25th March 2020
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HOUSING LAW NEWS & POLICY ISSUES
 

Coronavirus (COVID-19): Ban on evictions and additional protection for renters
On 18 March 2020 the MHCLG announced a package of measures to protect renters and landlords affected by coronavirus. The measures which will operate during the current national emergency include legislation which “will suspend new evictions from social or private rented accommodation while this national emergency is taking place”; a ban on new possession proceedings; and a three-month payment holiday for landlords with Buy to Let mortgages. At the end of this period, landlords and tenants will be expected to work together to establish an affordable repayment plan, taking into account tenants’ individual circumstances. To support this announcement, the government has worked with the Master of the Rolls to widen the ‘pre-action protocol’ on possession proceedings, to include private renters and to strengthen its remit. For the MHCLG announcement, click here.

On 22 March 202 the Welsh Government agreed that the above measures will apply to Welsh tenants. For the announcement, click here.

Coronavirus (COVID-19): £3.2 million emergency support for rough sleepers
On 17 March 2020 the Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick announced £3.2 million emergency funding to help rough sleepers to self-isolate. The MHCLG said that “the funding represents an initial first step to help local authorities and frontline services be fully prepared and put emergency measures in place” during the current emergency. Councils will be reimbursed for the cost of providing accommodation and services to rough sleepers, and those at risk of rough sleeping, who are suffering from or at risk of coronavirus. For the announcement, click here.

Coronavirus (COVID-19): Increases to Universal Credit and Housing Benefit
On 20 March 2020 the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a package of measures intended to protect people’s jobs and incomes as part of the national effort in response to coronavirus. The measures include an increase in the standard rate in Universal Credit and Tax Credits of £20 a week for one year from 6 April 2020, meaning claimants will be up to £1,040 better off. There was also announced nearly £1bn of additional support for renters, through increases in housing benefit and Universal Credit. From April, Local Housing Allowance rates will pay for at least 30 per cent of market rents in each area. For the announcement, click here. For the response of Crisis, click here.

Coronavirus (COVID-19): Guidance for local government
On 17 March 2020 the MHCLG published guidance (updated on 23 March 2020) for local councils during the coronavirus outbreak. The contents include guidance in relation to homelessness and rough sleeping services; and housing. For the guidance, click here. For advice from the Local Government Association on a range of issues impacted by the coronavirus outbreak, click here.

Coronavirus (COVID-19): Statements from the Regulator of Social Housing
The Regulator of Social Housing issued statements on 6 March and 17 March 2020 in respect of the coronavirus emergency. The latter statement said:

“We have paused our programme of In-Depth Assessments of registered providers. This means that for the time being we are not starting any new IDAs. For those IDAs that are underway we are in contact with providers to either complete the IDA online or to defer. We will keep the position under review.

“Registered providers are reminded that they are expected to communicate in a timely manner with the regulator on material issues that relate to non-compliance or potential non-compliance with the regulatory standards. As ever, our regulatory approach remains proportionate and we will take account of the circumstances, including those arising from the impact of coronavirus, in considering our response to non-compliance or potential non-compliance with the standards.”
For the statements, click here.

Coronavirus (COVID-19): Law Society advice and updates
On 23 March 2020 the Law Society published advice about the implications of coronavirus for their clients, their businesses, their professional obligations, their own wellbeing and that of their employees. The Law Society is keeping the coronavirus situation under review and the information will be updated regularly to reflect the most recent guidance. For the advice note, click here.

Coronavirus (COVID-19): Court arrangements
On 19 March 2020 the Lord Chief Justice published a message (supplemented by a further message on 23 March 2020) concerning arrangements in civil courts in the light of the coronavirus pandemic. The message states that “the rules in both the civil and family courts are flexible enough to enable telephone and video hearings of almost everything. Any legal impediments will be dealt with. HMCTS are working urgently on expanding the availability of technology but in the meantime we have phones, some video facilities and Skype. User information on Skype is on the intranet and otherwise widely available.” For the full message of 19 March, click here. For that of 23 March, click here. For guidance from HM Courts and Tribunal Service, and the Ministry of Justice, offering advice and guidance for all court and tribunal users during the coronavirus outbreak, click here. For a House of Commons Library briefing paper, published on 23 March 2020, about the implications of the Coronavirus Bill for the courts and tribunals, click here. For the experience of Simon Mullings, a housing lawyer working in the civil courts during the coronavirus outbreak, as related on Nearly Legal, click here.

