justinbates.bsky.social
Housing lawyer, editor of the Encyclopedia of Housing Law, co-author Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act and Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act.
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Clause 63, Renters' RIghts Bill will let them do this (presuming the Bill passes in its current form). Clause 101 will also let them do something similar re TA via another route.
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Giles and I are both firmly of the view that everyone should have a housing lawyer with them at all times.
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I wonder if there is scope for a crossover about criminal landlords :-)
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Meh. If you can afford to have two homes and leave one empty then I imagine you can afford the additional council tax.
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This is now largely historic isn't it? From Dec 2023 isn't the position that the whole house gets one banding, not the rooms (The Council Tax (Chargeable Dwellings and Liability for Owners) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2023) (unless its a purpose built block, when you band each room)?
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That seems to me to be a plausible reason, but it certainly isn't a good reason!
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Very hard to say. Certainly no good reason I am aware of. If I had to give a reason I would suggest the short life of a housing minister during the previous governments made it impossible for anyone to get their head around the issue, formulate a response and then write legislation.
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I would tend to agree
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It's striking that three of the most important housing law reforms of the last decade were Private Members Bills (Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation), Homelessness Reduction, Supported Housing). Hopefully, with the new government and it's focus on housing, we can see more holistic reforms
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It's a great success for Crisis, who pushed hard for this Act. It's also a *second* significant housing reform that we owe to Bob Blackman MP (after the Homelessness Reduction Act).
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There is a well-known scam whereby landlords provide (poor quality) supported housing and then escape the housing benefit caps. The scam is widespread and hurts tenants and the public purse. This gives local authorities some tools to respond as well as setting national minimum standards
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Yes, sorry - if you click through to the bailii version of the judgment then there is an error in para 16. The error is in the original, not the blog post!
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Something has gone wrong with the quote at para.16. I doubt Denning LJ said "HYPERLINK "https://uk.westlaw.com/Document/IA8189932B2A111E3B229A64ECE6E6359/View/FullText.html?originationContext=document&transitionType=DocumentItem&ppcid=bbe1df1ab66f474d8708aaed1089be2b&contextData=(sc.DocLink)"
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They were bold, in the 'yes minister' sense. The consequence would have been that millions of people didn't have to pay council tax and had been wrongly paying it since it replaced the Community Charge.
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Do you mean what tweeks could we make to the existing legislative and policy framework (eg, overturn Jakimaviciute) are you taking about a more holistic assessment (eg, build more housing, prevent the RTB arising, LAs and HAs to provide genuine alternative to PRS)?
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An early contender for the 'best opening to a judgment' competition that @civlittweet.bsky.social does each year
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In fairness, there are some legislative changes in the Renters' Rights Bill which should pave the way to increasing standards for homelessness TA. And more money has been found. More must be done, but I'm not sure what more could have been done in the short time since the election
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I still have a picture of the tiny babies, born prematurely with breathing problems and still requiring oxygen, in a flat so wet with damp that the wall covering crumbled in my hand…
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Phew. I was worried I'd missed one
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Four? Ivory v Welwyn; Hussaini v LB Islington; Khan v D'Aubigny. What is the 4th?
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That is both lovely and, frankly, a bit odd.
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Please may I have a copy?