This is an appalling judgment to read. Two Chief Constables found in contempt of court for misleading the court about the existence of video footage. But this was only discovered when the matter made it to the Court of Appeal. Incredible perseverance. www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWC...

A local housing authority is not required to notify a homeless applicant of their right to a review of a decision to discharge the main housing duty where the applicant has been offered accommodation in discharge of duty and a review has upheld suitability. nearlylegal.co.uk/2025/11/disc...

Neighbour’s bonfire party last night. (Not my photo, but I like it).

A local housing authority is not required to notify a homeless applicant of their right to a review of a decision to discharge the main housing duty where the applicant has been offered accommodation in discharge of duty and a review has upheld suitability. nearlylegal.co.uk/2025/11/disc...

“assertions that irregular procreations had occurred in the distant past” The Privy Council decides a baronetcy. Missed this at the time. www.bailii.org/uk/cases/UKP...

Definitely autumn out there.

We've been involved in so many evacuated block cases, I think this is our 8th, that we've a standard advice & case plan for assisting tenants. Now Sapphire Court. An Olympic Park block owned by NHG apparently with structural safety issues (and other problems). anthonygold.co.uk/insight/resi...

Apart from actually getting Awaab's Law completely wrong both as to its extent (social landlords only) and effect, the video repeats the usual private landlord line that it is often/usually down to tenant behaviour. But then criticises tenants for drying clothes indoors when they have nowhere else.

Linkedin connection request "I’d love to add you to my network! As an award-winning international matchmaking agency, we’re always on the lookout for eligible singles worldwide. If you happen to be single, I’d be thrilled to connect! I hope this message finds you well and causes no offence" Declined

So, I thought Powell was smarter than this. I was wrong. OK Thanks Bye www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Via @timmorton2.bsky.social this story of a speculative and frankly abusive freeholder grabber. Milne is a disgrace. There is a statutory process for valuing and obtaining the freehold (soon likely to be cheaper still). Then.. www.sheffieldtribune.co.uk/a-london-law...

Received my first Awaab's Law summary response from landlord post investigation, after notification on 27 Oct. This is all very exciting. New things! Nobody knows what they are doing yet! Seat of the pants lawyering in best interests of client! Like March 2020 all over again...

How long until Trump and Vance declare their own pope? We've not had an antipope for 647 years or so. Must be time for a revival.

Ancient pond that came with the house has been redone. Had to be done as the liner had developed a leak. Now know we have about 30 fish! Pond cleared and enlarged, with new edging. Also need new pond plants and that is a whole new world of youtube based newbie anxiety.

My youth in 1981. Posted apropos of, well, stuff. youtu.be/lV5dbcOmw6I?...

A remarkable (and powerful) judgment from a District Judge refusing to amend a landlord's injunction for access to inspect to include a power of forced entry. The common law was against it, no statute allowed it and the procedure rules could not override this. nearlylegal.co.uk/2025/11/the-...

Anti-social network.

This is, quite literally, insane. A free market/property rights defence of a landlord's right to let damp and mouldy property that will kill occupiers. (Also an illustration of why housing conditions have been regulated by statute for the last 100 years or so.) thecritic.co.uk/against-awaa...

Renters’ Rights Act 2025 now available on legislation.gov site www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2025/2... @justinbates.bsky.social @nearlylegal.bsky.social

Fun evening being called a conspiracist and tory/reform shill for spending the day trying to explain what selective licensing is and the law about liability for not licensing. Perhaps my favourite was being told that Reeves was not a private landlord because she was only letting one property.

Meanwhile, the whole affair has given me 24 hours of deep amusement at watching journalists (and indeed nearly everybody) frantically trying and mostly failing to understand the relevant law...

Badenoch is quite right. It is not the same. The possible criminal sentence for the website hack is much higher than that for a failure to obtain a licence for a letting.

Letting agents in Reeves' case admit they said they would licence the property and failed to. That should be that. propertyindustryeye.com/news-update-...