Coronavirus (COVID-19): Legal Aid Agency contingency response
On 18 March 2020 the Legal Aid Agency published advice and guidance (updated on 23 March 2020) for legal aid providers during the coronavirus outbreak. The advice will be updated as necessary. The advice states that “during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) will operate flexibly to ensure [users] can continue to deliver legal aid advice to clients.” The plans take into account the impact of coronavirus on practitioners’ ability to operate according to their contract, as well as prioritising the protection of staff health and well-being. For the advice, click here.

Coronavirus (COVID-19): Guidance to assist those working in the emergency shelter, hostel and substance misuse sector – Wales
On 19 March 2020 the Welsh Government issued guidance to assist those working in the emergency shelter, hostel and substance misuse sector. It has been developed in collaboration with the sector and professionals in health and Public Health Wales. For the guidance, click here.

Coronavirus (COVID-19): Extra funding to assist homeless persons and rough sleepers – Wales
On 20 March 2020 the Welsh Minister for Housing and Local Government announced, in a written statement, additional funding available to support local authorities. The funding “will enable them to secure the accommodation needed to ensure that those without a home can be protected, supported, and isolated if necessary”. The financial support, of up to £10m over the coming months, will enable local authorities “to go far beyond simply renting a basic room”. This funding will form part of a wider support package for local authorities of which details will be announced in due course. For the Minister’s written statement, click here. For the press release relating to the funding announcement, click here. For the response of Crisis, click here.

Coronavirus (COVID-19): Help to Buy Wales loan interest repayment holiday
On 18 March 2020 the Welsh Government confirmed that it was introducing a temporary three month interest repayment holiday for interest bearing Help to Buy Wales customers who may suffer financial hardship as a result of the Coronavirus outbreak. Currently there are 619 interest bearing customers in the scheme in Wales. For the announcement, click here.

Coronavirus (COVID-19): Rough sleepers – London
On 21 March 2020 the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, announced that, with support from the Government, he had secured 300 hotel rooms in which rough sleepers can self-isolate over the coming weeks. The Mayor’s team has worked with Intercontinental Hotels Group to block-book the rooms in two London hotels for the next 12 weeks. Over Friday and the weekend, as part of a trial period, rough sleepers already known to the homelessness charities supported by the Mayor were moved to the rooms. For the announcement, click here.

Coronavirus (COVID-19): Homeless people and rough sleepers – Manchester
On 23 March 2020 the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, reiterated his call for the Government to house all homeless people: "Yesterday I called on the Government to fund all councils so that they can house all people who are homeless or sleeping rough. No person should be forced to sleep on our streets, and there should be an immediate package announced to allow us to get people into safe and secure accommodation. I think that these are policies that can unite people.  We need to build a sense that everyone is in this together and everyone is being looked after." For the Mayor’s press releases on the issue, click here and here.

Coronavirus (COVID-19): Homelessness charities write to Prime Minister
On 20 March 2020 36 charities signed a letter sent to the Prime Minister, setting out the measures they consider necessary to enable them to continue to protect the homeless and vulnerable people who use their services and may need to self-isolate. The letter states:

  • An emergency fund is needed for homelessness accommodation providers.
  • The Government should make bloc payments of housing benefit to homelessness accommodation providers.
  • All homelessness accommodation providers should have Personal Protection Equipment urgently delivered, including thermometers and access to testing facilities.
  • All homelessness service providers should be able to access emergency self-contained accommodation to allow service users testing positive for or displaying symptoms of COVID-19 to safely self-isolate.
  • Comprehensive planning and support measures should be put in place for providers across the country.

For the full text of the letter, click here.

