to resolve disputes

  • Amendment seeks security for planning deals

    08/10/2008

    The National Housing Federation is teaming up with Shelter to table an amendment to the Planning Bill, in an attempt to safeguard affordable housing contributions from developers.

  • Is a home a castle?

    03/10/2008

    Right to respect for the home can not be relied upon as a successful defence, says Steven Wood of Coffin Mew

  • When two become one

    03/10/2008

    The hows and whys of structural change and partnership

  • Gentoo court case begins

    02/10/2008

    A man accused of posting cruel website comments which defamed staff at Gentoo Housing Group has appeared in the High Court ahead of his trial.

  • Case finds council is liable for ALMO staff

    19/09/2008

    Leeds Council will face allegations of racial discrimination from an employee of its arm’s-length management organisation following a landmark tribunal judgement.

  • Fine print

    19/09/2008

    Contractual disputes are usually a result of a written contract not matching the way in which the employer, such as a housing association, and the contractor intend to work together in practice.

  • In poor health

    19/09/2008

    On 10 July the Court of Appeal gave judgement in the case of R (Faarah) v Southwark. The case concerned the London authority’s allocation scheme.

  • Community land trusts

    16/09/2008

    Democratic ownership of land can harness local enthusiasm, say Simon Randall and David Rodgers

  • Eco town plans face legal battle

    12/09/2008

    A legal challenge to the government’s eco towns programme has been given the go ahead.

  • In communities we trust

    12/09/2008

    Democratic ownership of land can harness local enthusiasm, say Simon Randall and David Rodgers

  • Tenants queue to exploit their right to review

    12/09/2008

    Housing association tenants are exploiting their new legal right to challenge landlords’ decisions before a judge, lawyers have warned.

  • Transfer deals

    12/09/2008

    Who was responsible for staff when a provider of homes for asylum seekers lost its contract?

  • Costs force tenants to back down from floating warden fight

    05/09/2008

    A group of sheltered housing tenants has failed in a bid to take its landlord to court over the removal of resident wardens, because there are too many of them.

  • Just married

    05/09/2008

    Emma Tarran, partner at Trowers & Hamlins, looks at the relationship between the HCA and TSA

  • Rough justice

    05/09/2008

    Eleven years of Labour government have seen repeated changes in the way legal aid is provided.

  • Scottish law to end right-to-buy

    03/09/2008

    The Scottish Government has confirmed that it intends to legislate to end the right-to-buy in the country.

  • The Housing and Regeneration Act

    29/08/2008

    Emma Tarran, partner at law firm Trowers & Hamlins, explains how the Housing and Regeneration Act will change social housing regulation.

  • ‘He can’t have died for nothing’

    29/08/2008

    James Mitchell died following a savage attack by an anti-social neighbour. His family wants Glasgow Council to accept some responsibility. Their fight reaches the House of Lords in December in a case that could affect every social landlord.

  • Authorities poised to mount legal challenge over benefit policies

    29/08/2008

    Councils across England are gearing up to legally challenge the government’s housing benefit rates after a tenant won a landmark legal victory last month.

  • Dawn of a new era

    29/08/2008

    On 22 July, after eight months of debate and publicity, the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 hit the statute books.

  • Landlords could be forced to act on ASB

    29/08/2008

    Landlords may have to take more action to protect tenants who complain about nuisance neighbours, the lawyer behind a potentially groundbreaking court case has warned.

  • Labour conference to vote on legal aid review

    22/08/2008

    Influential Labour Party members are calling for an independent review of the legal aid system, following changes which lawyers fear will rob vulnerable tenants of housing advice.

  • New regulatory era could see big fish go hungry

    22/08/2008

    The big fish in the social housing sea have often welcomed the chance to dine on their ailing cousins.

  • Piece of cake

    22/08/2008

    Wendy Wilks, Chris Vause and Andrew Shaw ask how rent to homebuy will affect the shared ownership system

  • Referee not rescuer

    22/08/2008

    Peter Marsh, chief executive designate of the Tenant Services Authority, has initiated a welcome ‘national conversation’ about the future of regulation.

  • Troubled waters

    22/08/2008

    Judith Damerell on fears that the Planning Bill may hamper new social housing

  • Affordable housing argument convinces planners

    20/08/2008

    London-based housing group Genesis has overturned a planning decision made by councillors in Haringey by arguing the case for affordable housing.

  • Rental reform plea

    15/08/2008

    The private rented sector needs radical reform to attract large-scale institutional investors, according to a new report by the Law Commission.

  • Possession orders up by 24 per cent

    15/08/2008

    Lenders applied for nearly 40,000 repossession orders in the second quarter of 2007, government figures have revealed.

  • Security blanket

    15/08/2008

    A mortgagee exclusion clause within a section 106 planning agreement enables a mortgagee, in the event of a default by a registered social landlord under its loan agreement, to enforce its security and sell the mortgaged property free of the provisions contained within an agreement that normally restricts the ability of the owner to sell such property.