It appears that selective licensing schemes, rent repayment orders and ‘reasonable excuse’ defences are suddenly sexy. *looks at requests in email inbox*

Reeves let out a home in a selective licensing area (all rented properties in that area must be licensed) without a licence. Blames letting agent (depending on contract, she may have a point), but an up to £30,000 civil penalty & a potential rent repayment order. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Oh for heavens sake, this is posturing nonsense from the public accounts select committee. A lease is a lease is a lease. You don't get to change the term or rent 'in the light of recent developments'. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

The beneficial owner of the building is the ARC Time Freehold Income Authorised Fund. Freehold Managers (Nominees) is a trustee holding on bare trust because NatWest Trustee & Depositary Services is the fund’s Depositary for real assets.

Who are the beneficial owners, apparently hidden by this NatWest front company?

MHCLG guidance on Awaab's Law for social tenants has been released. www.gov.uk/government/p...

'Only a ten-minute walk from the High Street'. The horror! And from a Lib Dem MP.

Phase 1 of Awaab's Law is in force from today. Here is a summary overview of the Regulations, duties and requirements on social landlords, with a few comments on claims for breach. nearlylegal.co.uk/2025/10/awaa...

And now my linkedin replies are full of social landlords going 'nonsense, we must be able to force our way in to do a gas safety check rather than seek committal for breach of injunction, because safety', even though if there is a suspected or actual safety issue, the gas supplier can force entry.

On what is a busy day for housing law, not only is Awab's Law now in effect, the Renters' Rights Bill has royal assent and is now an act, and there have been a sudden burst of judgments On Lewisham's allocation scheme and overcrowding. caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ewhc/admin/2...

Phase 1 of Awaab's Law is in force from today. Here is a summary overview of the Regulations, duties and requirements on social landlords, with a few comments on claims for breach. nearlylegal.co.uk/2025/10/awaa...

Judgment that County Court doesn't have the power to give landlord permission for forced entry to carry out a gas safety check, despite tenant's apparent failure to comply with injunction. Holds against Sovereign HA v Hall. May be going to Court of Appeal caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ewcc/2025/58

'A gold mine for extortion and more stressful than the pandemic' @FionaBawdon talks to lawyers about the impact of the Legal Aid Agency’s catastrophic data breach – and their fears about what happens next. Read more👇

Probably on BBC Radio 5 Live at 11 am on Awaab’s Law and housing conditions.

A couple of case notes involving very bad behaviour. An unlawful eviction case where rather than comply with an injunction for re-entry, the landlord took the house apart with his bare hands, and the maddest claim for trespass/forfeiture/harassment you will ever see nearlylegal.co.uk/2025/10/men-...

A couple of case notes involving very bad behaviour. An unlawful eviction case where rather than comply with an injunction for re-entry, the landlord took the house apart with his bare hands, and the maddest claim for trespass/forfeiture/harassment you will ever see nearlylegal.co.uk/2025/10/men-...

A deep-dive into the fictional will and murder-for-inheritance scenario in Taylor Swift's Anti-Hero through the lens of English law — private purpose trusts, certainties, perpetuities, forfeiture, butterfly lifespans, cat pictures, and capricious pet bequests. equitysdarling.co.uk/2025/10/23/s...

Oh but I hate LLM AI so much. Four new client inquiries today, all AI generated, all confidently stating causes of action that don't exist, or are completely out of time, but each with a potential underlying claim, and with valuations of the claim that are out by an order of magnitude.

On the back of the recent thread about Peppercorn Rents, I was very kindly asked to write a short article for the @bigissue.com on the subject which they have now put online. Quite a challenge in squeezing it all in to their word limit!

Freeholders challenge to the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 measures as incompatible with A1 P1 Convention on Human Rights is dismissed. This is unquestionably good news for leaseholders. That said, I expect the Court of Appeal will be hearing from the freeholders...

Absolutely refuse to believe this wasn't deliberate

Looking a bit dramatic by Blackfriars this evening…

OMG. Shocked but somehow not surprised. news.sky.com/video/don-t-...

This would also be a factor in my deep disappointment in No 10 communications and the direction of policy messaging. Here is something which is undoubtedly a good thing for millions of private renters, a once in decades change. Something that people *need* to know about. And... tumbleweed.

You just know the ICE agents in balaclavas are seethingly jealous of the one of them wearing the one way glass helmet, because he looks like he is playing Halo, and they all have small dicks to compensate for.

So the Renters' Rights Bill completed Parliament today. It has taken some time and I think we've forgotten what an important and really substantial piece of legislation it is. A huge and valuable change is coming (even if we don't know exactly when yet).

World ends not with a bang but a whimper