Fire Safety Bill
On 19 March 2020 the Home Office introduced a new bill to improve fire safety in buildings in England and Wales. The Fire Safety Bill received its first reading in the House of Commons on that date. It is due to receive its second reading on a date to be appointed. The bill would amend the Fire Safety Order 2005 to clarify that the responsible person or duty-holder for multi-occupied, residential buildings must manage and reduce the risk of fire for:

  • the structure and external walls of the building, including cladding, balconies and windows
  • entrance doors to individual flats that open into common parts.

For the bill, as introduced, click here. For the government announcement concerning the bill, click here.

Statutory homelessness in England: July to September 2019
On 19 March 2020 the MHCLG published statistics on statutory homelessness in England between July and September 2019. During that period:

  • 36,640 households were assessed as being threatened with homelessness within 56 days, and therefore owed a prevention duty.
  • 34,940 households were initially assessed as homeless and therefore owed a relief duty.
  • 9,650 households were assessed as being unintentionally homeless and in priority need following the relief duty, and owed a main duty.
  • 20,430 households secured accommodation for six months or more during their prevention duty, and therefore had their homelessness prevented.
  • In total 36,050 households who were threatened with homelessness or were homeless were able to secure accommodation for six months or more, and 6,160 households owed a main duty accepted a tenancy offer.

On 30th September 2019:

  • The number of households in temporary accommodation was 87,410, up 4.8 per cent from

83,430 on 30th September 2018.

  • The number of households in B&B was 7,080, up 2.6 per cent from 6,900 on 30th September 2018, but those households with children in B&B for more than six weeks were down 27.9 per cent to 620 households.

For the full statistics, click here. For tables setting out the information organised by local authority, click here.

Homelessness in Wales: October to December 2019
On 19 March 2020 the Welsh Government published data on the number of households applying to local authorities for housing assistance under the Housing (Wales) Act 2014 and the number of homeless households in temporary accommodation for October to December 2019. During that period:

  • 2,481 households were threatened with homelessness within 56 days. This figure is higher than the previous quarter but lower than the same quarter in 2018.
  • Homelessness was successfully prevented for at least 6 months in 67 per cent of cases. The quarterly prevention rates have fluctuated within the 65 per cent to 70 per cent range since April 2017.
  • 3,231 households were homeless and owed a duty to help secure accommodation. This is an 11 per cent increase on the last quarter and the highest total reported since records began in April 2015.
  • Of these, 43 per cent were successfully helped to find accommodation. The quarterly success rates have fluctuated within the 39 per cent to 43 per cent range since April 2017.
  • 738 homeless households were unintentionally homeless and in priority need.
  • 80 per cent accepted an offer of settled suitable accommodation. The quarterly rates have fluctuated within the 74 per cent to 82 per cent range since April 2017.

For the full data, click here.

Homelessness – Wales
On 17 March 2020 the Welsh Government announced that it had accepted in principle wide-ranging recommendations from the Homelessness Action Group on what needs to be done to end homelessness in Wales. The Group has submitted its second and most comprehensive report on the long term, structural and strategic policies needed to end homelessness (the first, published in October, focused on the actions required to tackle rough sleeping during the winter of 2019/20). For the Group’s second report, click here. For the Welsh Government’s response, click here.

Housing affordability in England and Wales: 2019
On 19 March 2020 the Office for National Statistics published data on house prices and annual earnings to calculate affordability ratios for national and subnational geographies in England and Wales for 2019. According to the data:

  • In England in 2019, full-time employees could typically expect to spend around 7.8 times their workplace-based annual earnings on purchasing a home; this is a significant improvement from the previous year, when the ratio was 8.0.
  • In Wales in 2019, full-time employees could typically expect to spend around 5.8 times their workplace-based annual earnings on purchasing a home, which is not significantly different from 2018.
  • At a local level, earnings grew faster than house prices in 55 per cent of local authority districts, leading to improvements in housing affordability in these areas; however, these were not statistically significant changes.
  • In 2019, new dwellings remained less affordable than existing dwellings in both England and Wales.
  • The gap between the most and least affordable local authorities decreased in 2019, the first decrease since 2015.

For the full data, click here.

