Tenant protection bill clears Lords

MPs warn legal aid cuts will hit vulnerable

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.

Welfare reform calendar 2011 – 2013

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

Right out of left Field

Frank Field is a Labour MP with right-wing views. He’s also the coalition’s poverty czar. Here Lydia Stockdale finds out what he thinks of its housing benefit reforms

The other Bill

Capital gains

As voters decide who to elect as the next London mayor, charity chiefs Leslie Morphy and Charles Fraser examine the issues the winner must address

Acting with conviction

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

Cutting tenancies short

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

Battling fraud

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

Clearing your debts

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

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