Housing
Experts in Housing Law
The specialist lawyers that make up our Housing Law team possess vast experience in all aspects of housing law and we have a strong reputation for delivering results for Private and Social Landlords for both contentious and non-contentious matters. We can also offer advice and support to Property Owners in respect of contentious matters, mortgage possession proceedings, title and boundary disputes, and matters affecting leasehold interests.
The Housing Team has a strong reputation for delivering effective solutions in a timely and practical way. The Team has the skills and knowledge to offer services to both housing management and housing development; all our lawyers are both experienced and legally qualified, to ensure the highest standards of advice and the individual attention that makes our service unique and personal.
We work in teams and this enables us to provide expert advice and assistance, drawing on the skills of our colleagues when needed, whilst still being able to offer you the individual attention that makes our service unique and personal.
How we can help
Our skills in the area of housing and housing law can be broken down into two key areas; Law for housing management and Law for housing development.
Law for housing management
Anti-Social Behaviour and Nuisance
It is now an accepted fact of life that providers of social housing deal effectively with the behaviour of the minority of tenants and occupiers who can make the lives of others unbearable. We work quickly and effectively with RSLs across England (predominantly in the North and the Midlands) to ensure this, and training and assistance with policy development is also available
Disrepair litigation
We have a proven track record in handling claims for disrepair in the County Court and statutory nuisance in the Magistrates Court. We can advise in detail on landlords' obligations to repair, and on whether it is right to settle or defend an individual claim, and the costs implications of doing so. In certain circumstances, early advice can negate the need for action altogether.
Possession
From rent arrears possession actions to squatters and adverse possession claims, we can deal with recovery of land quickly and effectively, from drafting the initial Notice to obtaining the Bailiff's Warrant.
We have delivered training and support packages to enable Social Landlords to manage their own possession proceedings, and we can provide backup support and advice via telephone and email if needed.
Succession, Assignment and Mutual Exchange
These are areas which RSLs encounter daily, but which are not always clear-cut and from time to time require expert legal advice. We will give considered and expert advice on each individual case.
Gas Servicing
All RSLs will be well aware of their obligations to access properties at least once every year in order to carry out gas safety inspections. Where such access is prevented, we can offer speedy and effective solutions in the form of Injunctions or where appropriate possession proceedings obliging the tenant to allow access, or ultimately by possession proceedings. Our success rate with gas safety injunctions is second to none.
General Housing Advice
Housing Law is not always contentious, but is often complex, easy to get wrong, and requires expert guidance. Our Housing Team comprises only fully qualified lawyers with many years' combined experience of dealing in all aspects of housing and landlord and tenant law. We can offer advice and assistance on all non-contentious matters, from reviewing existing standard tenancy agreements, to providing regular and comprehensible updates by bulletin on the ever-changing area of housing law.
Training
Our training sessions have proved very successful and can be tailored to suit each RSL's own requirements at any given time. Previous areas covered on training days have been:-
- Assured Shorthold Tenancies
- The Housing and Regeneration Act 2008
- Attachments of Earnings and Third Party Debt Orders
- The effects on housing management of the cases of Malcolm and McCann
- Mutual Exchanges
- Deeds of Assignment
- Succession
- Starter Tenancies
- Notices Seeking Possession
- Postponed/Suspended Possession Orders
Law for housing development
Planning and Development
Our Planning and Development team deals with freehold land acquisitions and disposals and they use their expertise and experience to resolve infrastructure issues including highways, drainage and planning agreements. Issues such as brownfield development, title problems and contamination are all further examples of where we can advise on cost effective solutions.