Grenfell fraudster jailed for five years over £32,000 con
On 20 March 2020 the Crown Prosecution Service reported that a fraudster who claimed to be a Grenfell Tower resident who was in hospital recovering from surgery when he was actually in prison at the time, has been convicted of fraud and jailed after racking up a bill of nearly £32,000. Sheffick Brimer presented himself to volunteers at the Westway Community Centre nearly a month after the fire. After telling housing officers and volunteers he had been subletting a flat inside the tower since November 2016, he was able to claim free accommodation for 125 nights at four-star hotels with a food allowance. He was convicted of one count of fraud following a trial at Isleworth Crown Court and sentenced to five years in custody. For a full report, click here.

Private rented sector: House of Commons debate
On 17 March 2020 the House of Commons held a debate in Westminster Hall on the private rented sector. For the Hansard record of the debate, click here.

Housing tenure and older people
On 18 March 2020 the Office for National Statistics published a report examining the implications of housing tenure for older people's finances, housing quality, health and accessibility. The report – Living longer: implications of housing tenure in later life – found:

  • Among households in England containing someone aged 60 years or over, fewer than half in the private rental sector have savings or investments, compared with over three-quarters of those who own their homes outright.
  • However, not all those who own outright are well-off; while a quarter of older households that own outright have at least £50,000 in savings and investments, almost a quarter have no savings at all.
  • After paying housing costs, older people in rented accommodation have lower incomes than homeowners and privately renting households are more likely to be in fuel poverty than homeowners.
  • Almost a third of privately rented properties and one in five properties owned outright and lived in by older people are classified as non-decent overall, as measured against the Decent Homes Standard.
  • People aged 60 to 69 years living in the private rented sector are more likely to report bad general health than homeowners; differences in health above age 70 years are less pronounced as health is more likely to worsen for all at later ages.
  • Older people living in rented accommodation are far less likely to have moved home recently than younger people, suggesting that security of tenure becomes more important with age.

For the report, click here.

Bristol landlord fined £87,000
On 19 March 2020 the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health reported that a Bristol landlord had been fined £87,000 for housing offences prosecuted by Bristol City Council. Deepak Singh Sachdeva was ordered to pay £87,000 in fines, a victim surcharge of £120, and costs to the council of £1,434. The council took legal action against the landlord for five breaches under the Licensing and Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation Regulations 2007. The report notes:

“Environmental health discovered terrible overcrowding across two flats. Nine people, including young children, were living in one of the accommodation spaces – a one-bed flat. The children were using two cupboards to sleep in for privacy. There was poor fire-resistant separation between the flats and the shop downstairs with the floorboards of the living accommodation visible from the storage area below. There was no fire detection, large gaps around fire doors, and the second flat – a studio flat – had no ventilation or external windows, and limited access via poorly maintained stairs.”

For the report, click here.

HOUSING LAWS IN THE PIPELINE
 

Fire Safety Bill
This government bill would make provision about the application of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 where a building contains two or more sets of domestic premises; and would confer power to amend that order in future for the purposes of changing the premises to which it applies. The bill received its first reading in the House of Commons on 19 March 2020 and is due to receive its second reading on a date to be appointed. For the bill, as introduced, click here. To follow progress of the bill, click here.

Domestic Premises (Energy Performance) Bill
This private member’s bill, sponsored by Lord Foster of Bath, would require the Secretary of State to ensure that domestic properties have a minimum energy performance rating of C on an Energy Performance Certificate; to make provision regarding performance and insulation of new heating systems in existing properties. The first reading was on 8 January 2020 and the second reading on 7 February 2020. The committee stage will commence on a date to be appointed. For the bill, as introduced, click here. To follow progress of the bill, click here.

Rented Homes Bill
This private member’s bill, sponsored by Baroness Grender, would amend the Housing Act 1988 to abolish assured shorthold tenancies; and to extend the grounds upon which landlords of residential housing may recover possession. First reading took place on 22 January 2020. The second reading will be on a date to be announced. For the bill, as introduced, click here. To follow progress of the bill, click here.

