L&Q to appeal over public bodies ruling

Round two

Housing minister Grant Shapps has proposed a second round of the affordable homes programme. So are landlords financially fit enough to get back into the ring or are they on the ropes already? Carl Brown investigates

Association reveals plans to cut £22 million

One of the housing sector’s biggest landlords is planning to make £22 million of cuts and savings to fund a 10,000-home building plan.

Striking a balance

Housing associations can use cash reserves to help spark economic revival - however they must be sensible about doing so

Court rejects legal challenge to starter tenancies

The Court of Appeal has dismissed a case that threatened to make housing association starter tenancies redundant.

Unfair blame

A new public right of way?

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

Window of opportunity

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

Testing the limits

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

The mental health maze

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

The legal aid lifeline

Cuts to legal aid and new spending restrictions mean tens of thousands of tenants will no longer be eligible for free housing advice. Jess McCabe visits a law centre to investigate the likely impact of the changes