Social Housing
09 May 2008

Social Housing

Legal advice and supporting services to providers of affordable housing for rent or shared ownership.

Affordable housing represents one of the most important elements of national and local government policy in the UK. For the various providers – housing associations, registered charities, co-operatives and local councils – successful execution of that policy depends on efficient handling of the numerous legal issues involved.

As a registered social landlord, you need the best legal advice and support available, and Weightmans’ Social Housing team is here to provide it. We will help you manage your responsibilities in the most effective way possible, so that your time involvement is minimised and costly problems are avoided.

Our lengthy experience covers every aspect of housing management, including disposals of surplus stock and stock transfers. Housing providers such as Liverpool Housing Action Trust and agencies such as Commission for the New Towns and English Partnerships are among our clients.

We advise on every aspect of social housing, both contentious and                non-contentious, particularly the law relating to secure and assured tenancies. We also provide a full service in the drafting of tenancy agreements, including introductory and assured short-term tenancies, and the formulation of        anti-social behaviour policies.

Further areas of expertise include rent increases for secure and assured tenancies, rent possession and nuisance possession cases, injunctions relating to statutory inspections, disposals of land held for housing purposes, land transfers with grant aid and formulation of grant agreements.

David Percival

David Percival



Newsletters
  • Social Housing - March 2008
    In this edition we look at a recent case dealing with possession on disability discrimination, an overview of the Housing and Regeneration Bill and consider how a criminal conviction can lead to an outright possession order and recent case law.
  • Social Housing - November 2007
    In this edition we look at the recent case law concerning interpretation of a public body for the purposes of the Human Rights Act, guidance on the Welfare Reform Act, the latest guidance on anti social behaviour injunctions, demotion and judicial review and the update on recent case law.
  • Social Housing - October 2007
    In this edition we look at the recent guidance given for disability discrimination cases, the consultation paper from the Law Commission concerning a tribunal for housing disputes, Office of Fair Trading guidance on shared ownership leases, service charge update, rent arrears protocol update and recent case law.