Telecommunications Infrastructure (Leasehold Property) Bill
This Government bill would amend the electronic communications code set out in Schedule 3A to the Communications Act 2003; by doing so, it would address one stated policy barrier: making it easier for telecoms companies to access multi-dwelling buildings (such as blocks of flats) where a tenant has requested a new connection, but the landlord has not responded to requests for access rights. The bill received its first reading in the House of Commons on 8 January 2020 and its second reading on 22 January 2020. For the second reading debate, click here. The committee stage was completed on 11 February 2020. For the committee debate, click here. The third reading in the House of Commons was on 10 March 2020; for the debate, click here. First reading in the House of Lords was on 11 March 2020. Second reading is scheduled for 30 March 2020. For the bill, as introduced in the House of Lords, click here. To follow progress of the bill, click here. For a briefing, prepared by the House of Commons Library, click here.

Renting Homes (Amendment) (Wales) Bill
This Welsh Government Bill seeks to amend the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 to provide greater security for people who rent their homes in Wales. This will particularly affect those who live in the private rented sector and occupy their homes under a ‘standard occupation contract’, the equivalent to the current assured shorthold tenancy, after the 2016 Act comes into force. This additional security will primarily be achieved by extending the minimum notice period for issuing a section 173 notice under the 2016 Act (the equivalent of the current section 21 notice under the Housing Act 1988) from two months to six months. Landlords will also be prevented from issuing such a notice until at least six months from the date of occupancy. Further provisions will also ensure that landlords are unable to issue rolling ‘speculative’ notices on a ‘just in case’ basis. The bill was introduced in the Senedd on 10 February 2020. The Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee will next consider the bill on 26 March 2020. The Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee will consider the Bill on 20 April 2020. For the bill, as introduced, all other documents relating to it, and to follow progress on the  bill, click here.

Caravan Sites Bill
This private members’ bill, sponsored by Sir Christopher Chope, would amend the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960 to remove planning permission requirements for caravan site licence applicants. The bill is being prepared for publication. It received its first reading in the House of Commons on 10 February 2020 and is due to receive its second reading on 12 June 2020. To follow progress of the bill, click here.

Evictions (Universal Credit Claimants) Bill
This private members’ bill, sponsored by Chris Stephens, seeks to place a duty on the Secretary of State to prevent the evictions of Universal Credit claimants in rent arrears. The bill is being prepared for publication. It received its first reading in the House of Commons on 10 February 2020 and is due to receive its second reading on 27 November 2020. To follow progress of the bill, click here.

Homeless People (Current Accounts) Bill
This private members’ bill, sponsored by Peter Bone, would require banks to provide current accounts for homeless people seeking work. The bill is being prepared for publication. It received its first reading in the House of Commons on 10 February 2020 and is due to receive its second reading on 15 January 2021. To follow progress of the bill, click here.

Mobile Homes Act 1983 (Amendment) Bill
This private members’ bill, sponsored by Sir Christopher Chope, seeks to amend the Mobile Homes Act 1983. The bill is being prepared for publication. It received its first reading in the House of Commons on 10 February 2020 and is due to receive its second reading on 12 June 2020. To follow progress of the bill, click here.

Mobile Homes and Park Homes Bill
This private members’ bill, sponsored by Sir Christopher Chope, would require the use of published criteria to determine whether mobile homes and park homes are liable for council tax or non-domestic rates; make provision in relation to the residential status of such homes; and amend the Mobile Home Acts. The bill is being prepared for publication. It received its first reading in the House of Commons on 10 February 2020 and is due to receive its second reading on 16 October 2020. To follow progress of the bill, click here.

Housing Act 2004 (Amendment) Bill
This private members’ bill, sponsored by Sir Christopher Chope, seeks to amend Part 3 of the Housing Act 2004 to provide that any selective licensing scheme for residential accommodation extends to social housing. The bill is being prepared for publication. It received its first reading on 10 February 2020 and is due to have its second reading on 16 October 2020. To follow progress of the bill, click here.

Sublet Property (Offences) Bill
This private members’ bill, sponsored by Sir Christopher Chope, would make the breach of certain rules relating to sub-letting rented accommodation a criminal offence and would make provision for criminal sanctions in respect of unauthorised sub-letting. The bill is being prepared for publication. It received its first reading on 10 February 2020 and is scheduled to receive its second reading on 10 July 2020. To follow progress of the bill, click here.

