Housing

Extending the categories of properties excepted from paying council tax premium on second homes in Wales

Welsh Government launches consultation on providing exception where planning conditions mean that a property can only be used for short-term holiday lets, or is prevented from being used as someone’s main residence

Number of landlord possession claims in the three months to September 2022 was more than twice that in the same period in 2021

Responding to the figures, Crisis calls for government to honour its manifesto commitment to ban no fault evictions and commit to raising local housing allowance rates in next week's Autumn Statement

Almost 12.5 million people are living in housing ‘legal aid deserts’

New LexisNexis research finds that bottom ten per cent of local authorities have zero housing legal aid providers per 1,000 cases of legal need

Housing Ombudsman makes findings of severe maladministration in relation to housing association’s failings when responding to complaint about anti-social behaviour

Landlord ordered to pay compensation of £1,800 to resident, as well as review its complaints policy and data retention guidance

Lucy Frazer appointed as new Housing Minister in the DLUHC

Former Justice Minister and Attorney General becomes 12th holder of housing brief in the last decade

Public Bill Committee issues call for evidence ahead of line by line scrutiny of the Social Housing (Regulation) Bill

Committee invites written submissions ahead of first sitting that is expected to be on 29 November 2022

High Court rules that Lambeth Council’s decision that a property was ‘suitable accommodation’ was irrational as it was based on an unlawful housing needs assessment and unlawful personal housing plan

YR, R (On the Application Of) v London Borough of Lambeth [2022] EWHC 2813 (Admin)

Joint Committee on Human Rights launches inquiry into the rights of asylum seekers in the UK with a view to identifying human rights concerns

In addition to seeking views on the government's reliance on 'safe and legal' routes for asylum seekers, inquiry will consider the impacts of the right to work rules, and whether current accommodation and subsistence rules are compliant with human rights

Local authorities exercising functions in relation to homelessness and social housing included on list of bodies required to have regard to the Armed Forces Covenant

New statutory instrument commences provisions included in the Armed Forces Act 2021

Housing Ombudsman launches call for evidence to support new ‘systemic investigation’ to look at record keeping and data management

Views sought from social landlord complaint handlers in light of the fact that the majority of upheld investigations in 2021/2022 involved poor record keeping

Housing Ombudsman makes finding of severe maladministration in relation to social housing provider’s repeated failings in repairing damage to resident’s bedroom caused by leaks from property above

Landlord ordered to pay almost £3,000 compensation after repeatedly failing to fulfil promises to support resident while she waited for repairs

Round-up of recent Upper Tribunal housing case law

Scottish Government publishes revised Social Housing Charter to help improve the quality and value of services provided by social landlords

Charter prescribes standards and outcomes that social housing tenants can expect from landlords, and provides basis for Scottish Housing Regulator to assess landlords' performance

Deadline for households to claim £150 council tax energy rebate extended to 30 November 2022

While government advises that more than 99 per cent of eligible households in England have received the payment, change made to help councils support 'hard to reach' households

Mayor of London calls for immediate government action as ‘alarming’ new statistics show that number sleeping rough in capital has increased by almost a quarter over last year

Joining the call for action, Crisis Chief Executive highlights that while the rising cost of living has made things worse, this is a 'crisis that has been burning away for years'

Freezing or reducing rents to protect those on the lowest incomes is a ‘very unpredictable and inefficient policy tool’, warns CIH Northern Ireland

Exploring other ways to improve affordability in the private rented sector, housing charity's recommendations include extending welfare supplementary payments and enhancing existing rent control so that renters can challenge unfair rent increases

Campaigners call on new Prime Minister to publish the Renters’ Reform Bill in the current parliamentary session

With more than three years having passed since the government promised to introduce reforms, private renters can’t wait any longer, says Renters’ Reform Coalition