Housing

Government announces changes to ‘right to rent’ checks in response to coronavirus outbreak

New guidance confirms that checks can be carried out through video calls and that tenants can send scanned documents or a photo of documents rather than sending the originals

Coronavirus (Scotland) Bill will provide ‘important backstop’ to prevent evictions and relieve the financial pressure people may be facing

Constitution Secretary also says Bill will introduce ‘substantial additional emergency powers' to help the justice system, public services and the economy to cope

No social housing tenant in Northern Ireland will be evicted for non-payment of rent during coronavirus outbreak, Minister confirms

In addition, Housing Executive has implemented 'surge plan' to ensure safety of those in homeless accommodation settings

High Court considers prospects of success for a section 204 Housing Act 1996 appeal brought one day outside 21-day time limit

Government writes to local authorities in England asking that they support rough sleepers and other vulnerable homeless into appropriate accommodation by the end of the week

Minister for Local Government and Homelessness sets out a programme of actions designed to help reduce the impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) on people facing homelessness

HMCTS to suspend all ongoing housing possession action for initial period of 90 days from today

Government also confirms that it is working with the Master of Rolls to strengthen the pre-action protocol requirement and extend this to the private rented sector

Court of Appeal rules that judge misdirected herself by dismissing possession claim on basis that it was not inevitable that a lawful PSED assessment would reach the same decision to proceed as an inital unlawful assessment

Coronavirus Act sets minimum three month notice period for eviction for statutory tenants in the private and social rented sectors

However, new law does not prevent landlords from serving a notice of intention to possess, nor does it end a tenant's liability for rental payments

Commons Select Committee warns that protection from eviction measures in Coronavirus Bill do nothing to protect those already subject to eviction processes

Chair of Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee says government must quickly come up with stronger proposals to protect all renters from eviction during the COVID-19 crisis

Scottish Government confirms that it will introduce emergency legislation to ensure that there are no evictions as a result of COVID-19 for six months

Minister also tells Scottish Parliament that notice period will be extended to six months for 'majority' of grounds for eviction

Court of Appeal considers question of the date at which probability of domestic violence should be assessed by a local authority when determining intentional homelessness

[2020] EWCA Civ 439

Approval and designation of client money protection schemes for property agents in England

New regulations extend grace period under which private sector letting agents are not required to be a member of a scheme to 1 April 2021

Vagrancy (Repeal) Bill 2019-21 receives first reading in House of Commons

Private Members' Bill seeks to repeal Vagrancy Act 1824 which makes it a crime in England and Wales to beg or to be street homeless

Government announces ‘radical package’ of measures to protect renters and landlords affected by coronavirus

No renter who has lost income due to coronavirus will be forced out of their home, nor will any landlord face unmanageable debts

Institute for Fiscal Studies calls for ‘out of date’ council tax to be revalued and reformed

New report says a more progressive system could be achieved with updated property valuations, bills that are more proportional to value, and reform or abolition of the single person discount

Scottish Housing and Property Chamber postpones scheduled hearings and case management discussions

Measures in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic will initially be in place until 28 May 2020

Number of households owed main homelessness duty in England increases by more than a third

However, new official statistics highlight that number owed main duty is down by more than a quarter compared to period immediately preceding commencement of the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017