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HOUSING LAW CONSULTATIONS
 

Fire Safety Bill
This government bill would make provision about the application of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 where a building contains two or more sets of domestic premises; and would confer power to amend that order in future for the purposes of changing the premises to which it applies. The bill received its first reading in the House of Commons on 19 March 2020 and is due to receive its second reading on a date to be appointed. For the bill, as introduced, click here. To follow progress of the bill, click here.

Domestic Premises (Energy Performance) Bill
This private member’s bill, sponsored by Lord Foster of Bath, would require the Secretary of State to ensure that domestic properties have a minimum energy performance rating of C on an Energy Performance Certificate; to make provision regarding performance and insulation of new heating systems in existing properties. The first reading was on 8 January 2020 and the second reading on 7 February 2020. The committee stage will commence on a date to be appointed. For the bill, as introduced, click here. To follow progress of the bill, click here.

Rented Homes Bill
This private member’s bill, sponsored by Baroness Grender, would amend the Housing Act 1988 to abolish assured shorthold tenancies; and to extend the grounds upon which landlords of residential housing may recover possession. First reading took place on 22 January 2020. The second reading will be on a date to be announced. For the bill, as introduced, click here. To follow progress of the bill, click here.

Telecommunications Infrastructure (Leasehold Property) Bill
This Government bill would amend the electronic communications code set out in Schedule 3A to the Communications Act 2003; by doing so, it would address one stated policy barrier: making it easier for telecoms companies to access multi-dwelling buildings (such as blocks of flats) where a tenant has requested a new connection, but the landlord has not responded to requests for access rights. The bill received its first reading in the House of Commons on 8 January 2020 and its second reading on 22 January 2020. For the second reading debate, click here. The committee stage was completed on 11 February 2020. For the committee debate, click here. The third reading in the House of Commons was on 10 March 2020; for the debate, click here. First reading in the House of Lords was on 11 March 2020. Second reading is scheduled for 30 March 2020. For the bill, as introduced in the House of Lords, click here. To follow progress of the bill, click here. For a briefing, prepared by the House of Commons Library, click here.

Renting Homes (Amendment) (Wales) Bill
This Welsh Government Bill seeks to amend the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 to provide greater security for people who rent their homes in Wales. This will particularly affect those who live in the private rented sector and occupy their homes under a ‘standard occupation contract’, the equivalent to the current assured shorthold tenancy, after the 2016 Act comes into force. This additional security will primarily be achieved by extending the minimum notice period for issuing a section 173 notice under the 2016 Act (the equivalent of the current section 21 notice under the Housing Act 1988) from two months to six months. Landlords will also be prevented from issuing such a notice until at least six months from the date of occupancy. Further provisions will also ensure that landlords are unable to issue rolling ‘speculative’ notices on a ‘just in case’ basis. The bill was introduced in the Senedd on 10 February 2020. The Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee will next consider the bill on 26 March 2020. The Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee will consider the Bill on 20 April 2020. For the bill, as introduced, all other documents relating to it, and to follow progress on the  bill, click here.

Caravan Sites Bill
This private members’ bill, sponsored by Sir Christopher Chope, would amend the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960 to remove planning permission requirements for caravan site licence applicants. The bill is being prepared for publication. It received its first reading in the House of Commons on 10 February 2020 and is due to receive its second reading on 12 June 2020. To follow progress of the bill, click here.

Evictions (Universal Credit Claimants) Bill
This private members’ bill, sponsored by Chris Stephens, seeks to place a duty on the Secretary of State to prevent the evictions of Universal Credit claimants in rent arrears. The bill is being prepared for publication. It received its first reading in the House of Commons on 10 February 2020 and is due to receive its second reading on 27 November 2020. To follow progress of the bill, click here.

Homeless People (Current Accounts) Bill
This private members’ bill, sponsored by Peter Bone, would require banks to provide current accounts for homeless people seeking work. The bill is being prepared for publication. It received its first reading in the House of Commons on 10 February 2020 and is due to receive its second reading on 15 January 2021. To follow progress of the bill, click here.

