MSB’s Social Housing Highlight – August 2023
Welcome to MSB’s monthly Social Housing Newsletter!
Bringing you all the latest updates from the world of Social Housing.
We now have our own LinkedIn page. Please follow us for regular updates and insights in the world of Social Housing and Regeneration.
The latest at MSB
Andy Moore and Amy Tagoe delivered our free webinar this month where they discussed ASB, mental health and neurodiversity. If you are interested in arranging training sessions with the team, please contact dominiqueowens@msbsolicitors.co.uk.
We have been celebrating South Asian Heritage Month in the office which takes place between 18th July and 17thAugust. We celebrated on 16th August by Raihan Arif, Aishath Ahmed and Jess Masih cooking up a feast for us all to enjoy. Julia Michalczyk and Aishath Ahmed attended the Pro-Women Summer Brunch Social with Pro-Manchester. We have also celebrated a very special birthday in the office this month with Louise Murphy tuning 40. Did you catch the pictures of our celebrations on social media?
We were all very proud of Beth McKeown being shortlisted for the Legal Excellence award at the Merseyside Junior Lawyers Division Summer Ball. All the junior lawyers in the team attended the ball to support and celebrate Beth’s achievements. We were also sad to see our trainee Sarah Sharples move onto another team for her final seat as a trainee. We know she will be an amazing addition to the family department, and we wish her luck.
MSB supported both Liverpool and Manchester Pride this year with members of the team joining in the March in Liverpool and attending a brunch in Manchester before supporting the march. We love supporting great causes, so if you have any projects you would like us to get involved with, please contact thomasstockton@msbsolicitors.co.uk.
Our highly recommended Book Club will be attending a book signing on 27th September 2023 with Elena Armas. If you would like to join us tickets are available, here. Read the latest newsletter here.
Updates and insight
Eleanor Mary Silk from out employment team explains the considerations for HR departments following the Social Housing (Regulation) Act, here.
Sarah Sharples shares her experiences of being a trainee in our team, here.
Nicola Garret from our Commercial Property team explores the development of Right to Buy, here.
Amy Tagoe shares top tips for investigating abandoned properties, here.
Housing Law News
Out of Order – The Latest Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) Report
On 16th August 2023 the LGSCO published its latest report on anti-social behaviour. It also contains good practice notes. For a copy of the report see here.
Fines for Right to Rent breaches increased
On 7th August 2023 the Home Office announced that right to rent breach fines would increase from £80 to £5,000 for a lodger and from £1,000 per occupier to £10,000. The higher fines will be in force from 2024.
Building Safety (Leaseholder Protections etc) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2023
The regulations came into force on 5th August 2023. For the regulations click here.
Landlord Possession Statistics England and Wales
On 10th August 2023 the Ministry of Justice published its quarterly statistics which showed increases in possession claims by 24%, possession orders by 12%, warrants by 27% and repossessions by 19%.
Upcoming events
Wednesday 6th September 2023 – 10 am – 11 am via zoom
Our next free webinar on Access and Housing Condition Claims is on 6th September 2023 via Zoom. Please email dominiqueowens@msbsolicitors.co.uk to book your place. If you want to be added to our mailing list to receive updates on free training and events, please get in touch.
Tuesday 19th September 2023 – 10 am – 11 am via zoom
An addition to our webinar schedule is coming in September, which will provide you with an overview of the key aspects of the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023, which received Royal Assent on 20 July 2023. Please email dominiqueowens@msbsolicitors.co.uk to book your place. If you want to be added to our mailing list to receive updates on free training and events, please get in touch.
Case of the month
Richworth Ltd v Billingham [2023] EW Misc 8 (CC)
HHJ Luba KC heard an appeal which considered how a landlord can return a deposit. Michelle Summers summarises the case here.