  • Politicians demand legal right to housing

    13/08/2008

    The right to housing should be included in a UK bill of rights, an influential group of MPs and lords has advised.

  • Ombudsman slates Islington in disability row

    12/08/2008

    The local government ombudsman has slammed Islington Council for ignoring the needs of a disabled resident.

  • Law will force councils to respond to residents

    12/08/2008

    Local authorities are to be forced to respond to petitions from residents under government plans.

  • Human rights and wrongs

    08/08/2008

    A storm has been brewing for some time in the courts about this issue.

  • Public eye

    08/08/2008

    Landlords will need to be more vigilant about their decision-making processes, says Chris Handy

  • Judgement forces benefit rethink

    06/08/2008

    The government is being forced back to the drawing board on its controversial housing benefit regime for private tenants following a landmark judgement in the House of Lords.

  • Lenders told to avoid repossessions

    05/08/2008

    The financial services watchdog has warned lenders to treat borrowers fairly after a surge in repossessions.

  • Access denied

    01/08/2008

    Salford Council needed to do urgent repairs in two tower blocks. The main soil stacks (vertical sewage pipes) needed replacing, as they were in danger of leaking sewage.

  • An equal footing

    01/08/2008

    The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 provides that it is unlawful for a landlord to evict or subject a disabled person to any detriment ‘for a reason related to their disability’, unless the landlord reasonably believes that the action is necessary so as not to endanger the health or safety of any person including the disabled person.

  • Dramatic planning cut challenges mayor

    01/08/2008

    London mayor Boris Johnson is facing the first big test of his housing policies after a Conservative council approved plans to cut all social housing from a major development.

  • Written apology for Gbangbola

    01/08/2008

    The development director whose dismissal was one of the triggers for the Housing Corporation’s eventual intervention in Ujima has received a written apology over attempts to blame him for the association’s problems.

  • Developers force council to scrap affordability goals

    30/07/2008

    Three developers have forced a council to drop its affordable housing targets after an appeal judge described the area’s properties as ‘cheap as chips’.

  • Lords to rule on overcrowding

    29/07/2008

    The House of Lords is to rule on whether local authorities must rehouse people living in overcrowded conditions.

  • Council fined half a million pounds for explosion

    28/07/2008

    A council has been ordered to pay more than £500,000 for a gas explosion which destroyed three flats and nearly killed the tenants inside.

  • Agencies will be put to the test

    25/07/2008

    It’s been an epic journey. After hundreds of amendments, some intensive lobbying, hours of debate and some notable government U-turns, the Housing and Regeneration Bill has finally become law.

  • Weather the storm

    25/07/2008

    Social landlords are vulnerable and should protect themselves

  • An open mind to change

    18/07/2008

    When the National Housing Federation decided to run a high-profile campaign against some parts of the Housing and Regeneration Bill, a few of our members told me they were unsure if we were adopting the right tactics.

  • Fears grow as resident wardens are axed

    18/07/2008

    A sheltered housing tenant lay undiscovered for days after dying in a council-run home that phased out resident wardens, as an Inside Housing investigation uncovered fresh concerns about the trend.

  • Joint solution

    18/07/2008

    What is the joint contracts tribunal framework agreement?

  • Landlords will have to watch their backs

    18/07/2008

    Housing associations will have to plough time and money into creating lengthy paper trails to back up their decisions, following a landmark High Court judgement.

  • New regime’s first victim

    18/07/2008

    Presentation Housing Association has become the first casualty of a tough new regulatory regime which will take a much harder line on uncooperative landlords.

  • Saving face by showing your teeth

    18/07/2008

    The best form of defence is attack – and the Housing Corporation has been showing how it’s done this week with its pre-emptive strike on regulation.

  • Associations set to escape planning levy

    17/07/2008

    The junior housing minister has suggested housing associations may be exempt from a forthcoming planning charge.

  • Tribunal delves into relationship between councils and ALMOs

    15/07/2008

    Councils could be forced to accept legal responsibility for arm’s-length management organisation staff as a result of a racial discrimination tribunal.

  • ALMO under fire after death of sheltered housing resident

    11/07/08

    A coroner has criticised a social landlord because a sheltered housing resident fell and died after her daily support visits were reduced to once a month.

  • Duty of care

    11/07/08

    A landmark decision, handed down by the High Court in the recent case of X and Y vs London Borough of Hounslow, has ruled that local authorities can in certain circumstances owe a duty of care towards vulnerable people resident in council properties. Sarah Erwin-Jones explains.

  • Highly selective

    11/07/08

    Will the must-have for housing association chief executives next year be an investment banker on speed dial, asks Andrew Crawford.

