News, events and consultations
CLG Select Committee Inquiry – private rented housing
HLPA has made a submission to the forthcoming Parliamentary select committee inquiry into private rented housing. Submissions were asked to address the following:
– the quality of private rented housing, and steps that can be taken to ensure that all housing in the sector is of an acceptable standard;
– levels of rent within the private rented sector – including the possibility of rent control and the interaction between housing benefit and rents;
– regulation of landlords, and steps that can be taken to deal with rogue landlords;
– regulation of letting agents, including agents’ fees and charges;
– the regulation of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs), including the operation of discretionary licensing schemes imposed by a local authority for a category of HMO in its area;
– tenancy agreements and length and security of tenure; and
– how local authorities are discharging their homelessness duty by being able to place homeless households in private sector housing
HLPA’s submission can be downloaded here, and the appendix to the submission, from here.
Judicial Review Consultation – HLPA response
HLPA’s response to the MoJ consultation on new limitations on judicial review proceedings has been submitted and can be downloaded here.
Meeting 16 January 2013
Homelessness Suitability and Private Rented Sector Discharge
The speakers will be:
Liz Davies, Garden Court Chambers
Sally Morshead, Shelter
16 January 2013 at 7 pm
The venue for the meeting is Portland Hall, School of Law, Regent Campus, University of Westminster, 4 Little Titchfield Street, London W1W 7UW,
Please note that entrance to meetings in 2013 is free for members working for not for profit and voluntary organisations and £10,00 per member for solicitors and barristers in private practice. Members are requested to arrive in good time so that the entry fee can be collected and the meeting can commence promptly at 7.00 p
2013 Meeting Programme
The 2013 programme of meetings for members has been prepared with a view to the major looming changes affecting tenants, landlords and housing law practice. The meetings will address these changes as they come into play, preparing practitioners and suggesting tactics and issues to be addressed.
The programme is:
- 16 January 2013: Homelessness, Suitability and Private Rented Sector Discharge
- 20 March 2013: Impact of Benefit Reform
- 15 May 2013: Using the Equality Act
- 17 July 2013: Allocations: The New World
- 18 September 2013: Housing Money Claims: Disrepair, Deposits and Unlawful Evictions
- 20 November 2013: Housing Law Update
The programme may be subject to change. Any updates will on this site. It is planned that all meetings will take place at Portland Hall, University of Westminster, 4 Little Titchfield Street, London W1W 7UW
November 2012 meeting
Wednesday 21 November 2012
Housing Law Update
Speakers:
Sam Madge-Wyld (Arden Chambers)
John Gallagher (Shelter)
7.00-9.00pm
Portland Hall, University of Westminster, 4 Little Titchfield Street, London W1W 7UW
The Housing Law Conference 2012
11 December 2012 – The Royal College of Surgeons, London
The full programme and registration form for the Housing Law Conference 2012 can be downloaded here.
Registration is also available via the following link:
www.profbriefings.co.uk/hlc2012
The theme of this year’s conference is young people, homelessness and housing. Speakers will include:
Jon Snow, the presenter of Britain’s award winning Channel 4 News and in depth one-hour nightly news and current affairs programme. He has made several documentary films and chaired many television debates and discussions on a wide range of topics. He is also Chairman of the New Horizon Youth Centre and Deputy Chairman of the Media Trust.
Emma Loach, Joint Head of Documentaries at CTVC. She has been an observational documentary film maker for many years and in March 2010 she directed and produced Fix My Family for BBC2 – a film following life at a unique hostel that looks after homeless families and tries to keep their children out of care.
Diane Astin, a solicitor specialising in housing law with many years’ experience in private practice and in the voluntary sector. She regularly trains and lectures in housing law, community care and asylum support for organisations including Legal Action Group, the Law Centres Federation, the Red Cross and the Refugee Council.
Shauneen Lambe, Director of Just for Kids Law in London, an organisation that provides support, advocacy and representation to young people in trouble.
Ian Brady, Deputy Director, Troubled Families Team, Department for Communities and Local Government.
Jan Luba QC of Garden Court Chambers offering his perspective on the problems and challenges that housing lawyers will confront in 2013.
The conference will also include seminars on:
– Legal aid
– The Localism Act
– Capacity
– Anti-social behaviour
– Homelesness
Please forward details to any colleagues who may be interested in attending.
For further information on registering for the conference, contact Professional Briefings on 01920 487672 or london@profbriefings.co.uk
Consultation response – Ending LSC Grants
HLPA’s response to the LSC/MoJ consultation on ending direct grants to ASA, the RCJ CAB and Law Centres Federation can be downloaded here.
HLPA Seminar: Tips and Tricks for Dealing with the Housing Possession Duty Desk
Wednesday 17 October 2012
6.00 – 8.00 pm
Seminar Leaders:
District Judge Linda Pearce
Lambeth County Court
James Bowen
Garden Court Chambers
Venue:
Mary Ward Legal Centre
10 Great Turnstile Street
London WC1V 7JU
This seminar is aimed at all levels. It is not limited to housing solicitors covering Duty Schemes, but anyone who has to make last minute court applications on behalf of clients.
The booking form can be downloaded here.
HLPA’s Training Seminars have been specifically designed to allow more time for in-depth discussion and debate than the regular general meetings can provide. Places are strictly limited and will be allocated to the first 20 practitioner members per seminar paying the fee of £35.00 in full in advance. HLPA seminars have been awarded 2 hours’ CPD by the Law Society and the Bar Council.
Consultation Response: High Income Social Tenants
HLPA’s response to the DCLG consultation on increased rent levels for higher income social tenants (‘pay to stay’) can be downloaded here
Disrepair – Legal Aid Surveyors’ fees
After a long and sustained effort by HLPA, Shelter, ASA and LAPG, the MoJ has now concluded its review into appropriate hourly rates to pay to surveyors in disrepair cases. As you know, the current rate is £50 per hour.
A review of available data, including data supplied by HLPA, showed that the average hourly rate in London is £125 per hour and out of London is £95 per hour. As all experts’ rates (alongside solicitor and counsel’s rates) were to be codified and reduced by 10%, the new guideline hourly rates for surveyors in housing disrepair cases are:
Outside London – up to £85 per hour
In London – up to £115 per hour
The MoJ have advised that it is unlikely that these rates will be codified in a statutory order before April 2013. Therefore, we will need to make applications for prior authority to instruct surveyor’s at these rates.
The MoJ/LSC are going to issue guidance to caseworkers at the LSC so that they are aware of these new guideline rates. They aim to issue this guidance by 1st October 2012.
The MoJ/LSC are also going to advise us as to how best to make the applications for prior authority and whether this can be included as a standard paragraph in APP1s. Again, they should provide this advice by 1st October.
If you wish to instruct someone for more than these hourly rates you will need to justify this in an application for prior authority as before.
We will update members when the guidance or any further information becomes available.