LEADER LEGAL

What does the future of housing hold? We could have asked a fortune teller, or in modern parlance, a futurist. But to get the precise (and conservative) truth, instead we’ve turned to our legal friends (see page X).

The answers we received were a surprising mix. We have the certain (you can’t get more certain than the anti-social behaviour act, which already has royal assent and comes into force in a couple of weeks). We have the very likely (how construction shortages will affect housing providers as they attempt to sign contracts). And we have the speculative gamble (will a private members bill be adopted by government, bringing with it greater protections for private renters?).

All this should provide the reader of this Legal supplement with a glimpse into the year to come as housing lawyers see it. However, we also take a look at the lawyers themselves too.

We have compiled a list of some of the sector’s leading legal lights. No methodology could ever be completely comprehensive, but this is an introduction to 10 of the legal figures who have influenced  and continue to influence the landscape of housing law.

We also travelled to the unlikely environs – for a lawyer – of Elephant & Castle to meet one of the most well-known housing lawyers practicing in the UK today. Giles Peaker, known in south London for his work acting for tenants, started the blog Nearly Legal, which has become a must-read for lawyers and others in the housing sector. We met the man behind the blog.

The subject of the law and lawyers might seem far away from the everyday reality of the housing professional. But in fact this isn’t the case: so it seems apt that we finish with some practical guidance. The issue of abuse of housing staff has been high on the agenda this year, as research by Inside Housing and others has shown it is on the rise: so we’ve also got Christine Land from Croftons setting out your rights if confronted by an abusive tenant.