  • Possession legislation needs urgent attention

    11/07/2008

    On behalf of Wandsworth Council I would like to take this opportunity to respond to the comments made by William Flack in connection with the case which the council recently pursued against Mr Flack’s client, Mr Randall (Letters, Inside Housing, 2 May).

  • Council tenants win equal rights under regulator

    09/07/2008

    The government has caved in to pressure to give council housing tenants the same rights as those living in other types of social housing.

  • Spot the difference

    04/07/2008

    Five days are all the preparation time housing associations get under the new snap inspection regime.

  • Space: the final frontier

    04/07/2008

    Unlike the rest of Europe, England lacks national minimum space standards for homes. Unsurprisingly, we build the smallest dwellings in Europe.

  • Failure to act

    04/07/2008

    Pensioner James Dow Mitchell suffered an exceptional amount of trouble from his neighbour and fellow Glasgow Council tenant James Drummond.

  • In the balance

    04/07/2008

    On 15 May the High Court ruled on a planning appeal brought by Coffin Mew LLP, the importance of which cannot be understated for all registered social landlords engaged in developing and regenerating their housing stock.

  • Bill amends published

    04/07/2008

    The government has published its final set of amendments to the Housing and Regeneration Bill.

  • Court should not be a testing ground

    04/07/2008

    Some years ago, the compliance officer of the company for which I then worked contacted a government department to seek advice on the practical implications of some new regulation or other.

  • For tenants by tenants, says new TSA chief

    04/07/2008

    Housing associations will have to make as much effort to improve tenants’ services as they do to balance their books, the new chief executive of the Tenant Services Authority has warned.

  • Priority shift for foreigners

    04/07/2008

    British citizens with families subject to immigration control will be entitled to priority housing if they become homeless, under a change to the Housing and Regeneration Bill.

  • Swindlers’ list comes to light

    04/07/2008

    The Housing Corporation has released details from its list of housing association fraud for the first time, following an Inside Housing freedom of information request.

  • Unprepared sector faces fines

    04/07/2008

    Hundreds of housing associations could be hit with large fines because of widespread ignorance of new legislation.

  • Right to buy to remain

    01/07/2008

    Suspending the right to buy across Wales could contravene the European Convention on Human Rights, MPs heard this week.

  • Overcrowded family denied right to appeal to Lords

    27/06/2008

    A family living in overcrowded conditions have lost a bid to take their case to the House of Lords because their living conditions were better than those of other families.

  • Ruling threatens HA independence

    27/06/2008

    England’s 1.8 million housing association tenants have won the right to challenge their landlords’ decisions before a judge thanks to a landmark High Court ruling.

  • Trying times

    27/06/2008

    The employment implications of landlord mergers

  • A word in your ear

    20/06/2008

    Lobbying can have a significant impact on the shape of housing legislation. Simon Ellery takes a look at the art of persuasion.

  • Defence minefield

    20/06/2008

    Whose responsibility are watercourses on or adjacent to a development site? 

  • Joint tenancy unlocked

    20/06/2008

    It has been settled in law for some time that where one joint tenant serves notice to quit on another joint tenant, that terminates the joint tenancy.

  • Journey south

    20/06/2008

    As the Housing and Regeneration Bill moves through Parliament, Simon Brandon finds out how legislation filters down to the frontline.

  • Law review launched

    20/06/2008

    The Law Commission will seek to safeguard vulnerable people by ending years of confusion over the boundaries between residential care and housing support.

  • Let's reflect on real Ujima impact

    20/06/2008

    Inside Housing’s article on Ujima Housing Association (6 June) was a shocking expose of what went on and a very good piece of investigative journalism.

  • Plea for laws to see off rogue landlords

    20/06/2008

    Councils should be able to apply to the courts to ban rogue landlords from operating, according to an arm of the Local Government Association.

  • Spot checks signal way ahead for regulation

    20/06/2008

    The Audit Commission is to lay the groundwork for the new social housing regulator by introducing spot check inspections for housing associations, arm’s-length management organisations and local authorities.

  • Court backs transfer revamp

    13/06/2008

    A campaigning tenant has lost a High Court battle that could have forced stock transfer associations up and down the country to redraw their restructuring plans.

  • Have a care

    13/06/2008

    Treating residents with respect is set to become a statutory requirement

  • Homelessness sidelining fear

    13/06/2008

    Vulnerable people could suffer because homelessness has been virtually overlooked as the government presses ahead with setting up the Homes and Communities Agency.

  • Professional players

    13/06/2008

    To any housing association that finds itself stumbling in the sector’s fast-changing landscape, the Housing Corporation has made it clear where it will look to pin the blame if things go wrong.

  • Red alert

    06/06/2008

    Richardson v Midland Heart confirmed that, in a shared ownership lease, a landlord is entitled to possession for rent arrears because the leaseholder is an assured tenant with no right to a share of the original capital paid.