Mobile Homes Act 1983 (Amendment) Bill
This private members’ bill, sponsored by Sir Christopher Chope, seeks to amend the Mobile Homes Act 1983. The bill is being prepared for publication. It received its first reading in the House of Commons on 10 February 2020 and is due to receive its second reading on 12 June 2020. To follow progress of the bill, click here.

Mobile Homes and Park Homes Bill
This private members’ bill, sponsored by Sir Christopher Chope, would require the use of published criteria to determine whether mobile homes and park homes are liable for council tax or non-domestic rates; make provision in relation to the residential status of such homes; and amend the Mobile Home Acts. The bill is being prepared for publication. It received its first reading in the House of Commons on 10 February 2020 and is due to receive its second reading on 16 October 2020. To follow progress of the bill, click here.

Housing Act 2004 (Amendment) Bill
This private members’ bill, sponsored by Sir Christopher Chope, seeks to amend Part 3 of the Housing Act 2004 to provide that any selective licensing scheme for residential accommodation extends to social housing. The bill is being prepared for publication. It received its first reading on 10 February 2020 and is due to have its second reading on 16 October 2020. To follow progress of the bill, click here.

Sublet Property (Offences) Bill
This private members’ bill, sponsored by Sir Christopher Chope, would make the breach of certain rules relating to sub-letting rented accommodation a criminal offence and would make provision for criminal sanctions in respect of unauthorised sub-letting. The bill is being prepared for publication. It received its first reading on 10 February 2020 and is scheduled to receive its second reading on 10 July 2020. To follow progress of the bill, click here.

HOUSING LAW ARTICLES & PUBLICATIONS
 

Valid or not valid? Steven Eccles Local Government Lawyer 13 March 2020 – to read the article, click here

A foundation to build on Alastair Ball Shelter Blog 16 March 2020 – to read the article, click here

Self-isolate at home, they say. But what if you are homeless? Simon Hattenstone and Daniel Lavelle The Guardian 18 March – to read the article, click here

Working on homes Giles Peaker Nearly Legal 20 March 2020 – to read the article, click here
Why do we need housing professionals? Annalisa Howson CIH Blog 20 March 2020 – to read the article, click here

Self-isolation? Try it as a homeless family living in one room Deborah Garvie Shelter Blog 20 March 2020 – to read the article, click here

Emergency Practice Directions for the FTT and UT Giles Peaker Nearly Legal 20 March 2020 – to read the article, click here

Discretionary power to accommodate – letter for housing authorities Mark Prichard Blog 20 March 2020 – to read the article, click here

Law in the time of Covid – Court duty work Simon Mullings Nearly Legal 21 March 2020 – to read the article, click here

Coronavirus: homeless face race against time to self-isolate Alexandra Topping The Guardian 22 March 2020 – to read the article, click here

 ‘Coronavirus is worse for us': inside the GP surgeries for homeless people Sarah Johnson The Guardian 23 March 2020 – to read the article, click here

Case and place – a new approach to housing management Stuart Davies CIH Blog 24 March 2020 – to read the article, click here

Housing: recent developments Sam Madge-Wyld and Jan Luba QC Legal Action March 2020 ‒ to read the article (subscription required), click here
HOUSING LAW DIARY
 

26 March 2020                         
Consultation closes on Housing supply; net additional dwellings statistics: proposed changes to revisions policy (see Housing Law Consultations)

26 March 2020                         
Consultation closes on Regulator of Social Housing’s consultation on equality objectives (see Housing Law Consultations)

26 March 2020                         
Consideration by the Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee of the Renting Homes (Amendment) (Wales) Bill (see Housing Laws in the Pipeline)

30 March 2020                         
Second reading of the Telecommunications Infrastructure (Leasehold Property) Bill (see Housing Laws in the Pipeline)

3 April 2020                              
Consultation closes on First Homes (see Housing Law Consultations)

13 April 2020                            
Consultation closes on Review of the ban on the use of combustible materials in and on the external walls of buildings (see Housing Law Consultations)

30 April 2020                            
Consultation closes on Estate charges on housing developments – Wales (see Housing Law Consultations)

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